New exhibitors from 26 nations generate significant growth
In 2018, Formnext is continuing to show its best side: already 10 weeks before the exhibition opens its doors, the two levels of exhibition Hall 3 with 550 expected exhibitors and an exhibition space of 36,000 square meters is full to capacity. The leading exhibition for additive manufacturing and cutting-edge production techniques has recorded significant growth in terms of number of exhibitors and exhibition space. In addition, Formnext is using the space next to Hall 3 for supporting events. For instance, Saal Europa in Hall 4 is hosting the TCT Conference @ Formnext.
formnext
International exhibition and conference
on the next generation of manufacturing technologies
Frankfurt, Germany, 13 – 16 November 2018
Solutions to current challenges in production
Formnext 2018 will once again present the global elite of additive manufacturing. At the same time, an even wider range of topics will be covered along the relevant process chains, and key areas such as software, material, and pre- and post-processing (for example, for powder removal, surface finishing, or heat treatment) will also receive increased attention.
Among the 550 expected exhibitors, a total of 165 are new exhibitors from 26 nations – in other words, businesses and organizations exhibiting at Formnext for the first time.
Transatlantic summit for AM norms
On November 14, 2018, the international nature of Formnext will be underlined by the standards summit, “AM Standards Forum”, which is being organized by Formnext in cooperation with the U.S. Commercial Service, along with German and American partners. This summit is open to all interested parties. The latest developments for additive manufacturing standards will be presented at the summit and discussed with respect to special areas of industry. Participants of the summit will include high-ranking representatives of politics, leading international companies, and standards institutions.
Forward-thinking highlights
TCT, Formnext’s content partner, is also organizing a further high-quality conference program that will bring the AM industry’s leading minds together with industrial users during the exhibition.
With young talent being of particular interest to the industry, Formnext will once again be showcasing this. The Start-up Challenge has already established itself as an important competition for promising young companies. The 2018 winners will be honored at Formnext and appear in an area bearing the same name. The international competition for design – the purmundus challenge – will also be organized at Formnext 2018 under the theme “Preparing for the Future with 3D Printing” and will recognize creative companies. Formnext’s hotbed of ideas will be rounding out by young companies presenting in the area sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).
The concrete advantages that can be gained through additive manufacturing in industry and mechanical engineering will be showcased by the Ready4industry user case area.This is being held by Formnext’s honorary sponsor – the Working Group Additive Manufacturing, part of the German industry association VDMA.
The AM4U platform, which started successfully last year, will continue in 2018 and offers career opportunities, further training, and the chance to make new contacts in the additive manufacturing industry. The diverse agenda includes an international cooperation exchange, a career day, and the Discover3Dprinting seminar series. This is geared toward midsize companies that are looking to get started in additive manufacturing and is being organized in cooperation with ACAM Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing, a Fraunhofer spin-off.
A glance into the future of Formnext
Impressed by the huge demand of the exhibitors was Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President for Formnext at event organizer Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH: “The fact that we’ve been able to occupy all the exhibition space so well even after expanding again underlines the highly dynamic and sustainable growth of Formnext. This is an impressive confirmation of the exhibition concept that we have developed together with the industry.” To sustainably meet the growing demand, Formnext will next year be moving to the newly built exhibition hall 12 of the Frankfurt exhibition grounds, which combined with hall 11, provides exhibition space of around 58,000 square meters.
Background information on Formnext
Formnext is the leading trade fair for Additive Manufacturing and the next generation of intelligent manufacturing solutions. It focuses on the efficient realization of parts and products, from their design to serial production. Formnext shows the future of innovative manufacturing. The conference set to take place alongside the exhibition will also highlight the latest trends and issues in additive manufacturing, along with clever ways in which it can be integrated into process chains in industrial production. The conference’s content is designed by Rapidnews/tct. Formnext is organized by Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. (formnext.com) Background information on Mesago Messe Frankfurt
Mesago, founded in 1982 and located in Stuttgart, specializes in exhibitions and conferences on various topics of technology. The company belongs to the Messe Frankfurt Group. Mesago operates internationally and is not tied to a specific venue. With 140 members of staff Mesago organizes events for the benefit of more than 3,300 exhibitors and over 110,000 trade visitors, conference delegates and speakers from all over the world. Numerous trade associations, publishing houses, scientific institutes and universities work with Mesago closely as advisers, co-organizers and partners. (mesago.com)
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With more than 2,400 employees at 30 locations, the company generates annual sales of around €669 million. Thanks to its far-reaching ties with the relevant sectors and to its international sales network, the Group looks after the business interests of its customers effectively. A comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services. With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt
(60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent). For more information, please visit our website at:
www.messefrankfurt.com | www.congressfrankfurt.de | www.festhalle.de
Background information on TCT (Content Partner)
Since 1992 the TCT Group’s mission has been to accelerate the adoption of 3D technologies for design, development and manufacture across all industry sectors. Through events, publications, websites and digital products TCT delivers business-critical insights on 3D printing, additive manufacturing, CAD/CAE, metrology and inspection, as well as traditional manufacturing processes such as molding, casting and CNC machining. The TCT Group is owned by Rapid News Publications Ltd (rapidnews.com), part of Rapid News Communications Group. (thetctgroup.com)
Background information on the Working Group Additive Manufacturing (Honorary Sponsor)
Within the Working Group Additive Manufacturing, more than 120 companies and research institutes collaborate under the direction of the German industry federation VDMA. Here, plant engineers; component and material suppliers; industrial companies that work with metals and plastics; service providers in software, manufacturing, and processing; and numerous researchers all work toward the same goal: the industrialization of additive manufacturing techniques. (am.vdma.org)
Source: Mesago
