In September 2024, for the first time, Mecademic presented its industrial robots at the W3+ Fair Jena, one of Germany’s most prestigious networking fairs in photonics and optics. For two days, over 200 exhibitors and partners from 11 countries showcased their solutions to more than 2,300 visitors.
Jena has been a center of expertise in optics for 150 years and is the hometown of leading companies in this industry, such as Zeiss, Jenoptik, and Schott. This makes W3+ Jena a huge opportunity for businesses to present their products and solutions. There, we did a demonstration of an optical alignment and glue dispensing application using our Meca500-OBST, a version of our six-axis industrial robot with light absorption capabilities, the world’s most compact and precise in its category.
This article will discuss how the event went, the opportunities in automating optics and photonics, and the realities of the German market based on insights from our people at W3+ Jena: Philippe Beaulieu, Mecademic’s CCO and Executive VP, and Stefan John, our Sales Representative in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland).
Insight #1: The Meca500 made a big impression
All the visitors to our booth at the W3+ Fair Jena were highly impressed by Mecademic’s solutions and our optical alignment demo. This isn’t news since we’ve seen similar reactions from our clients and other tradeshows. However, it was our first time in Jena, and it was exciting to notice it in an event where most exhibitors and attendees were in optics and photonics.
The visitors’ enthusiasm for the Mecademic robots was reflected in the intense experience Philippe and Stefan had at the booth. During the two days of the event, a non-stop flow of attendees wanted to learn more about the Mecademic robotic solutions and services.
Many visitors mentioned how our application perfectly reflected their processes, proving that our six-axis robot is a perfect fit for optics and photonics. Some even expressed surprise at the Meca500’s capabilities, having not realized until the event that a six-axis robot with such compactness, precision, flexibility, and ease of use was available in the market.
Visitors also praised the Meca500’s design, build, and high quality. The non-reflective capability of its black version was one of the most commented aspects by attendees, too. The Meca500-OBSI’s black surface has a 95%+ light absorption capacity, dramatically reducing measurement inaccuracies and safety hazards while accelerating production load times.
Insight #2: The opportunities in optics and photonics are immense
Given the options available in the market until now, the overall cost of automating optics and photonics processes has always been considered very high and not worth the investment. For that reason, the industry still relies heavily on manual work for operations such as optical alignment, pick-and-place, dispensing, and quality control.
Due to those human-centered operations, yields are considerably low, and damage to components is very common, given the small, delicate parts involved in optics manufacturing. To avert this issue, companies in this industry are permanently looking for new opportunities to automate their processes and increase productivity, but in a sustainable way for the business.
This is where Mecademic fits in. Our innovative robots enable reduced footprint, great flexibility, and unrivaled accuracy, resolution and repeatability—at a considerably lower cost than alternative and custom solutions. Moreover, based on our chats with visitors at the W3+ Fair, our robots’ ease of use and installation is a plus for an industry that’s not particularly familiar with automation and integrating robots in its operations.
To benefit even further from this unique opportunity, our next step is to partner with local integrators and machine builders to build the automation cells the optics and photonics businesses in Germany are looking for. In Jena, we met and discussed with some of them, leading to some promising perspectives. The potential is immense, and we’re excited to face the challenges and see this transformation happening!
Insight #3: Being in Germany is a giant leap for Mecademic
Finally, being at W3+ Jena only reinforced how crucial our presence in Germany is, with Stefan as our man out on the field. This is Europe’s biggest economy and one of the world’s most innovative markets, so partnering with other businesses in the country is fundamental for us to deliver on our mission to become the leading global supplier of compact robotic solutions.
Of course, bridging the language barrier is a crucial aspect of having a physical presence in Germany. Moreover, being geographically close to German and Swiss customers gives us a deeper understanding of local market trends and developments. This proximity allows us to gather invaluable insights, making it easier to tailor solutions that truly meet our clients’ needs.
More specifically, while in Germany, we’re able to visit companies, see their processes firsthand, and understand their production needs more in detail. Obtaining this kind of knowledge is one of our priorities now, one that will make the most difference in providing customers with the best robotic solutions in that region.
“We need to be there, on the ground, to grasp what they’re doing,” says Stefan. “And then, we need an integrator to help design a small production cell that can be connected later on to a transport system, a conveyor belt, or something similar and to tie everything together.”
Now, we can’t wait for W3+ Jena 2025! If you’re in Germany or in the optics and photonics industry and want to better understand our solutions, book one of our experts.
