ZHAW and SMC demonstrate the potential of digital automation for the Swiss industry

The media event “Digitalization for Industry made in Switzerland” by SMC and the ZHAW School of Engineering highlighted the added value that digitalization brings to Swiss industry. Swissmem President Martin Hirzel emphasized that digital transformation sustainably strengthens the resilience and international competitiveness of Swiss industry. At the same time, he pointed out challenges such as volatile markets and increasing demands for transparency.

SMC: Digital product passport for 700,000 products

Alessandro Grizzetti from SMC Switzerland AG explained how the company uses its close collaboration with ZHAW to position itself as a technology partner for its customers. SMC and ZHAW collaborate within the competence center for digital automation in areas such as energy efficiency, predictive maintenance, digital services, new business models, and the development of a comprehensive digital twin portfolio. By 2028, SMC aims to equip all of its approximately 700,000 products with a digital product passport. These digital representations are expected to become mandatory under EU regulations and are intended to help customers improve efficiency and gain transparent lifecycle information.

For ZHAW, the collaboration provides access to real industrial projects and direct challenges from various sectors. This enables research teams to gain additional expertise and develop innovations close to practical application.

Added value for industry partners

Industrial customers such as Reishauer AG and Prematic AG also benefit. The competence center serves as a sparring and research partner for them.

Reishauer AG, a global leader in high-precision gear manufacturing for the automotive industry, is consistently driving the digital transformation of its machine tools. The focus is on AI-supported monitoring systems to improve process and component quality, as well as new digital services such as the customer platform myReishauer. Together with ZHAW, Reishauer is also working on a pilot project for a digital product passport in order to efficiently meet future regulatory requirements.

Prematic AG presented the Innosuisse-funded project “Doctor Chiller,” which is being implemented together with ZHAW, SMC, and Ynovatec AG. A temperature control unit was showcased that significantly simplifies maintenance work thanks to augmented reality. Users can perform service tasks themselves—an important factor in significantly reducing downtime and costs.

Digitally networked manufacturing is gaining momentum

A visit to Prof. Dr. Wernher van de Venn at the competence center made it clear: Swiss industry is ready for digitally networked manufacturing. Machine builders and production companies are using new technologies in a targeted way to increase efficiency and productivity and to remain competitive globally. One of the drivers of increasing digitalization in industry—alongside efforts to boost productivity—is the European Green Deal, which sets new requirements for energy efficiency, circular economy, and transparency along the value chain. Swiss machine builders and manufacturing companies are therefore increasingly investing in digital solutions with the aim of reducing downtime, automating maintenance, and making processes more efficient.

SMC Switzerland AG

SMC is the global leading expert in pneumatic and electrical solutions for industrial automation. For 67 years, SMC has been shaping trends in the automation industry. Its success is based on intensive research and development, customer-focused engineering, in-house production, and an unmatched global network.

Founded in April 1959 in Tokyo, Japan, SMC Corporation now employs 23,000 people in more than 80 countries worldwide. With a comprehensive portfolio of more than 700,000 products, SMC can meet virtually all automation requirements. The main portfolio includes pneumatic actuators, air preparation equipment, directional control valves, electric actuators, fluid control components, temperature control devices, vacuum products, sensors, and ionizers.

As a subsidiary of SMC Corporation, SMC Switzerland AG serves the Swiss market with around 120 employees. With its headquarters in Weisslingen (ZH), a sales office in Yverdon (VD), and 10 premium distribution partners, it covers the entire country and offers services such as engineering, training, local production, and warehousing.

ZHAW School of Engineering
The ZHAW School of Engineering develops innovative, data-driven solutions for the production of tomorrow together with industry partners. The goal is to actively shape the transformation toward intelligent, connected, and sustainable industrial systems.

At the center is a strategically developed, growing, and nationally and internationally connected competence center for digital and automated industrial systems, focusing on artificial intelligence, industrial data spaces, digital product passports (DPP), and the Asset Administration Shell (AAS).

The competence center combines research, development, and industrial application and acts as a platform for developing and scaling data-driven industrial solutions. In concrete demonstrators, physical systems are combined with digital models and data-driven methods. This creates new approaches for more efficient processes, data-based services, and sustainable business models.

Activities are carried out in close collaboration with industry partners and are increasingly embedded in international research and innovation networks that systematically link industry and academia.