In the meantime, there is also an AI construction kit for everyone. Many have long been talking about an iPhone moment. Or triple point - a futurologist's definition of the point at which a development can no longer be reversed. It's like putting a pan of popcorn on the stove and taking it off as soon as the first kernels of corn have popped. Most of the corn kernels will pop even without any further heat. That's how it is with AI. The genie is out of the bottle. And even if data security, reliability of information and copyright protection are a problem, AI will probably revolutionize our world more in the medium term than the internet and smartphones combined. The CEO of a young start-up, who recently spoke at a conference on powder coating about the possibilities of AI in reading data from emails and even hand-made sketches for automated calculations for contract coaters, put it aptly: "It's impressive. And it's not going to go away!"
But despite all the artificial intelligence, our civilization will continue to need physical systems such as machines and technological devices in order to survive. Surface technology will therefore not go out of fashion. Of course, this also applies to agricultural and construction machinery. Whether the farmer is sitting on his tractor while fertilizing or sowing, looking after the cows in the barn or sitting on the sofa because an AI has taken over the barn management - the tractor must not rust and must still look presentable even after many years. In this issue, starting on page 14, we look at the increasing demands on surface technology in the agricultural and construction machinery sector, highly automated coating systems for large components such as welded structures for truck trailers and process control with non-contact coating thickness measurements.
When the first laser produced a red dot of light on a wall over 60 years ago, everyone involved was delighted - but there were no practical applications yet. Science fiction authors very quickly had concrete ideas on how lasers could be used in practice. The universality and performance of today's industrial laser systems would have made the laser inventors of that time absolutely ecstatic. But lasers are not only useful for rough cutting and welding thick sheet metal, concentrated light is also very versatile in surface technology, from cleaning to structuring, modern laser systems offer great application potential, not least in the replacement of wet-chemical pre-treatment processes, where the selectivity and energy efficiency of laser processes play a key role. Read more about this from page 28 in mo issue 12/2023.
At a time when good news from Brussels is rare, the fact that the authorization of chromium(VI) is to be converted into a restriction(page 34 in mo issue 12/2023) gives hope. Even if there is still a great deal to be decided here, this gives us a new opportunity to bring together environmental compatibility, occupational health and safety and the interests of the industry. We have also put together numerous other exciting articles for you, and I would particularly like to recommend our Christmas report on the restoration of technical cultural assets(https://oberflaeche.de/magazin/archiv)- the aim here is to clean heavily soiled surfaces while preserving the patina of history. This is parts cleaning and surface technology in a very special context. And interestingly enough, there are indications that the knowledge gained from this particular research project has interesting application prospects in industry.
With this in mind, I and the mo team would like to wish you the best possible end to the year, a relaxing time and recharge your batteries for the challenges of the coming year!
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