Dear Reader,

What is the best, i. e. most energy-efficient and resource-saving process solution in each individual case? “Research still has a lot to do here,” as the new head of IOB Prof. Christian Wuppermann makes clear in our exclusive hp interview on page 16. With a highly heterogeneous system structure in heat treatment, there can and will be different solutions for similar processes.

Only one thing is certain: sustainable thermal process technology has become significantly more relevant to society. Industrial combustion systems generate around 10 % of total CO2 emissions in this country. For this reason, the dominant R&D and future topic worldwide in the next few years will be the return of a major evergreen: energy efficiency. Paired with the new possibilities of AI as well as a new productlife cycle and circular economy thinking, this is where the innovationrally will gain the most momentum in the next few years.

You can find a first taste of it in this issue. The technical article on page 39 shows how significant energy and costs can be saved using data mining optimized operation of induction furnaces. Also forward-looking is our article on page 29 in the Hybrid Heating section, which shows which worthwhile growth areas open up when using solar energy in surface treatment.

In the section Recycling / Environmental protection on page 35 we present a method of environmentally friendly tin supply Made in Germany, and the Burner & Combustion enthusiasts learn on page 45 about process safety and consistently high product quality in heat treatment furnaces.

Wishing you an electrifying read

Ihre Metalverse Redaktion

• Report: CO₂-neutral process heat generation – a study for the Federal Environment Agency of Germany; by Dr.-Ing. Christian Schwotzer, Katharina Rothhöft, Dr. Tobias Fleiter, Dr. Matthias Rehfeldt, Dr. Fabian Jäger-Gildemeister