The 95:5 rule of the ZSVR (and in future the PPWR) requires barrier functions to be achieved with as little ‘foreign material’ as possible. Practical solutions are very thin coatings with functional polymers (functional lacquers/polymer coatings) or ultra-thin inorganic coatings with an additional top coat. Both applications place high demands on the coating machine technology in terms of substrate handling and coating precision. The presentation will outline the challenges that need to be solved in the mechanical engineering of coating systems and how the mechanical engineering industry is positioning itself with regard to sustainable machine solutions.