Manufacturing embraces the principle of the circular economy.

While it is clear that automation, digitalisation, modularisation and artificial intelligence (AI) are the future of manufacturing, one thing remains even more certain and that is that in-person networking will remain a critical feature of our industry. Soon we’ll leave the mundane tasks completely to the robots, AI and the machines thus freeing up our human hunger for creativity.

EMO Hannover 2025 took place from 22 – 26 September 2025 at the Hannover Messe in Germany and was attended by more than 80 000 trade visitors from all over the world including in excess of 1 600 exhibitors from 45 countries. This year marked 50 years of EMO

Throughout the halls the energy was palpable and from smart workholding solutions to intelligent cutting fluids, pioneering software and machine tools built with the circular economy in mind, innovations in the metalworking industry were everywhere.

Highlights from EMO Hannover 2025 and more on the VDW’s YouTube channel

EMO 2025 confirmed that the entire value chain of the manufacturing industry is enabling the optimisation of your production processes and finding application-specific manufacturing solutions are now easier than they’ve ever been.

For five days, the whole world of metalworking gathered in Hannover, Germany for EMO 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for production technology to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the exhibition.

Automation is not a new concept, but it has matured to a point whereby many manufacturers are now offering base machine tools with ever-increasing modular add-ons and accessories. According to the EMO organisers – the VDW (Verein Deutscher Werkzeugmaschinenfabrikenn – German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) – 50 per cent of the visitors surveyed that attended the show were interested in how they can use automation to boost their productivity.

Dr. Markus Heering, Executive Director of VDW. Source VDW/Rainer Jensen

Just a few short years ago you may have needed three machine tools to perform operations to arrive at your finished or nearly-finished component, now you may only need one machine tool to fulfil that. And that machine tool’s footprint on your shop floor has equally decreased in size.

Likewise with cutting tools and cutting fluids – smart sensors and AI-enabled production flow management and ERP systems are optimising your supply chain like never before without impacting the quality of the components you are manufacturing, in fact, efficiencies are demonstratively improving across the shop floor.

Says Dr. Markus Heering, Executive Director of VDW: “EMO 2025 was a great success. Despite the tense global economic situation, we welcomed around 80 000 trade visitors from all over the world to Hannover, including over 200 guests from South Africa. The exhibitors were very satisfied. And the visitor survey also gave us good marks.”

Friends of Metalworking News and manufacturing royalty at EMO Hannover. Dr Yoshiharu Inaba, Senior Advisor of Japan Machine Tool Builders’ Association and Chairman FANUC Corporation, Shogo Nakamura, CEO and President of Nakamura-Tome and Kenji Yamaguchi, Representative Director, President and CEO FANUC Corporation

“For us as the organiser of the event that is crucial. Once again, EMO has shown that it is the most important platform for industry. I am convinced that we need this platform to promote personal encounters, establish networks, initiate cooperation, and jointly develop ideas for the future of production.”

“Customers see it similarly. They came from all important customer groups, mechanical engineering, the automotive and supplier industry, precision engineering and optics, aerospace, medical technology, iron and steel production, and many more. Almost half of the visitors came with concrete investment intentions, especially in the areas of machines, tools, and software. We will see how this affects after-show business.”

UNITED MACHINING SOLUTIONS made its world premiere at EMO Hannover 2025. They marked the occasion by launching several brand-new machines for milling, EDM, laser and automation. With the acquisition of the GF Machining Solutions Division of Georg Fischer AG, the UNITED GRINDING Group expands its portfolio to 15 brands. The new group operates under the name UNITED MACHINING SOLUTIONS. Stephan Nell, CEO UNITED MACHINING SOLUTIONS addressed the hundreds of people from across industry that attended the occasion, joined by Ivan Filisetti and Michael Horn, part of the Management Board of the new group

“The top theme at EMO 2025 was automation. Many impressive solutions were presented. They show the high pressure for greater efficiency and higher quality worldwide. The introduction of automated systems is happening much faster than many expected. This is being further fuelled by digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI). We are only at the beginning of using AI in production. It will become a game changer in the coming years and will force companies to focus intensively on integration if they want to remain competitive,” concluded Heering.

The show that turned prototypes into production talk
EMO Hannover indeed lived up to its hype as one of the world’s leading machine tool exhibitions, making the event a barometer of sorts for investment intent and technology direction across the supply chain. Time will tell as to whether this is enough to get the big old locomotive of manufacturing going again and for deals to be sealed, especially in Europe.

Three themes dominated the show: automation to reduce ever-increasing labour-driven bottlenecks and skills shortages, AI being applied to real-world production problems, and the software and interface work needed to make digitally connected cells practical.

