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Precision engineering isn't static. What constituted cutting-edge accuracy decades ago is now obsolete, replaced by demands measured in magnitudes once deemed theoretical. In a revealing roundtable with High Tech Systems magazine, industry stalwarts Huub Janssen (JPE), Erik Manders (ASML), Marc Vermeulen (ASML), and Adrian Rankers (Mechatronics Academy) dissected how relentless precision requirements are transforming design philosophies and team dynamics in semiconductor lithography, quantum computing, and scientific instrumentation.

From Micrometers to Picometers: A Shifting Baseline

"Thirty years ago, positioning to the micrometer was a field from another planet," recalls Janssen. Today, physicists discuss picometers—trillionths of a meter—without hesitation. This exponential leap forces engineers to confront physical phenomena previously ignored. Vermeulen illustrates: "With increased accuracy, complexity increases. You peel away the problem further, encountering new physical effects. On a nanometer scale, even a glass block deforms under pressure changes from cooling systems—something negligible at micrometer levels."

The Vanishing Luxury of Design Dogma

Early career engineers often seek universal rules, but reality is more nuanced. Janssen learned this harshly at ASML: applying revered Van der Hoek principles for static determinism led to disastrous vibrations in an interferometer suspension. "I learned you can't just apply construction principles everywhere; you need to know when to use them," he admits. Manders emphasizes context: "Best practices differ wildly between markets. What works for scientific instruments may fail catastrophically in a wafer stepper."

When Simplicity Becomes Survival

The panel unanimously champions simplicity—not just for cost, but as existential strategy. "If you opt for complexity, you'll never remove it. It becomes legacy baggage," warns Rankers. Vermeulen notes the inertia: "Once a design works, no one dares touch it. Reserves get baked in forever." Janssen's JPE counters this by encouraging calculated risks: "Thinner, less stiff components can be cheaper and faster—if you dare." Manders adds that smart manufacturing (like multi-surface milling) often achieves precision without complexity.

Orchestrating Complexity in the Nanoscale Era

Designing at this level demands unprecedented collaboration. At ASML, where thousands contribute to a single machine, newcomers face overwhelming complexity. "Founders understood simpler machines—that was their anchor," Manders explains. "New engineers need time to see the forest for the trees." Vermeulen spends half his time on team dynamics: "As architects, we're conductors. We ask experts for their best solution and synthesize a balanced design. One plus one must equal three."

Manders misses hands-on building but finds profound challenge in systems thinking: "It's about crouching with colleagues at whiteboards, spotting when we're on the wrong track, and having the courage to pivot entirely." This collaborative alchemy, Janssen concludes, is where true innovation ignites—but ultimately, "someone must choose the direction."

Source: Adapted from "The Magic of Precision Engineering" by René Raaijmakers (Bits&Chips), via High Tech Institute. Original URL: https://www.hightechinstitute.nl/the-magic-of-precision-engineering/