EDITORIAL
Dear Readers,
As the year approaches its end, many countries all over the world are going through their second period of lockdown: no public gatherings, entertainment venues will be closed, and most office work should be done from home. The quiet days will be even quieter, but unlike in spring, operations will mostly continue in manufacturing industries—with the exception of the traditional holiday break. This certainly applies to steel mills, most of which send their staff home for a fortnight or longer, using the time for maintenance and repair work. Such scheduled downtimes ideally mean work for plant builders. In the long run, after-sale service activities will be a growing business for many engineering companies. SMS group has already signalled that it expects to make one-third of its revenue with services by 2025. In November, the privately-owned company held a public press conference—online, of course—in which it revealed more of its ideas for the 2020s. Shipbuilding is one of the steel-using sectors affected most dramatically by the COVID-19 lockdowns. Cruise liners have become a no-go area, so many construction projects have been halted. Over the autumn months, construction of utility vessels has recovered. Shipbuilding will remain a market, and we will hear from Dansteel about the requirements for plate steel in the industry. We will also learn about the collaboration on demanding bridge projects between Dillinger (another plate mill) and a fabricator. Stay healthy & have a merry Christmas.
Christian Köhl Editor in Chief, MPT International
MPT International / December 2020
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