Politics & Associations

Together raising the voice for tool and mold making

With the publication of the updated RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU on December 12, 2025, the European Union has formally confirmed the gradual ban on lead as an alloying component in electrical and electronic applications.

Dr. Kurt Schmalz and Dipl.-Ing. Wolfgang Schmalz received the Order of Merit from Baden-Württemberg.

Humanoid Agile ONE makes Physical AI tangible at the Hannover Messe 2026. Agile Robots brings the factory of the future to life with live demos and shows how Physical AI transforms industrial production.

The dynamics of machine demand from the end of 2025 in US manufacturing technology continues in the first two months of 2026

The order intake in mechanical engineering has once again declined in February, and the mood of the companies is deteriorating. However, hope for a timid economic recovery remains.

The start of the year was disappointing, with mechanical engineering recording a 6 percent decrease in orders in January. The war in the Gulf region brings new uncertainty and burdens.

During the New Year's reception of the Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences on January 21, 2026, the VDWF Promotion Prize for outstanding theses was awarded. Dominik Leuwer and Frank Eberhardt were honored for their master's theses.

On January 27 and 28, 2026, around 30 members of the FDWF gathered at AHP Merkle in Gottenheim to reflect on current research activities and to set impulses for future projects.

The mechanical engineering industry in Germany ended the year 2025 with zero growth in the order books. Overall, the mood in the sector has recently brightened slightly.