SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN 2025: Innovative 3D Robotic Cutting by MicroStep

At the most successful trade show of 2025, MicroStep introduced CyberFab Control with full 3D adaptive cutting on both beam profiles and plates.

Last week’s SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN 2025 offered a wealth of innovations and a glimpse into the industrial developments that will shape metalworking in the years ahead.

A Marketplace for Business and Innovation

From September 15–19, 2025, the Messe Essen exhibition grounds in Germany hosted the world’s leading trade fair for joining, cutting, and surface technologies. The 20th jubilee edition brought together more than 800 exhibitors from 44 countries and welcomed over 37,000 visitors from 100 nations. Once again, the event proved to be an essential meeting point where innovation, business opportunities, and dialogue about the industry’s future converge.

It was not just a showcase, but also a business platform: one in three exhibitors reported closing deals during the fair, with an average order value of €840,000. A large share of visitors were decision-makers, underscoring the event’s commercial weight. The significance of SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN is clear – 65% of exhibitors have already booked space for the next edition in 2029.

Key Themes and Trends

The exhibition was divided into three main sectors: welding and joining, cutting and separation, and surface treatment technologies. Additional highlights included dedicated areas such as the Future Hub, Young Innovators, Career Area, and the DVS Congress.

The central themes of the 2025 edition were digitalization, sustainability, and fostering new talent – reflecting both current challenges and the long-term direction of the industry.

MicroStep at SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN 2025: Five Days of Innovation, Demonstrations, and Networking

Alongside a broad presentation of its portfolio, MicroStep brought a host of new technologies to Essen: from robotic cutting of profiles and 3D shapes, through a generational upgrade of the CyberFab Control system, to the announcement of a brand-new bevel laser product line – MSF Initio.

CyberFab Control in 3D for Robotics

Under the slogan “Proven flexibility – now in full 3D,” MicroStep unveiled the next generation of its EtherCAT-based control system, enabling universal adaptive height control in 3D space. This opens the door to a wide range of applications in precise profile, dome, and 3D-shape cutting – for example, using robotic arms as tool carriers.

The system’s full flexibility also allows powered chucks or clamps that move the material during cutting to be fully implemented as system axes, delivering unprecedented versatility. A prime example – plasma cutting of H-beams with a robotic arm – was demonstrated live at the show.

MSF Initio – High-Power Bevel Laser

The universal nature of CyberFab Control has also enabled MicroStep to forge strong partnerships with mechanical suppliers, providing flexible responses to market needs at competitive costs. The first outcome of this approach is the MSF Initio bevel laser series, offering bevel cutting on work areas up to 12 x 3 m and laser power up to 30 kW. An interactive model was introduced in Essen, while the live world premiere will follow at Blechexpo Stuttgart, October 21–24, 2025 (Hall 7, Booth 7413).

Future Hub – Expert Panel “From Precision to Power”

The fair’s Future Hub featured dozens of presentations each day on emerging industrial and technological topics. MicroStep was honored to take part in a panel discussion on cutting technologies, where MicroStep´s Application Specialist Ján Flaškár joined experts from Fraunhofer IWS, Kjellberg Finsterwalde, and IHT Automation to discuss current trends and the advantages of modern CNC cutting.

Looking Ahead

Visitors to SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN 2025 experienced hundreds of live demonstrations, product launches, and practical showcases – from collaborative robots and AI applications to solutions for safer and more sustainable production. Once again, the event confirmed its unique status as not only a mirror of the industry’s present, but also a driver of its future direction.

We are proud to have contributed to this year’s event and to share our 35 years of expertise with the international community. We look forward to the next edition of SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN!