Deliveries of industrial robots reached record figures worldwide in 2017. Experts expect annual growth in the double-digit percentage range for 2018 and the following years. © Kuka

Alongside traditional industrial robots, robots specializing in collaboration with humans dominated the trade fair scene: cobots. Slowly, but also with enormous growth rates, these collaborative robot colleagues are finding their way into factories.

Three-dimensional production

Hand in hand with digitalization, a still young branch of production technology is developing rapidly: additive manufacturing. This trend was not only reflected in the significant increase in visitor numbers at Frankfurt's Formnext. In fact, 3D printing is finding its way into more and more production processes - and not just for small quantities. Faster printers that can process multiple colors and materials have made additive processes ready for production. Hardly any other technology has gone from the experimental stage to a niche existence to a powerful alternative or supplement to conventional processes in such a short space of time.

Nowadays, mechanical engineering can no longer do without electronics. © Shutterstock / asharkyu

SPS IPC Drives in Nuremberg has always been one of the most important trade fairs for the industry - next year it will be known simply as "SPS" (Smart Production Solutions). In November, more than 1,600 exhibitors showcased the latest trends and developments in automation and digitalization on an even larger exhibition area. These included real-time networks and network standardization, which are becoming increasingly important in the context of Industry 4.0 for developments in the areas of edge computing, the connection of "intelligent" sensors and machine learning. At the same time, security aspects are also coming to the fore and, above all, users are becoming more aware of them. At every event, it becomes clear how much the innovation of one year has already found its way into countless products twelve months later.

What else happened

Nowadays, mechanical engineering can no longer do without electronics. Of course, this was not always the case. Only in the course of automation and, in particular, Industry 4.0 have the two sectors moved closer together. The "Central Association of the Electrical Engineering and Electronics Industry" was founded back in 1918. On March 5 of this year, the ZVEI celebrated its 100th anniversary.

2018 in the industry. © Shutterstock / It sarawuth

One company that has long lived the symbiosis of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and electronics is the production technology manufacturer Trumpf. Its former apprentice and later long-standing owner Prof. Dr. techn. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Berthold Leibinger passed away on October 16 at the age of 87. He was President of the VDMA from 1989 to 1992. In this position, Leibinger left his mark on German industry through his efforts to realistically assess the situation of companies in the new federal states after reunification and to pave the way to a competitive structure wherever possible.

There have also been other changes. At the end of November, the Augsburg-based robot manufacturer Kuka surprised everyone by announcing that Till Reuter would be stepping down as CEO in December. However, there were no official announcements about the reasons and background for this step. However, the Chinese majority shareholder Midea is now likely to have more influence on the day-to-day business of the long-established company.

And what will happen in 2019?

Even if the economic forecasts for the coming year do not look quite as rosy as they did for 2018, many companies are still looking to the future with confidence. According to the VDMA, mechanical engineering companies in Germany were able to increase their order intake by 12% in real terms in October compared to the previous year. There is every reason for optimism, particularly in the growth markets of robotics and additive manufacturing.