Jacob Harpaz, President and Chairman, IMC Group of Companies on the ISCAR stand

Jayson Myers, Chief Executive Officer / Président-directeur généra of NGen Canada. “After many years of the fair, Canada was EMO’s first alliance country. It was above all a symbolic gesture to send a message that the international manufacturing community – at least those dependent on international markets, as most equipment and machine tool companies are – stand in support of rules governing international trade and open access to markets and suppliers worldwide. It’s a theme that Canada backs 100%.”

Many exhibitors framed these themes in new product launches – for instance DN Solutions has demonstrated that it has firmly entered the additive manufacturing space – system demonstrations and company directions rather than lofty statements. Visitors responded with practical questions about integration and payback for their investment intentions.

Automation and robots moved from periphery to centre stage: robots tending robots with cobot integration as standard. Stand-alone robot cells were joined by end-to-end demonstrations that paired machine tools, robot arms and pallet handling under a single supervision layer. Renishaw demonstrated this with the addition of the latest CMM technology incorporated into these now very practical machining cells. Material goes in, perfect, complex components come out. Every time. All monitored from wherever you may be in the world.

The same systems emphasised easier programming, graphical offline programming and the reuse of cell templates to cut commissioning time. Robot suppliers showed systems that use machine-vision and simplified user interfaces to reduce the need for specialist integrators. For this to succeed, automation must be easier and cheaper to buy and faster to commission if it is to broaden beyond high-volume cells.

Soraluce at EMO Hannover 2025: Soraluce unveiled a world premiere of the Soraluce Fork-type Head – a new range of 5-axis machining heads, engineered for flexibility and accuracy on complex geometries. The heads deliver power outputs up to 100kW and speeds reaching 30 000rpm. Also shown was Soraluce’s Smart Automated Solutions. The systems are designed to accommodate large-scale components with tailored configurations adaptable to different part types and batch sizes. From single machines with CNC-integrated pallet control to advanced flexible cells coordinated by industrial PCs, the palletising systems are engineered around the principles of precision, modularity, and adaptability. These systems streamline workflows, reduce changeover durations, and significantly boost overall plant productivity. Further enhancing production agility, Soraluce have implemented centralised tool storage systems, operating in full integration with proprietary tool management software. This interconnected setup enables shared tool access between machines, eliminates selection errors, reduces the need for duplicate tooling, and minimises the space required for storage infrastructure. All tool automation processes are data-driven – guided by real-time production orders, delivery schedules, and tool availability

One of the machines on display on the ANCA Machines stand was an ANCA MX7 ULTRA, a next-generation 5-axis CNC tool grinder engineered for ultra-precision and high-volume production that can manufacture large volumes of endmills and other cutting tools to the highest accuracy and quality. The MX7 ULTRA features one nanometre axis resolution and its performance can maintain less than +/- 0.002mm line form accuracy of any profile which includes ballnose and corner radius endmills. ANCA paired the machine with their innovative new software – InsertsPRO, ANCA’s special inserts grinding package. It’s a fully flexible, high-precision software solution that empowers cutting tool manufacturers with a universal approach to insert grinding – combining advanced simulation, automation, and optimised features to deliver unmatched quality, efficiency, and profitability. InsertsPRO supports ISO-standard inserts sourced from global catalogues – suitable for any milling or turning machine, as well as customer-specific special inserts developed for optimised applications

AI was visible in two practical roles. First, it appeared in process optimisation like software that analyses spindle loads, tool wear and part geometry to recommend feeds and speeds or to sequence operations for minimum tool changes. Second, AI featured as an assistive layer for operators – chatbots and natural-language interfaces that translate a user request into diagnostic checks, maintenance steps or programme edits.

HELLER’s ASK.me interface attracted attention as an example of a conversational aid that links machine status, manuals and support pathways. Taken together, some of the AI demos at EMO focused on showing concrete evidence of how they are reducing machine downtime, shortening setups and raising machine utilisation rather than attempting to replace core engineering tasks.

Software vendors used EMO to demonstrate that manufacturing software can no longer be an afterthought. New CAM releases and digital twins promise to reduce the gap between design intent and machine code. One headline software launch was ENCY 2.0, presented as an overhaul that bundles an AI Process Planner with expanded milling and additive toolsets and improved offline robot programming. The company positioned local processing and privacy as selling points for shops cautious about cloud dependency. Such releases reflect an incremental but durable shift: software now sets the pace for how quickly a shop can adopt multi-axis machining, hybrid processes and robot-assisted operations.

