ANDOVER, MA, Apr 17, 2026 – Aras will feature its Variant BOM Agent at Hannover Messe 2026 in the Microsoft booth, in a joint demonstration with SICK. The setup shows how generative and agentic AI work with human input to manage complex product structures.
The Variant BOM Agent runs on Aras InnovatorEdge AI, a governed AI services layer used to design, deploy, and manage agentic workflows across the digital thread. Powered by Microsoft Foundry, the system processes fragmented engineering data and organizes it into a structured product data backbone for engineering environments.
The Variant BOM Agent processes existing bills of materials (BOMs), identifies modular components, and generates standardized variants for reuse across product families and markets. Engineers interact with the system using natural language, review AI-generated dependency rules, and refine variant structures. The system supports configure-to-order workflows without making changes to existing PLM or ERP systems.
Additional agents shown in the demonstration run on the same InnovatorEdge AI. These allow customers, partners, and third parties to build and deploy new agents within the same environment, extending workflow execution across engineering processes.
“As product variety grows, so does the complexity and cost of variant management,” said Marcellus Menges, vice president global R&D, SICK AG. “Aras’ AI-powered solution helps us analyze dependencies, identify conflicts earlier, and create visibility across configurations. It allows us to process large volumes of data faster and make more confident decisions – reducing risk, accelerating time to market, and strengthening our competitiveness.”
“What we’re demonstrating at Hannover Messe is a practical, real-world application of AI across the digital thread,” said Rob McAveney, CTO of Aras. “By combining InnovatorEdge AI with Microsoft Foundry, backed by Azure, manufacturers can move beyond isolated AI experiments to scalable transformation – accelerating innovation, reducing lifecycle costs, and delivering higher-quality product variants.”
Source: Aras
About Aras
Aras Corp., founded in 2000 by Peter Schroer, provides product lifecycle management and digital thread solutions. The company is based in Andover, Mass., with additional offices in Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy. Its primary offering, the Aras Innovator platform, is a low-code system designed to support product development and lifecycle management across industries such as aerospace and defense, automotive, electronics, manufacturing, energy, life sciences, shipbuilding and medical devices. The platform enables users to access product data and manage processes across disciplines, spanning the full product lifecycle and extended supply chain. Aras employs approx. 650 people worldwide, and serves more than 350 global customers.