In this issue of ipcm, we analyse the pre-treatment process and its importance to obtain high-quality products: if the preparation of a surface to be painted is not perfectly, the film will tend to peel off, pulverise, and lose gloss and colour while corrosion will start, regardless of the system applied. This issue also contains a special focus on the innovations in the field of agricultural and construction machinery finishing as well as a special insert on the workpiece cleaning and preparation processes.