It wouldn’t be EMO if there weren’t large part machined components on display. In the background is WFL Millturn Technologies’ M70 MILLTURN – the machine had its world premier at EMO Hannover 2025. The M70 is a multifunctional turning, drilling, and milling center combining the capabilities of a powerful lathe, a high-precision 5-axis machining center, and – depending on requirements – a gear cutting or deep drilling machine. All machining steps can be performed in a single setup. The M70 is designed for very large and heavy workpieces. It can accommodate parts with a centre distance of up to 8 000mm, a maximum swing diameter of 850mm, and a workpiece weight of up to 5.5 tons. For comparison: 5.5 tons is roughly equivalent to the weight of a full-grown elephant. In the foreground is a crankshaft for a diesel engine for a ship that has been completely machined from a forged blank. All crankshaft geometries and complete machining of crankshafts, including deep hole drilling of oil passages or the production of gear teeth can be completely machined in a WFL Millturn

FANUC is expanding its range of M-1000 high-performance heavy-payload industrial robots with the addition of the M-1000/550F-46A extra-long reach model. Designed to meet the needs of automotive gigacasting, among other heavy-duty applications, this large six-axis articulated-arm robot has a 550kg payload and an impressive reach of 4.6m. It’s flexible, lifts heavy things, and is very fast at doing that

And data privacy?
A persistent nuance at EMO 2025 was connectivity, standards and data privacy. The umati initiative – the open, standardised machine interface – was shown in live demonstrations that linked machines and cell components from different manufacturers. Visitors who saw the umati demos could see that standardised interfaces simplify data capture for shop analytics and make plug-and-produce scenarios more credible. Standards work, umati argued, and this is one of the quiet enablers that will allow AI, metrology and automation to operate across vendor boundaries.

The umati initiative demonstrated how its OPC UA-based data interface standard is moving from concept to practical deployment. Developed by the VDW in cooperation with the OPC Foundation, umati defines a common communication layer that enables machines, equipment, and IT systems from different manufacturers to exchange data securely and in a structured way.

umati’s demonstration at EMO connected a cross-section of production machinery, controls, and software platforms to show how encrypted, standardised communication can flow between the shop floor and enterprise systems. All data transmission within the umati framework is based on OPC UA’s security model, which includes encryption, authentication, and user-level access control to safeguard operational data.

Rolls-Royce, a world leader in aerospace engines, is in the midst of a bold transformation – reshaping itself into a high-performing, competitive, resilient, and growing business. At the heart of this are digital technologies and AI, accelerating engineering innovation, boosting operational excellence and unlocking new value. The impact is already clear, from smarter engine design to enhanced operations and customer solutions. To push these boundaries, Rolls-Royce partnered with Siemens to explore how a reimagined production process can help to streamline development and enhance performance for one of its critical components – the lubrication and scavenge pump

Exhibitors used the live network to illustrate how standardised connectivity supports applications such as energy consumption tracking, carbon footprint reporting, and AI-driven process optimisation. Because umati defines both the semantics and structure of machine data, users can analyse production efficiency or sustainability metrics without custom interfaces or vendor-specific gateways.

The core message was that interoperability and data privacy are not opposing goals. With the umati framework, manufacturers can build connected factories that share data for optimisation and compliance while keeping control of how that information is accessed and used.

Metrology and in-process measurement as digital enablement
Metrology and in-process measurement are now standard partners to automation, not as separate disciplines. Integrated measurement systems were displayed as tools to close the loop between machining and quality control, enabling corrective action without human intervention. Several exhibitors emphasised traceable measurement data feeding back into CAM, MES systems and eventually ERP systems to reduce scrap and rework.

Renishaw’s Stewart Lane, Head of Business Development – EMEA, Renishaw, with Renishaw’s new Equator-X™ 500 dual-method gauge and MODUS™ IM Equator software. Together the combination offers a complete OEM specification gauging solution for shop floor processes, combining Absolute and Compare measurement functionality on a single device. High-performance measurement speed and accuracy also offer significantly improved inspection capacity and throughput compared to conventional 3-axis CMMs. MODUS IM Equator software brings code-free programming and reporting capabilities

The combination of inline metrology and automated handling makes single-piece flow and small-batch production more viable and machine tool builders used the opportunity to demonstrate new mechanical capabilities. High-dynamic spindles, improved thermal control and machine structures designed for automation were also common highlighting an increasing worldwide trend for high-mix, low-volume production. A faster spindle without process data and a path to automation remains a partial upgrade.

Calculating the carbon footprint of a machine tool
At the beginning of 2024, the German Machine Tool Builders’ Association (VDW) began working on a practical method for calculating the product carbon footprint (PCF) of machine tools. Developed with industry partners, the method defines clear rules for determining emissions from raw material extraction to the point the machine leaves the factory.

