WHAT A MESS!

Safety markings, type plates, cable plates and component labelling are important. Nevertheless, for many engineers and designers they are an unwelcome side issue. How to get better.

ENGINEERS 4.0 - THE DIGITAL SWISS ARMY KNIFE

The fourth industrial revolution is moving fast. That raises the question: Are German universities adapting their engineering courses to the latest requirements quickly enough? The answer is nothing to be proud of.

"DISRUPTIVE THINKING INSTEAD OF CRAMMING"

German universities are good - but they are not good enough in light of increasing digitalization and international competition. Those are the findings of two experts from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, who will also present some improvement suggestions in the interview below.

"BETTER TO GET A HEAD START THAN PLAY CATCH-UP LATER ON"

Faster, more agile, more complex: Digitalization demands a lot from employees. But how exactly can you convince 13,400 people that there is a lifetime of learning ahead? The answer to this question is provided by Mischa Kohler, Head of Learning and Development at Trumpf, the laser specialist from Ditzingen.

WANT TO BET THAT YOU HAVE A SECURITY GAP SOMEWHERE?

Companies are attacked by cyber criminals every week. Here are seven key recommendations on what to do before and after an emergency.

"ACTION IS NEEDED NOW"

Many companies underestimate how often they are attacked by cyber criminals - and how poorly prepared they are. That is the result of a recent study on cyber insurance by VDMA and VSMA. The study helps companies to assess their risk.

CYBER SECURITY VERSUS MACHINERY SAFETY

The new technical report ISO/TR 22100-4 clarifies which statutory and normative safety requirements apply to manufacturers.

INDUSTRIE 4.0 IN AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY

The agricultural machinery industry is one of the pioneers of the digital transformation. It was digitalizing machinery and devices long before the term Industrie 4.0 even existed. VDMA members tell us how they are putting digital networks into practice today.

"SYSTEMS CRY FOR HELP WHEN SOMETHING IS WRONG"

A little stone in an escalator, a ventilation system that has become very loud, a rattling ticket machine - a Deutsche Bahn start-up listens to technical systems and raises an alarm when the sounds they make indicate a malfunction.

THE ALGORITHM AGAINST ABRASION

The holy grail of mechanical engineering is merging design, mechanics and software to create predictive maintenance.

SMARTLY COMBINING INDUSTRIE 4.0 AND LEAN PRODUCTION

The smart factory is bringing about a winning combination of Industrie 4.0 and lean production - two approaches that pursue the same goal. VDMA members are showing how this can be realized in practice and which hurdles are still to be overcome.

PLATFORM ECONOMY: CONNECTING MARKET PARTICIPANTS

Digital platforms are springing up everywhere in mechanical and plant engineering. They create the link between market participants online and they also create the infrastructural basis that enables business partners to interact with one another.