November 5, 2025
From microns to meltdowns
The Magic of Precision Engineering
ASML duo takes the wheel; old guard wonders if the vibes ever stop
TLDR: Huub Janssen hands a famed precision engineering course to two ASML leaders, sparking jokes about “picometer” hype and debate over corporate influence. Commenters split between excitement for fresh direction and fears the craft becomes “all vibes, no accuracy,” making this shift a big deal for how future engineers learn.
The precision crowd is buzzing as Huub Janssen passes the torch on the long-running “Design Principles for Precision Engineering” training to ASML heavyweights Erik Manders and Marc Vermeulen. Commenters split fast: half cheering “fresh blood from the chip-tool titan” ASML, half side-eyeing “corporate takeover of a craft” with nostalgic shout-outs to Philips-era roots and Huub’s seven-year run. The big mood: respect for the legends, curiosity about the new drivers, and plenty of snark about the road ahead.
Janssen’s line about going from micrometers to nanometers to “physicists talking picometers without blinking” became the meme of the day. One thread dubbed it “precision’s midlife crisis,” another spammed pics of rulers labeled “picometer” with a single pixel. The community loved the reminder that precision isn’t a single recipe, it’s a toolbox—yet the comment wars kicked off when Huub’s story about a vibrating measurement setup landed: a stately design with no damping turned into a wobblefest. Translation for non-engineers: they built something precise that wouldn’t stop shaking, and the jokesters ran wild with “all vibes, no accuracy.”
Meanwhile, folks asked who really sets the tone now—Mechatronics Academy and High Tech Institute still host the course, but the ASML duo steering sparked debates about creativity vs. dogma, and whether the next-gen rules are more art than science. Drama level: high, sarcasm level: higher.
Key Points
- •ASML’s Erik Manders and Marc Vermeulen are taking over leadership of the DPPE training from Huub Janssen after seven years.
- •DPPE originated at Philips CFT and is currently offered by Mechatronics Academy through the High Tech Institute.
- •Industry experts describe a progression in precision requirements from micrometers to nanometers and, in quantum contexts, picometers.
- •Precision engineering lacks universal rules; best practices vary by market, system, and application, with trends evolving over time.
- •A case from ASML’s PAS2500 wafer stepper showed an interferometer suspension designed via statically determined principles had no damping, revealing approach limitations.