The calculation is based on a weight-based breakdown of the machine. Using the Pareto principle, manufacturers calculate emissions for roughly 80% of the machine’s mass and estimate the rest. Emission factors are drawn from suppliers or recognised databases, and the manufacturer’s own energy-related emissions are included. “Control cabinets and motors must be considered separately, as they may contain CRM (Critical Raw Materials) such as rare earths, copper or cobalt, which are associated with high CO2 emissions,” say the VDW.

Japan Day at EMO, organised by the Japan Machine Tool Builders’ Association (JMTBA), was used to discuss Japan’s machine tool industry and JIMTOF 2026 taking place from October 26 – 31, 2026. Pictured are Mr Yuji Nagahama, Vice President of the JMTBA and Mr Kazuo Yuhara, President of the JMTBA

Japan Day was an interactive networking event and included the chance to learn how to fold origami cranes, a traditional Japanese paper craft. Pictured are AMT’s Ed Christopher, TLL Media Publishing House’s Teodora Ivanova and JMTBA’s origami instructor for the day in the centre, Hiroyuki Isozaki

The method is also based on taking an average of 40% machine up time, using an average machine tool lifespan of 25 years. The use phase of the machine tool will equal most of its carbon emissions (roughly 95%).

The result is a cradle-to-gate CO2 figure that provides a consistent benchmark for reporting and comparison. The method is designed to be manageable for small and medium-sized manufacturers without the need for full lifecycle analysis.

The approach offers a standardised basis for supply-chain transparency and the VDW’s initiative aligns with growing industry requirements for emission disclosure in the metalworking industry. An ISO standard is expected by 2028 and it will enable machine tool builders to provide verified data to customers, supporting procurement specifications and sustainability reporting.

Machining cells were common displays at EMO Hannover 2025 including this one on Renishaw’s stand that demonstrated how cells can also be collaborative and include a mix of machines, CMM equipment and data-driven software from different machine tool manufacturers. All of which can be remotely monitored. Raw material fed in on one side of the cell, to highly complex finished components out on the other side. The definition of what lights-out manufacturing looks like

Canada at EMO: Building smarter and better
Jayson Myers, Chief Executive Officer / Président-directeur généra of NGen Canada, spoke exclusively to Metalworking News about his reflections on being EMO’s first alliance country: “Canada is at a pivotal moment of its history. After almost 40 years of deep supply chain integration and increasing economic dependence with the United States, our major trading partner is turning its back on free trade.”

“The United States will always be Canada’s closest economic partner. But the lesson of the past year to Canadian industry and policy makers alike is that Canada needs to find new customers, new innovation partners, and new investors outside North America. That’s why Canada’s participation at EMO was so important this year.”

“After many years of the fair, Canada was EMO’s first alliance country. It was above all a symbolic gesture to send a message that the international manufacturing community – at least those dependent on international markets, as most equipment and machine tool companies are – stand in support of rules governing international trade and open access to markets and suppliers worldwide. It’s a theme that Canada backs 100%.”

Vipul Chopda, Director of KTA Spindle Toolings and Keith Opperman, Technical Sales, Duncan Macdonald & Co

“Our delegation at EMO was relatively small. It was led by Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), the organisation that spearheads Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for Advanced Manufacturing. We were joined by Canada Makes, Canada’s additive manufacturing cluster, AI4M, Canada’s industrial AI cluster, Canadian Robotics Council, Canadian Mold Makers, and the Canadian Tooling and Machining Association. So, even if our delegation was small, advanced manufacturing, metalworking, and machining companies from across Canada were well represented.”

“We were also joined by 15 companies exhibiting solutions in the fields of additive, AI, cybersecurity, specialised chemicals, robotics and automation. All the Canadian delegation reported excellent leads from participating at EMO – not only for sales, but opportunities to identify new technology suppliers and investors as well. All have a role to play in the evolution of the metalworking and machine tool industry.”

“Metalworking is a major segment of Canada’s manufacturing economy. It represents 19.5% of Canada’s manufacturing GDP, and it’s currently in the crosshairs of the Trump administration. The only way that Canadian manufacturers can compete and expand their markets in the face of tariffs is to double down on their use of advanced equipment, automation systems, and other technologies that will allow them to enhance value and improve processes.”

Ryan Jung, Managing Director of HYUNDAI WIA Europe and Melvin Howard of Spectrum Machine Tools

“Like metalworking companies around the world, Canadian manufacturers are exploring new business models and new innovation solutions. They are moving to greater product and service specialisation, increased automation to achieve more flexible machining processes, modular and flexible milling systems, IIOT integration and AI adoption for prescriptive maintenance, asset efficiency, and process optimisation, the integration of advanced additive manufacturing processes, and a much greater emphasis on energy management, emission reductions, and environmental sustainability.”

