Visitors strolling through LogiMAT 2026, the biggest logistics trade show, experienced an industry in a state of transformation: accelerated automation, increased use of AI, and the need for resource-conserving processes defined the atmosphere in the trade show halls.

The technological development in the mobility and industrial sectors is taking place at a fast pace. For many customer teams, that means acquiring new professional knowledge in increasingly shorter intervals enabling well-founded decisions. That’s where Schreiner ProTech comes in—with structured knowledge formats providing guidance and strengthening professional exchange.

Just like we normally carry an ID card or driver’s license with us to identify ourselves products are going to carry their digital identity with them in the future—inseparably linked to the physical component. That identity will accompany the product throughout its entire lifecycle, forming the basis for the Digital Product Pass (DPP) with which the European Union intends to promote transparency, traceability, and more sustainable usage models. Robust RFID solutions, provided by Schreiner ProTech among others, deliver suitable markings for that purpose.

As the number of electrified powertrains keeps growing the focus on safe handling of power electronics intensifies. Today, voltages of up to 800 volts are common in energy storage systems, inverters, and other live components—clearly more than just a few years ago.

The trigger was not only durability in the field, but above all everyday manufacturing reality. Different plate sizes, additional manual steps, and an embosser—a metal nameplate embossing machine—that was failing more and more frequently had turned metal labeling into a real bottleneck. “That was work that wasn’t standardized and wasn’t lean. I wanted to unify the process,” explains Pet Xaysombath, Senior Manufacturing Engineer at Boston Gear, describing the initial situation. Another issue added to the pressure: if the label is missing entirely, identification becomes detective work. Product Manager Rick Wucherer puts it this way: “Without labeling, assigning the product to its technical history turns into a reverse-engineering exercise—a huge effort and no fun at all.”

What was needed, therefore, was an alternative that could be seamlessly integrated into existing workflows: printable with existing thermal transfer printers, clearly identifiable via SAP, and robust enough to remain legible over the long term—even after painting and intensive cleaning. Working together with Schreiner ProTech, a two-layer paint mask label was developed. “The decisive factor was the combination of process integration and protection: a removable paint mask label and a laminate that reliably secures the data,” explains Schreiner’s Doug Stubbs, Sales Account Manager in Blauvelt. After the rollout, day-to-day production quickly revealed where standard solutions often fall short: oil residue, rough cast surfaces, and warm components initially caused the entire label to detach in some cases when the paint mask film was removed. Instead of changing the process, however, Schreiner ProTech customized the material to meet the customer’s specific requirements. “Since then, I’ve had zero complaints. I regularly walk the production line, and the new label just works,” Xaysombath says.

The next step at Boston Gear is already taking shape: standardization across additional product lines and sites—with the goal of treating labeling not as a standalone measure, but as a scalable building block for traceability and serviceability across the entire product lifecycle.

Kratos Industries from Colorado manufactures large-format control cabinets, among other things, and has grown rapidly over the past five years. But as output increased, so did the requirements for accurate labeling—an issue that was a real challenge for a while. Thanks to a paint protection label solution from Schreiner ProTech, this bottleneck has now been solved.

With its VentingXperience, Schreiner ProTech opened a new chapter for direct customer dialog at the Oberschleissheim location. For a whole day, professional visitors from Automotive, Mobility, and General Industry had the opportunity to experience an event centered on the topic of Pressure Compensation Seals (PCS), showing how modern membrane technology and intelligent fastening solutions enhance safety and performance in challenging applications.

The VentingXperience program offered a wide variety of topics. In compact technical presentations, the specialists from Schreiner ProTech provided information about the basics and functionalities of membrane technology, the diversity of self-adhesive PCS solutions, high-protection variants such as PCS HighProtect, or combined nameplate solutions. The method of ultrasonic welding met with keen interest as well—especially for applications that must do completely without adhesives. Product stations and discussion rounds gave the participants opportunities to discuss specific use cases and to engage in exchanges about project experiences.

The discussions and exchanges showed that the requirements to be met by pressure compensation technology keep growing—not only due to the electrification in vehicle engineering but also due to increasing miniaturization and the demand for longer lifecycles.

