Another top topic in this issue is flexible automation with many application examples. Does this also reflect the mood in the market? Dr. Mori: Absolutely. The automation of a machine tool is becoming ever more impor- tant with regard to future competitive ability. Added to this is the fact that customers are increasingly evaluating a machine tool over its entire life cycle. This means that the ini- tial investment only accounts for around 20 percent of the total costs. Although the auto- mation increases the investment slightly, the additional costs prove worthwhile within a very short time – and they do so sustainably from an economic, ecological and cost-effec- tive point of view. In principle this is true for the entire port- folio of 54 products in 13 product lines, with which we cover all relevant requirements with regard to component geometry, workpiece weight and batch size. You will find a multitude of impressive success examples in this magazine: from rotary and linear storage systems with central control computer technology to solutions for flexible pallet and workpiece handling such the WH Flex and Robo2Go and on through to the use of so-called automated guided vehicles. What role does DMG MORI HEITEC GmbH play in this interdisciplinary cosmos? Christian Thönes: DMG MORI HEITEC is a key link in our digital engineering approach. Our primary aim here is to advance the topic of flexible automation within manufacturing cells and systems. This involves first and foremost keeping the growing complexity that results from shorter delivery times and reduced batch sizes transparent and man- ageable for our customers. What role does the digital twin play here? Dr. Mori: The importance of digital twins as fully functioning virtual models, for example of machines or automated machining systems, is growing dynamically. With these extensive data-controlled digital models as part of our integral digital engineering approach, we will gain important knowledge for our customers that will be used to significantly increase the efficiency of the real machine over its entire life cycle. EDITORIAL What specifically can already be achieved? Dr. Mori: With its digital engineering, DMG MORI now offers a digital development environment for the design and realization of flexible automated manufacturing systems. Unique highlights include the dynamic virtu- alization of machines, assemblies and auto- mation equipment as well as the possibility of simulating all internal system processes and movement sequences. From the circular economy to sustainability. What does that mean for DMG MORI? Dr. Mori: With its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, “Agenda 2030” has defined a clear framework that is a call for action for all com- panies. DMG MORI has been advancing these topics actively for many years. With a num- ber of strategic measures we are readying ourselves to make a positive contribution for people, society and environmental protection. What does this entail in the actual implementation? Christian Thönes: In practical terms, a flexible automated production system was recently configured and tested digitally in record time at various locations and accepted virtually by the customer before the real overall system was even installed on site. The employees could be trained virtually in advance and the programs written and simulated on the digital twin. Consequently, we are now a full 4 × faster than we would be using conventional means. + Firstly, we are faster into the market thanks to virtual prototyping and specification of the technologies, processes, sequences and system architecture. + Secondly, we are faster to the customer thanks to digital requirements manage- ment and virtual fine-tuning through to system units and the complete system. + Thirdly our customers produce interactive customer acceptance of components faster thanks to training of employees during development, timely programming with simulation and trouble- free installation and commissioning. + And fourthly, the customer achieves optimum performance more quickly thanks to data and knowledge-based service and application support over the entire life cycle of the system through to disposal or recycling and reuse. → More information on this topic from page 56 onwards. One example: we have bundled our holistic measures for climate neutrality with 3 initi- atives: GREENMACHINE, GREENMODE and GREENTECH. In this way we have achieved, among other things, that our own value cre- ation (‘company carbon footprint’) is now climate neutral. And we are one of the first industrial companies worldwide, as of Jan- uary 2021, to have a climate-neutral ‘product carbon footprint’ – from the raw material to delivery – whereby especially with a view to a sustainable supply chain, we will be calling our suppliers more to account in future. How should we envision this? Christian Thönes: We rely on digitized processes to increase transparency and to be able to assess and select our suppliers based on their sustainability performance. Our sustainability criteria are integrated uniformly group-wide in purchasing and supplier organization with the platforms Integrity Next and SAP Ariba. “Integrity Next”, for example, enables trans- parent identification of emissions and helps our suppliers to reduce them. We already evaluate 700 top suppliers via this platform – and by 2022 we will have surpassed the 2,000 mark. Thank you very much for the interview. « SINCE 2021: 100 % CLI- MATE-NEUTRAL MANU-FACTURING OF OUR MACHINES TECHNOLOGY E XCELLENCE 05