How AI is changing mechanical engineering

Whether it's increasing efficiency, ensuring quality, or creating entirely new business models - the potential of artificial intelligence in mechanical engineering is enormous. In the third and final part of our industry trends, we wanted to know what the industry is already implementing concretely with artificial intelligence. The VDMA, VDW, ZVEI, as well as Grob, Horn, and Lapp responded again.

According to a VDMA survey, 43 percent of companies have already productively implemented AI solutions in the past year, and another 21 percent have planned to start, says Hartmut Rauen, deputy VDMA chief executive officer. The association predicts: By 2028, AI will be standard for the majority of mechanical engineering companies.

"The focus is primarily on using AI for software development, such as for machine control, marketing, customer service, and support," explains Rauen. The goal is to reduce personnel effort with the help of AI.

Another point is the reduction of process times and an increase in the degree of automation. "AI is already being used from predictive maintenance to knowledge management to generative AI for product development," reports Rauen.

Artificial intelligence is therefore an opportunity, that mechanical engineering must not and will not miss. The domain knowledge of mechanical engineers is a good basis to transform this into more efficient value creation with the help of AI and structured mass data. “With embodied AI and the data space, we are opening up new fields of action,” says Rauen.

In conjunction with automation and digitization, AI is used to optimize machine operation, simplify its operation, and increase efficiency in manufacturing, reports VDW Managing Director Dr. Markus Heering. “Chatbots are used in service, for example, to answer questions about maintenance, error diagnoses, or the status of the machine.” Production and condition data are recorded, evaluated with the help of artificial intelligence, and presented in an understandable way.

If a chatbot is integrated into the CNC control, it supports its intuitive operation. Users can communicate directly with the control to create programs, adjust process parameters supported by stored tool data, or perform error diagnostics of the control and machine tool. Additionally, the chatbot can assist with machine maintenance.

AI is now common practice  

ZVEI chief economist Andreas Gontermann says the industry is on the brink of the next major development step: industrial AI should pave the way for autonomous decision preparations, self-configuring systems, or dynamic orchestration of complex production systems - from adaptive production lines to predictive maintenance and new business models.

"There is a lot of potential in this." This is also shown by a survey conducted by the opinion research institute Civey on behalf of ZVEI among decision-makers from various industrial sectors: 67 percent of respondents expect a positive impact on their own competitiveness as a result.

At Grob, AI is now a lived practice - in all departments. "We use it to optimize production processes, quality control, predictive maintenance, and in planning and development," says Christian Müller, Chief Sales Officer at Grob. At the same time, the company integrates AI directly into its products, so that customers also have concrete advantages: more efficient processes, higher precision, and new possibilities in production.

"In this way, we not only increase our own efficiency but also create real added value for our customers," says Müller.

Markus Horn, Managing Director of Paul Horn GmbH, views the topic of AI more critically: "Only capable and well-trained people should work with it seriously to uncover the half-truths and dangers of AI." AI often leads to mediocrity and is therefore mainly used for solving recurring tasks. "Excellent solutions are currently only created by humans," he says.

Economic outlook 2026: What the industry expects

Finally, we wanted to know from the experts again what grade (1-6) they would give the economy for 2026.

VDW Managing Director Heering gives a 3. "Because we are counting on the government to turn things around this year and tackle the necessary reforms," he says.

A 3 also comes from ZVEI. "Although last year was better than the previous one, it was not really good. For 2026, we expect a better development than the previous year and also slight growth. However, even with that, the sharp decline in 2024 would not yet be recovered," explains Chief Economist Gontermann.

VDMA gives a 3-4. "We expect a bottoming out and a slight cyclical upswing in 2026, but coming from a very low level after three years of declining production from 2023-2025. Global uncertainty remains high," says Chief Economist Gernandt.

Markus Horn and Christian Müller (Grob) give a 3 minus. "Economic expectations are significantly behind the forecasts of global economic growth. On the one hand, it depends on the companies' own performance; on the other hand, on the political framework conditions, and I don't see any significant improvement from a global perspective," says Horn.

Müller explains that the conditions remain challenging, but there are starting points for a moderate recovery. "The key will be whether investments pick up noticeably again and political measures sustainably support the economy."

Matthias Lapp, CEO of Lapp, gives the global economy a 3. "We see a moderate recovery internationally: inflation is declining worldwide, supply chains are stabilizing, and investments in green technologies and digitalization are driving growth." On the other hand, there are unpredictable geopolitical risks.

For Germany and partly also Europe, his grade is worse: a 4-5. There are opportunities through the energy transition and digitalization, but structural problems remain. According to Lapp, there are also major issues: "Our social system is on the brink, Germany has record debts, and everyone knows that pensions cannot function sustainably like this. And no one dares to tackle these major issues politically."

Germany is at a crossroads - the industry needs clear answers. As a family entrepreneur, the location of Germany is close to his heart. "Now it's time to tackle it together - politics, business, and society," says Matthias Lapp.