Dear readers,

As the new Editor-in-Chief of ZKG International, I am pleased together with my team to present to you up-to-the-minute news from the industry, the latest machines, equipment and plants along with fresh results from research and development.

Shortly before print cut-off and therefore too late for any reports in this issue, Hannover Messe 2015 came to an end under the motto of “Integrated Industry – Join the Network”. Even if “Industrie 4.0” remains just a buzzword for some, digital networking in production has already been realized in many industries. At Hannover Messe, companies presented technologies ready for application. We too shall take a closer look at developments in this field in future and report on these.

Only with ongoing optimization and further development of the plant technology, processes and workflows can companies remain competitive. For this reason, in a new section in ZKG International, we shall in future present a regular overview of current patents in the industry. Even if, in view of the many patents applied for, only a limited selection can be featured, the overview will clearly show the development drive in the industry.

I wish you interesting reading and look forward to meeting you personally at one of the next industry events.

Yours

Anett Fischer
Editor-in-Chief
ZKG International