The exclusive plant tour was one of the highlights of the event. At several stations, the participants had the opportunity to directly observe how Schreiner ProTech develops and produces various PCS solutions. A particularly impressive showcase was the demonstration of how high-tech membranes reliably protect sensitive electronics and what quality assurance actions are taking place in the background.

Adrian Marggraf, Product Manager for Pressure Compensation Seals, was the expert on hand to answer the guests’ questions. Many conversations revealed that exchanges between development partners and customers are particularly important to realize products that are fit for the future.

The positive response to the first VentingXperience event reinforces Schreiner ProTech’s motivation to continue offering professional events focused on PCS technologies. In terms of trends like the combination of pressure compensation and functional labels the demand for tailored solutions will keep growing. Consequently, Schreiner ProTech is planning to expand its role as a development partner and to support customers early in the concept stage.

Whether at our VentingXperience event, in customer conversations, or in exchanges with developers and buyers: Our continuously growing PCS HighProtect product group is in high demand. That’s hardly surprising because the requirements for pressure compensation, protection, and traceability have clearly changed in recent years. Electronic in-vehicle components are subject to extremely high stress—moisture, dust, and mechanical influences call for robust solutions and often raise specific questions. Below, experts from Schreiner ProTech provide practical answers to the most frequently asked customer questions about this special Pressure Compensation Seal.

What distinguishes the HighProtect version from other PCS variants?

This PCS product group is tough. Dust, dirt, water, harmful media—and, due to protection class IPX9K, it even resists high-pressure water jets. Only with proper protection can sensitive electronics or control units reliably function.

Do I have some latitude in terms of size?

No doubt about it! We’ve alread implemented several customized solutions in regular production. The unique design offers much greater flexibility than snap-fit or screw versions. Size, adhesive, and shape can be modified without additional tooling costs.

Is it effective and traceable even in the case of small design spaces?

For this use case, our TTR-printable HighProtect variant is ideally suited, combining a label and Pressure Compensation Seal in one product, which naturally reduces your process steps—with a minimal design height of less than 5 millimeters.

The Auto ID sector is at a turning point. Automation, IoT, and real-time localization are fundamentally changing more and more autonomous processes. Peter Altes, Managing Director of AIM-D e.V., the German-speaking unit of the global industry association for Automatic Identification, Data Acquisition, and Mobile Data Communication, talked to us about technological potential and underrated developments—and why standardization is more important than ever before.

Mr. Altes, what development are currently determining the state of Auto ID technology?
Peter Altes: A greenfield warehouse, today, is hardly conceivable anymore without RFID and automation. Now, practically any object is digitally allocated—a prerequisite for fully automated processes. In the case of older, existing facilities, though, the situation looks completely different. That always raises the question: how high is the innovation pressure? What can be changed and, above all, what are the costs? A transformation in ongoing operations resembles open-heart surgery: risky but required.

What has been misjudged or perhaps missed out on to some extent in recent years?
The idea at the beginning of the RFID hype that my yoghurt cup would be equipped with an RFID tag costing 1 cent communicating with me from the fridge telling me that its best-before-date was about to be reached: that tends not to make a lot of sense and is at least economically unfeasible.

Now if we take real-time localization as another example the situation looks different. Even though that technology has been available for a long time the market for it was only sustainably opened a few years ago, which then accelerated the innovation cycle.  

Human identification is another field reflecting the conflict between potential and its ultimate realization. Take a healthcare facility in which bedside sensors indicate that a resident has not gotten up as usual. That example shows that while a feature like that is technically feasible without any problems data protection and privacy must always be considered. In that respect, I’d like to rephrase the question and say that in some cases potential has not been fully tapped yet but not that it has been “missed out on.”

How is the industry changing in general?

Let’s face it, the crucial aspect is how we SEE the developmental potential, and that’s where we can clearly detect that things are opening. While thinking used to take place only in one’s own silo, the industry is now looking toward the left and right, and out of the box. That’s a positive because no technology can accomplish everything. Complex projects call for a technology mix. In that respect, large corporations are sometimes more flexible than SMEs where the saying frequently is, “We’ve always done it that way.” But business pressure is growing—and awareness is changing as well. We can also tell that’s happening in our association: younger members contribute new perspectives.  

