Prof. Christian Brecher was elected as university professor for the Chair of Machine Tools at the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) of the RWTH Aachen University in 2004. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) and of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT), Aachen. His research focus lies on machine, transmission and control technology. Since 2012, as a co-founding member together with Prof. Hopmann, Prof. Brecher is head of the Aachen Center for Integrative Lightweight Production (AZL) of the RWTH Aachen University. Since 2018, Prof. Brecher has been head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT). Since 2019, he has been the spokesperson for the “Internet of Production” Cluster of Excellence at the RWTH Aachen University.Prof. em. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E. h. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Manfred Weck was head of the Chair of Machine Tools at the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) of the RWTH Aachen University from 1973 to 2004. Since its foundation in 1980 until 2004, he was also Director and Head of the Department for Production Machines of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT), Aachen. He founded the AiF Research Community “Ultrapräzisionstechnik e.V.” (Ultraprecision technology) in 1988. Over the years, Prof. Weck received various honors and awards, amongst them the SME Frederick W. Taylor Research Medal in 2007 and the Acceptance into the Hall of Fame of the Manager Magazine in 2015. Furthermore, Prof. Weck received the Aachen Engineering Prize in 2017, honoring him for his life’s work.
