Dear Readers,
The May special edition of Transformer Magazine turns its focus to one of the most discussed themes in today’s industry: digital transformation.
Digital transformation is already embedded in how transformers are designed, monitored, operated, and maintained. Data is expanding, connectivity is increasing, and analytical tools are becoming more advanced. Yet a central question remains: is this transformation translating into better decisions, or simply more complexity?
We open the edition with an interview with Wolf Mueller from Hitachi Energy, who discusses how digital services are reshaping asset management. As electricity demand continues to grow, the focus is shifting toward extracting more value from existing transformer fleets through predictive and data-driven approaches.
This theme is explored more critically in the latest Industry trends column, which examines the gap between increasing data availability and actual decision-making. Digital models and twins provide valuable insight, but they remain approximations of a complex and dynamic reality. As a result, the role of expert judgment is not diminishing. It is becoming more important.
A similar challenge was observed in recent market dynamics. The surge in demand and lead times from 2023 triggered significant capacity investments, yet part of this demand was behavioural. Panic ordering and increased inventories contributed to extending lead times, amplified demand signals, and distorted market perception.
However, through our research, we identified false growth indicators and suggested that normalisation could be expected from 2027 onwards. Recent announcements from Reinhausen regarding the return of tap-changer lead times to more typical levels confirm this trajectory.
This reinforces the broader point that temporary distortions can easily be mistaken for structural trends without understanding the drivers behind the data. The Industry Navigator platform further explores insights of this kind, and we invite industry stakeholders to join the discussion at the Industry Navigator Conference 2026 in Vienna.
The edition then moves between digital progress and industrial reality. Reinhausen also presents its TAPCON® ISM® solution for digital substations. HD Hyundai Electric outlines its second U.S. transformer plant and the expansion of local 765 kV manufacturing capability. COMEM appears through an interview with Leonardo Manco on the consolidation of COMEM latin america, and later with MeDICA Moisture Care for moisture management.
Technical contributions add depth to the theme. Arda Kızıldeli et al. continue their investigation of stray losses in a 730 MVA GSU transformer. Chandima Ekanayake et al. present multi-modal sensor-based monitoring. Bhaba Das and Marius Grisaru examine online DGA alarm strategies based on baselines, trends, and rate-of-change indicators, while Ahmet Kerem Köseoğlu addresses why standard ERP systems often do not fit tailor-made transformer production.
This edition also includes an exclusive interview with Bhaba Das, winner of Transformer Magazine’s Best Author Award 2025, as well as an interview with Sami Soughayar, CEO of Matelec, on the company’s development across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Contributions from Brizio Basi and Aerofilm bring further attention to practical industrial processes, from transformer drying to the movement of heavy transformers.
The message of this edition is clear. Digital transformation is not simply about adding intelligence to systems, but about understanding how that intelligence is used. More data does not remove uncertainty. In many cases, it makes it more visible.
The industry has already made significant progress in digitalisation. The next step is more demanding. It requires connecting data with engineering understanding, and technology with judgment. I hope this edition provides you with a clearer perspective on the process of digital transformation, how it is evolving in practice and what it means for the future of our industry.
Dr Mladen Banović
Editor-in-Chief