Let me put it this way: We used to have product sheets and now there’s TikTok. That doesn’t mean that soon we’re going to be selling Auto ID products and solutions on that platform—but it does show how communication is changing: short, concise, easy to understand. That’s the way forward.

Where are you currently seeing the greatest challenges for the industry?

A subject that I feel is currently still underrated is standardization. Granted, it’s tedious work but it’s immensely important! “Why? Because purely proprietary systems would give a company only short-term advantages—and, honestly speaking, half-life is getting shorter and shorter.  

A globally connected world needs interoperability, in other words, a common language and that’s exactly what we support as an association.

Now venturing a look into the future, where are we going to be in 2030?

I firmly believe that we’re going to see another leap in AIDC technologies in the next few years. We’ve now been through two dents, the coronavirus pandemic and the current market uncertainties, and that has increased the pressure to act. Despite all these crises I’m optimistic and am telling you: in five years, we’re going to be in better shape than we are today! Big solutions are in demand now and they’re going to generate the market too. As an association, we’re going to keep flying the flag, creating awareness—because the journey is far from having ended.

Volker, no automobile is on the road without one and it has been patented now for over 70 years. Why are airbags, alongside seat belts, still deemed to be one the most important in-vehicle safety devices?

The seat belt of course is THE central restraint system in the event of a head-on collision but the airbag ultimately ensures that the head and torso won’t crash against the steering wheel. It supports the head and, as a result, relieves the load acting on the nape. In addition, it enlarges the survival space because it pushes the driver away from the steering wheel to some extent. Knee airbags absorb the load acting on the legs and prevent us from slipping out under the seat belt. In case of a side impact, the airbag becomes even more important because the belt offers only minimal protection there. Head and side airbags position themselves between the occupants and the vehicle’s side and distribute the forces to dampen the impact. There are even center airbags deploying between the driver and front seat passenger so that they won’t injure each other.

Now, as head of vehicle safety at ADAC, you’re close to the subject. How has airbag technology continued to evolve in recent years and what innovations have occurred in that area?

In the 1980s the driver’s front airbag was still optional equipment in luxury cars. Today, it’s standard, even in mid-range cars, and in recent years, airbags have become better and better: they’re no longer deployed as aggressively as they used to and have tethers so that they won’t hit the driver in the face. Today, there are various airbags such as side, knee, or window airbags that can even protect occupants in the event of a rollover. The latest developments are headed in the direction of individually adapting airbags to the occupant. Via sensors the system knows if someone is tall, short, heavy, or light, and adjusts the hardness of the airbag accordingly.

Addressing the technical aspects: what role does the combination of airbags with other occupant protection systems like seat belts and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) play in terms of optimal protection? 

Obviously, it would be ideal if accidents didn’t happen in the first place. ADAS can make quite a bit of a difference here by avoiding collisions or at least reducing speed. However, if a crash does occur seat belts and airbags are indispensable for protecting occupants. The combination of active safety due to ADAS and passive safety by means of airbags and belts provides the best protection. Some systems can take actions even before an impact such as putting the driver into the optimal seating position.

How is the reliability of airbags ensured across a vehicle’s lifetime?

During the development stage airbag manufacturers pay attention to the longevity of the systems even in extreme temperatures. Airbags used to have an expiration date. That’s no longer the case today. Tests have shown that airbags deliver perfect performance even after more than ten years. The filling may slightly decrease but the effect of that in an accident is minimal.

Are there any areas in which there’s a need to change safety systems, like for autonomous driving? What innovations are you expecting in the coming years?

Efforts are underway to adjust restraint systems to the seating position and the occupant even more effectively. Sensors inside the cabin can detect how someone is sitting and adjust the system accordingly. Should an airbag inflict more damage in the event of an accident (e.g., when feet are resting on the instrument panel) deployment might even be prevented. For autonomous driving, we need completely different restraint systems that work also when occupants change their seating position, for instance by turning or lying down. Certainly, there are some exciting developments in sight.  

Occupant Protection Made by Schreiner ProTech