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The latest trends, innovative technologies and great enthusiasm for welding technology – I experienced all of that at this year's SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN! It is the world's largest trade fair for joining, cutting and coating technology. After a six-year break, it returned to its former location in Essen and was one of the year's highlights for the welding industry. Of course, it was also a very special time for me, with many interesting discussions, because even the WELDPROF^® never stops learning.

Many people think of electron beam welding as a complex, expensive and even dangerous technology. There are several reasons for this: It requires a vacuum, the workpieces have to be precisely prepared and in addition there is the X-ray radiation. In times of laser welding, this may seem outdated. But is it actually true? Or does electron beam welding offer the possibility of a versatile and powerful technology?

There is currently a proverbial hype about laser welding. Especially manual laser welding. Everywhere you see videos of how best to work manually with a laser welding torch and how amazing the results are. Where does this great interest currently come from? In which field did laser welding originate in the first place and what do you have to pay attention to especially when welding manually with a laser welding torch?

The term digitalisation of production is first and foremost associated with optimising processes in order to increase profitability. But digitalisation goes much further and opens up opportunities for more sustainability. This is a goal that every company must pursue nowadays.

Automated welding usually involves the production of large order volumes. The data generated from the welding process are also used as a basis for optimisation. But how does this work in manual welding? Can data also be recorded, collected and evaluated in manual production in order to optimise processes? The answer is: yes, even so-called big data.

In times of high costs for materials and energy, the search for savings is now part of daily business. Process flows offer very good approaches for this. Sometimes it is possible to optimise production with small changes, for example, and thus increase productivity. These factors need to be found. Digitalisation provides the necessary data for this.

Digitalisation is often equated with automation. People think of jobs disappearing because robots or other machines replace human work. But if you take a closer look, the situation is completely different. Digitalisation and automation differ fundamentally.

When two experts discuss a subject, it can be very interesting and exciting. Sharing this exchange with as many people as possible who are thirsty for knowledge is very close to my heart. For this reason, I would like to offer a new format to all interested persons: the Weld Lounge. In the Weld Lounge, I welcome top-class discussion partners from the diverse world of welding on a wide range of specialist topics.

The fact cannot be denied: Potential skilled workers choose their employer according to the level of sustainability of the company. But you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs. This also applies to welding. ABICOR BINZEL has developed the "clean" arc welding cell with the support of TWI (The Welding Institute) Cambridge. This cell demonstrably enables low-emission, energy-saving and raw material-saving production.

You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs. Every manufacturing company uses natural resources in some way and thus affects the environment. But modern companies must position themselves sustainably. Besides the ecological aspect, there is another important fact: potential skilled employees choose their employer according to its sustainability concept. Thus, if you want to keep up with the competition, you can no longer avoid the topic of sustainability. But how can a production company that uses welding technology in its processes approach the issue of sustainability at all?