They often go unnoticed – however, pumps, fans and compressors are of deci- sive importance in many areas of our day-to-day life. Day in and day out we rely on their reliable function – to ventilate and supply buildings or supply drinking water and remove wastewater. The same goes for the chemical industry, for example in the production of mineral oils and plastics – or in the pharmaceu-tical industry. They also do important service in energy supply – presently a current issue around the world.