“There was no better place to be than EMO this year to see the latest solutions that equipment and technology providers from Germany, across Europe, and around the world have to offer. What was clear from the fair is how applications of advanced manufacturing technologies from sensors and vision systems, digital networks, AI, software, and cybersecurity, to robotics, automation systems, and advanced materials are being integrated into new machine tools and metalworking solutions.”

“Our takeaway is that the future of machine tools and metalworking production equipment is going to be smart, flexible, modular, and connected. EMO helped demonstrate how Canadian technology can play an important role in the evolution of the industry. It also showcased solutions that will give Canadian manufacturers the capabilities they need to withstand the storm. Those solutions are already driving productivity improvements for manufacturers around the world.”

Dudley Meredith, Managing Director, Victor Fortune and Wayne Hsueh, Director, Machine Tools Overseas Sales and Service Department, Victor Taichung

Stewart Lane, Head of Business Development – EMEA, Renishaw, said: “It was difficult to know what to expect going into this EMO, European industry faces both challenges and new opportunities in equal measure, so having the chance to gauge the mood of the visitors first hand was a real benefit.”

“And we had a good show, with lead count higher than expected and a lot of interest around our new product release; the Equator-X™ 500 dual gauge and measurement machine with MODUS™ IM Equator easy to use software.”

“So what stood out at the show for me? Firstly, the sheer pace at which manufacturing technology is evolving. Machine interconnectivity, talked of for so long, is now very real and it will be interesting to see how the data generated can be used to boost productivity. I was also curious to see DN Solutions enter the market with their own range of AM machines.”

It wasn’t all about work at EMO Hannover 2025. Thanks to my fellow South Africans that joined me on the Wednesday evening to celebrate South Africa’s Heritage Day and Metalworking News’s South African manufacturing evening. While not everyone could make the event, what better way to celebrate the holiday back home than in our Springbok rugby jerseys in an Irish pub. The only thing that was missing was a braai

Reflecting on EMO Hannover 2025: A collection of perspectives from some of the South Africans that visited the show this year

Jacques Bezuidenhout, Siemens South Africa, Digital Industries Service Execution
Albeit my first experience / exposure to an expo of this size (and being totally overwhelmed), a closer look at the core of the exhibitors’ stands reflected the radical shift towards automation, sustainability and the influence of various innovative software solutions.

The focus on virtualised machining design, and overall shop floor intelligence was especially prominent, thus enabling the end-customer to really know what is going on and where to improve process flows and runtime availability.

TJ Pretorius, Director, Top-Tool SA

It was truly amazing to see the drive towards a more eco-friendly and innovative production stream within the new types of machines (large and small scale) with a focus on energy efficiency and circular economy / manufacturing concepts.

All exhibitors, regardless of size or brand name, exhumed the aura of “brotherhood in design” – rather than being straight on competition, let us rather see how we can supplement each other’s offerings.

Of course, the Heritage Day South African get together was extremely insightful, as to see how close-knit the local experts are.

Graeme Cooper, Managing Director, WD Hearn Machine Tools
I generally find the value in these shows in speaking to other dealers from around the world, hearing from them what’s happening in their markets and with their competition, and what works for them and what doesn’t.

From a machine perspective at EMO – again automation and lights out machining was everywhere, it’s now relatable technology and more people can implement it and machine builders are now offering in-field modular expansion systems, so you can plug and play your automation later.

Chris Killian, Sales Director, Hi-Tech Machine Tools, Takashi Yamazaki, President Yamazaki Mazak Corporation and Peter Killian, owner and Managing Director of Hi-Tech Machine Tools

Another worthwhile note for me was the amount of software companies that are being bought and sold at the moment. Just look at the CAM world where Hexagon now own half a dozen outstanding CAM brands, Sandvik invested in MasterCAM and others, Siemens’ biggest investment area is software (and digital twins). The world of CAD / CAM is about to be turned on its head in my opinion, especially with what AI can bring to CAM systems and especially to post processors.

One thing is for sure, the global machine tool industry is in a state of flux (apart from maybe Poland), some key countries and economies are battling due to economic and leadership volatility – if we think we have problems with our government, we should sit down and talk to colleagues from Turkey and Argentina and Canada which certainly lifted my spirits.

Traditional machining businesses ae shifting in major markets such as Germany – where every one of their giant automotive manufactures are battling against the Chinese industry – Chinese cars are now reliable and come with everything, and they are 1/4 of the price, the same trend is now happening with machine tools – in my opinion.

Johan Neveling, Technical Director, WD Hearn Machine Tools, Graeme Cooper, Managing Director, WD Hearn Machine Tools, Steven Nieberle, Senior Manager Sales GROB-WERKE and Christian Müller, CSO and Member of the Board GROB-WERKE

The Chinese builders are no longer relying on countries like Taiwan or Korea for machine tool technologies (PLC, spindles, linears, ball screws etc), they have copied and mastered the standard and traditional 2-axis and 3-axis turning and machining centers, and those companies in Taiwan and Korea, that didn’t move to high technology 5-axis or multitasking are officially in a world of pain, and many won’t survive.

