Powtech was the original plan. Then came Powtech Special Edition. And now the exhibition has been cancelled altogether owing to coronavirus. This late decision by the Nuremberg organiser was taken in response to the concerns of numerous exhibitors and trade visitors regarding on-site events. It was also not at all clear whether, as the number of cases continues to rise, enough visitors would actually be willing to travel to Bavaria’s second biggest city. Against this background, the cancellation was definitely the right move. In the present tense economic situation, who needs a Powtech that could well end in a fiasco? Powtech may no longer be taking place now, yet companies who were looking forward to exhibiting in Nuremberg can nevertheless make their voice heard in this issue. The relevant articles are combined in a special section on “Powder and bulk solids processing” starting on page 32.
Our cover story on page 22 is all about Plantsight. This solution was jointly developed by Siemens and Bentley Systems with the specific requirements of the process industry in mind. Plantsight makes it possible to collect, connect, contextualise, validate and make use of all existing plant data. The solution transforms raw data into one complete digital twin that is continuously updated.
A visit to Wangen Pumpen which was planned for June unfortunately also had to be called off due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, thanks to modern telecommunications, I was able to conduct the interview with application engineer Klaus Renzelmann by telephone instead. In the article on page 8, he explains how his firm has so far managed to navigate the turbulence of the coronavirus era. In addition to this, he introduces the twin screw pumps in the Twin NG series and reveals why MX pumps are the icing on the cake of Wangen Pumpen’s portfolio. I hope you enjoy reading this issue. Stay well!
Lukas Lehmann, Assistant Editor-in-Chief
