With 550 participants, the ZVO Surface Technology Days 2024 in Leipzig were once again a successful event. The central industry event for surface and electroplating technology offered almost 100 presentations and an accompanying industry exhibition from September 12 to 13, in which 70 national and international companies took part.
The conference provided a comprehensive insight into the latest technologies and developments in the industry. The focus was also on future topics such as hydrogen, digitalization, sustainability and important management approaches.
Dynamic mood despite difficult situation
The mood at the conference was dynamic and constructive - despite the difficult economic situation for the industry. The ZVO even explicitly defines the economic situation as poor. According to the ZVO, the basis for this is the generally poor economic situation in Germany, continuing high energy costs and the lack of planning security due to incorrectly set political framework conditions, which continue to place a heavy burden on medium-sized companies in the sector. These topics were also discussed with exhibitors, speakers and users.
The discussions on site showed that the #OTLeipzig24 programme with thematic focal points such as hydrogen, digitalization and sustainability was well received by the participants. There was praise not only for the quality, but also for the mix of technical and business presentations. These were dedicated to the key challenges and areas of innovation in surface technology.
Hydrogen a future topic for the industry
Several presentations dealt with electrochemical coating and components for PEM electrolysers. Topics relating to digitalization were also well represented - particularly in automation and process optimization. Presentations on increasing the performance of existing systems through AI-supported automation technology and the use of digital electrolyte twins made it clear how innovative approaches can make production processes more efficient and sustainable. New developments in the field of cathodic corrosion protection and plasma technologies were another important part of the conference.
A detailed follow-up report on the ZVO Surface Technology Days 2024 will be published in the November issue of the magazine for surface technology.
You will also soon find a video report with interviews on current topics from the event on oberflaeche.de.