The Chinese government played an excellent long game on skills transfers, and they are now stamping all over certain markets, either by selling direct – or at ridiculously low prices through dealers. They are selling machine tools as though they were a commodity product now. By three for the price of one, and keep one for spares.

I have not seen so many Chinese machine tool builders at EMO before, and I have not seen so few Taiwanese machine tool builders there. We are seeing a shift at EMO from the big players, Grob’s stand was half the size of the previous year (still substantial at 600m2), Kitamura’s stand was 40% smaller (yet still cost them euro 600 000 to be there), Tornos were not even there and I visited them before hand in Switzerland, and business is ok for them, but they all believe that the days of mega big machine shows and stands are a thing of the past. They would prefer to invest more into in-house shows, and fancy websites, than on shows which incur so many sundry costs.

I also believe this will be the last EMO at Hannover – there are rumours of it being shifted to Dusseldorf, I believe these rumours.

I also believe that EMO won’t get any bigger than this, if you want to visit a mega machine show going forward, keep your eye out for Beijing or Shanghai where there will be over 4 000 Chinese builders on display – as well as representation from the major European players – which is also an unusual trend, European companies attending Chinese machine shows.

Nico Myburgh, Operations Manager, Lucchini SA and Juno Wang, Sales Section Manager HONOR SEIKI

Paul Hammerton and Seamus Thompson – Easson-Vertex
From the beginning to the end it was a whirlwind of technology, bright lights and noise. Getting to the expo was a breeze on the public transport with the railway station right at the showgrounds.

It was great to see a huge presence of European machine tool manufacturers who have reinvented themselves to embrace the latest technologies available. The pace of change is almost unbelievable.

Our own suppliers showcased their latest products which we will be stocking in the near future. We also sourced a new range of products which we will be launching soon.

Well worth the trip, looking forward to EMO Milan 2027.

Johann Nel of Spectrum Machine Tools and XiaoGang Zhao, Sales Director, Taizhou Eastern CNC Co., Ltd

Chris Killian, Sales Director, H-Tech Machine Tools
Attending EMO Hannover 2025 was an insightful and inspiring experience that highlighted just how rapidly global manufacturing continues to evolve. The event showcased impressive advancements in automation, precision machining, digital integration, and sustainable production – each playing a key role in shaping the future of modern engineering.

For Hi-Tech Machine Tools, the exhibition provided valuable perspective on emerging technologies and trends that are directly relevant to our customers and the South African manufacturing sector.

Beyond the machines and systems on display, EMO offered an opportunity to exchange ideas, build relationships, and explore how innovation can translate into real-world productivity gains. The visit reinforced our ongoing commitment to bringing world-class manufacturing solutions to our local market and supporting our customers in achieving greater efficiency, accuracy, and competitiveness.

Nico Myburgh, Operations Manager, Lucchini SA, Mike Lee, Sales Director, Retecon Group, Chris Kroeger CEO and Executive Chairman, Retecon Group, Bradley Thomson, Sales Specialist at Retecon Group and Dean and Sean De Andrade of Sylton Engineering. DN Solutions is represented in South Africa by Puma Machine Tools, part of the Retecon Group

Keith Opperman, Technical Sales, Duncan Macdonald & Co
EMO 2025 was a successful visit, meeting up with suppliers which have become friends, being able to meet up with fellow distributors from all over the globe, discussing issues and solutions, which can be applied to our local manufacturing, is always a bonus.

There were plenty of innovative solutions that are revolutionising efficiency, precision, and flexibility in manufacturing, with automated processes optimising production, reducing costs and securing competitive advantages, on display.

Travelling was made easy, as the exhibition ticket was used as a ticket for the tram services, EMO 2025 was a worthwhile experience.

Dudley Meredith, Managing Director, Victor Fortune
After missing the last two EMO shows, my return this year came with a few surprises. The most striking difference was the scale – noticeably smaller than in previous years. Conversations with several OEMs confirmed my impression: the exhibition was estimated to be around 40% smaller, with a notable absence of many Taiwanese manufacturers and several major German OEMs known for their larger machines.

Chris Kroeger CEO and Executive Chairman, Retecon Group and Hannes Botha of Retecon Group

This reduction in scale is, perhaps, a reflection of the economic turbulence and shifting global markets of recent years. Despite this, EMO still managed to showcase some truly exciting advancements – particularly in automation and artificial intelligence within the machine tool industry.

Automation stood out as the dominant theme. From robotic loading and unloading systems to automated fixture changing, the technology on display was both fascinating and practical.

