as reliable operation, easy maintenance, energy efficiency and an appealing design are equally important. The industrial design experts at ma design in Kiel, Germany, encounter these requirements on a [...] just a matter of the area that the machines occupy; space for escape and traffic routes are also important. The trend towards compact solutions applies in the same way to industrial automation. Electronic [...] around the switch cabinets can be used for other components. ”Furthermore, functional design is important to German machine and plant manufacturers. This means that components from other companies should