Lenze, a global leader and manufacturer of electrical and mechanical drives, motion control and automation technologies, relies on three fundamental qualities, even after 70 years: productivity, reliability, and easiness. It was 1947 when Hans Lenze began to realize his dream of setting the world in motion. In the era of Industry 4.0, with the rapid spread of digitalization, those three qualities are still significant criteria in assessing the quality of machines and entire production lines. For the specialist in machine automation, 70 years is a moving anniversary – and an opportunity to celebrate. In mid-October, more than 400 international experts from the industry, along with journalists, came together at the company’s German headquarters in Gross Berkel (near Hamelin) for the Future Day of Machine Manufacturing. They enjoyed creative discussions on trends, challenges, and intelligent solutions.

What started as a trading company in Hamelin, Germany, soon developed into an international drive and automation company. Today, Lenze takes pride in being a real partner to its customers by working with them to develop intelligent solutions for the Smart Factory. Always at the forefront of innovation, Lenze celebrated its 70th anniversary by looking to the future. What will be the trends of tomorrow, and which developments are currently influencing the industry? What new solutions will determine the future? These were only some of the questions that Lenze discussed at the event with customers, partners, journalists, and friends of the company. Top-class experts from very different business disciplines talked about digitalization, IoT, and future challenges, as well as the opportunities it will bring for the future of machine manufacturing. 

To make digital transformations possible, cooperation is the key factor. “Our ability to develop the right solutions for the challenges faced by our customers has always depended on the people themselves, and this will continue into the future. The cooperation and partnership we establish with our customers is the most important aspect of our business,” said Lenze CEO Christian Wendler. “In order to create intelligent machines, the role of the people will increasingly be to work creatively in teams – and cooperation skills will become the new core competence.”

Digitalization also means change for Lenze itself – as it shifts its business to align with the shift in the industry. The manufacturer of components, drive solutions, and automation systems is turning into a service provider that presents itself to its machine-manufacturing customers as a complete engineering partner. “We automate machines – and make it so easy,” said Wendler. “People with drive are necessary for this, and they took the opportunity at the Future Day of Machine Manufacturing to get some hands-on experience with the automation technology of tomorrow, and to understand it – and also to celebrate Lenze’s 70th birthday in a fitting way.”