For South African manufacturers, this represents the future of production efficiency. Beyond the show floor, Hannover remains a charming and enjoyable city to visit, making the EMO experience all the more worthwhile. Looking ahead, EMO 2027 will be hosted in Milan – a welcome change of scenery and one I’m already looking forward to.

See you all in Milan!

TJ Pretorius, Director, Top-Tool SA
Attending EMO 2025 was a pleasant reminder of how this massive global manufacturing platform continues to evolve. The first thing I noticed was the fact that suppliers from all over the world follow the same trend and AI is the hot topic as much as every other industry.

From my point of view the biggest drive must be automation. Not to eliminate the need for humans but to relieve the pressure on industry due to the global shortage of skilled labour.

Graeme Bell, Global Commercial Director, Filtermist, Jonathan Vermaak, Owner & Director, Vertech, Dominique Ullmann, Business & Development Manager EMEA, Filtermist and René Joppi, Managing Director, Filtermist

The more established machine builders showed off proven world class automation systems with the same message from the workholding and cutting tool guys. The target is clear, unmanned machining, automated workholding with cutting tool solutions that won’t leave you stranded halfway through the shift!!

I think the turnout at EMO proves that human relationships and in person networking remain the heart of industry. Sure, AI is great and will forever play a vital role in our lives but nothing beats the value of in person exhibitions and networking events.

Jonathan Vermaak, Owner & Director, Vertech
This was my first time attending EMO, and it was an incredible experience. The show was much bigger than I expected and offered a fantastic display of the latest technology and innovation in the CNC manufacturing industry. There was so much to take in and be inspired by.

What stood out most to me was the reminder that even though we work in an industry built around machines, it is really about the people. Strengthening existing relationships and building new ones was the highlight of the trip. Nothing compares to meeting face to face and sharing ideas in person.

I left feeling motivated about where the industry is heading and am already looking forward to attending the next EMO.

Hea Jeong Hwang, Head of Sales, SCHUNK, Peter Killian, owner and Managing Director of Hi-Tech Machine Tools, Chris Killian, Sales Director, Hi-Tech Machine Tools and Victor Vashpanov, Global Distributor Management, SCHUNK

Mike Lee, Sales Director, Retecon Group
The RETECON Group sent 6 people to visit the EMO 2025 Show in Hannover this year. Our main purpose was to be enlightened with the new technology available, visit our long list of suppliers as well as to look for new markets that will benefit us and our customers in South Africa.

The EMO show has slowly become smaller over the years. In saying that, our bigger suppliers were there still in full force. DN Solutions had one of the larger stands at the exhibition, showing off all the 5-axis turning and milling machines, also launching their new additive manufacturing solutions.

UNITED GRINDING, another of our suppliers, launched the integration of CHARMILLES Wire Cutting and MIKRON Milling into their fold. Thus, making them a one stop solution factory out of Europe. All our other suppliers showed off their new machinery from saws, structural machines, grinding, milling, to turning and automation.

Our customers who were there with us were very impressed with the technology that we, as the RETECON Group, offer in South Africa. Back-up and service is what we pride ourselves on from reputable suppliers.

Johan Neveling, Technical Director, WD Hearn Machine Tools, Graeme Cooper, Managing Director, WD Hearn Machine Tools and Ryota Fuke, General Manager International Sales, Nakamura-Tome

Deepak Maharajh, Tool Pro
Once again EMO did not fail to impress. The exciting new developments and technological advancements in the sector has proven to be way above industry standards and expectations.
There was an impressive variety of high-end tooling that would be a great advantage to the industry. This is going assist with reducing manufacturing times and improving the quality of the end product. I was impressed to see the availability of a two jaw and three jaw chuck in one. I see this has a great way of reducing setting up times and reducing delays.

We at Tool Pro where fortunate enough to attend the last two EMO exhibitions and were very impressed with the large variety of tools, machinery and technology available to the engineering and manufacturing industry.

For me personally I felt like a kid in a candy store. You just want to have everything that’s available to you. The show has allowed us at Tool Pro to improve our product output, reduce manufacturing times and improve our delivery output. Apart from the show providing us with such a variety of machines, tooling and equipment, it’s the knowledge we have gained from speaking to some of the best in the industry sharing their experience and providing us with an expanded network of people that we can always turn to for advice and sharing ideas.

It was also great to see the large number of other South Africans at the exhibition, this is a clear indication that South Africa is moving to keep up with the rest of the world in our industry.

Dr. Akihiro Kitamura, President and CEO, Kitamura Machinery and Graeme Cooper, Managing Director, WD Hearn Machine Tools

We went to the Exhibition with the intention of finding a CMM machine, a CNC milling machine and an upgrade for our programming software and we are pleased that we may have found some great machines and technological advancements to allow us to grow and improve in the future.

We look forward to Milan 2027 and are very excited to see what’s going to be available to us then.

Carlo Coenraad, Independent Contractor to the Global Precision Manufacturing and Engineering Industry
For me, EMO 2025 hit a little different this year.

Since 2005 I attended at least two EMO exhibitions every decade between Milan and Hannover. It seems to be much less attended by both exhibitors and visitors than usual. We would have to visit the historical data to confirm.

In the time leading up to the EMO I had discussions with my colleagues abroad, and we noticed more machine tool manufacturers opted to not exhibit, and have an open house instead.

Jacob Makgai DMG MORI South Africa

I’m currently also consulting with companies in India, which in particular is a really progressive industry at the moment and one that is experiencing vertical growth. We investigated automation options and found some good solutions.

My expectation is that the next sleeping giant, Africa, with its 1 billion + population could experience something similar in the upcoming decades. For that we should strive to keep manufacturing alive and find ways for the youth to be more involved with the art of toolmaking.

Eugene Hugo, General Management, JHPE Precision Engineering
The scale of EMO always amazes me. Even if you visit often you tend to forget the sheer scale of the event. We go with a small ‘focus list’ of specific things we want to look at, I think if you don’t you simply won’t get through everything if you try and stop everywhere.

I think the best part of the show is even though we go with these pre-prepared ideas we always find some other new and interesting things that keep us thinking long after we are back.

I am excited to see what changes AI brings to our current programming and design software and perhaps changing in tooling over the next few years.

All in all it remains a bucket list item for anyone involved in the manufacturing industry, truly a must-visit.

Johann Nel of Spectrum Machine Tools, Dorian Wilger, Area Manager Okuma Europe and Melvin Howard of Spectrum Machine Tools

Nico Myburgh, Operations Manager, Lucchini SA
At this year’s EMO exhibition, industry professionals reaffirmed the value of face-to-face engagement and hands-on exposure to emerging technologies. Attendees emphasised the importance of networking and reconnecting with peers – particularly for those from regions like South Africa.

A key highlight was the surge in innovation from the Chinese manufacturing sector, showcasing advanced machining methods and equipment. Exhibitors demonstrated how global competition is driving rapid technological evolution.

Siemens stood out with its cutting-edge shop floor control systems, enhanced component monitoring tools, and preventive maintenance solutions. Their booth drew attention for its clarity, expertise, and forward-thinking approach, marking a significant leap in industrial automation.

Paul Hammerton of Easson-Vertex, Chris Huang of Vertex Taiwan and Seamus Thompson of Easson-Vertex

Another standout was Blaser’s new liquid tool technology, designed to automate coolant management. This system ensures consistent concentration levels, reduces human error, and provides real-time digital reporting accessible via mobile devices – streamlining operations and improving oversight.

Overall, EMO proved to be a vital platform for discovering innovations, strengthening industry relationships, and gaining insights into the future of manufacturing.

Peter van Vuuren, Managing Director, Trigon Tooling
In September, I had the privilege of attending the EMO show in Germany for the first time, aiming to connect with new suppliers and expand options for our customers.

It was impressive to see such a wide range of tooling companies spread across three halls. However, I noticed a lot of the offerings were quite similar, and I was hoping to see more niche or cutting-edge technologies.

Spending a whole week at the show felt a bit long, as most of what was relevant could be covered in a shorter time. Overall, it was a good experience, but I look forward to seeing more innovation in future visits.

Johan Neveling of Lead Machine Tools and Dalung Hung of MICRO DYNAMICS

See you in Milan in 2027
From what Metalworking News observed in terms of sales conversations, these conversations tended to move quickly from machine tool metrics to questions about workholding and tooling, cell layout, to software and digital twin capabilities and aftersales support. Several exhibitors reported a pipeline of projects where one or two pilot cells would be followed by phased roll-out across shop floors and plants – a sign that interest is converting into investment plans, albeit cautiously.

EMO 2025 closed with concrete outcomes and practical solutions. The show identified technologies that shop floors can adopt this year: robot cells with simpler programming, AI tools targeted at process stability, software that shortens the CAM-to-machine loop and standards to link heterogeneous equipment with every tool, insert, fluid and process in between.

To remain competitive, shops should be prioritising integration, planning for measurable returns, and treating software and standards as the plumbing that makes automation work for repeatable production outcomes.

With special thanks to the entire VDW (Verein Deutscher Werkzeugmaschinenfabrikenn – German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) team for organising and hosting a memorable event. See you in 2027.

EMO 2027 will take place from October 4 to 8 in Milan, Italy. For further information visit: https://www.emo-milan.com/en