In order to promote the use of additive manufacturing in the construction industry as well, Formnext and the Technical University (TU) Darmstadt have agreed on a joint venture. This means that in the next few years the construction industry will become a stronger theme of the leading international trade fair for additive manufacturing and the next generation of industrial production. At the same time, Formnext is getting involved as a sponsor of the Built Environment – Additive Manufacturing Symposium (BE-AM) launched by TU Darmstadt, which brings together key players from the construction industry and architecture on a regular basis and concerns itself extensively with the additive development in this sector.
formnext
International exhibition and conference
on the next generation of manufacturing technologies
Frankfurt, Germany, 13 – 16 November 2018
Additive manufacturing is still a relatively new topic in the construction industry, although even here there are numerous innovative approaches and application concepts. “Through the cooperation with TU Darmstadt we want to make an important contribution, so that even in the construction industry the innovative potential of additive manufacturing can be made more widely usable”, says Sascha F. Wenzler, director of the Formnext division at the trade fair organizer Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH.
The two professors Oliver Tessmann and Ulrich Knaack from TU Darmstadt have, for some years, already been concerned with the topic of additive manufacturing in this environment and are currently working on numerous projects, some of which are researching into different manufacturing methods and the use of different materials. Three years ago, the two professors launched the BE-AM Symposium which is taking place in Darmstadt on October 12 this year.
“Our aim is to promote additive activities in the construction industry, strengthening their structure and concentration”, says Professor Knaack, from the Institute for Structural Mechanics and Design, ISM+D. “We are also pleased that, through the collaboration with Formnext, we will gain even better contact with the other sectors of industry in which additive applications are already widely used. Because, overall, construction will become more efficient thanks to additive manufacturing. Companies that use this technology in construction will be able to benefit in economic terms”, according to Knaack.
Professor Oliver Tessmann (Digital Design Unit, DDU) adds: “The construction industry is joining with other application industries in the common search for the added value of 3D-printed applications. We want to print intelligent forms and designs that were not previously possible in this way. In this respect, we can certainly benefit from existing experiences and commonalities.”
Already at Formnext 2018 the topic will be addressed in the AM4U area with a presentation to be held at 3:30 pm on November 14. Over the next few years the cooperation between Formnext, as well as BE-AM, and TU Darmstadt will be intensified. This will ensure that Formnext also becomes a key platform for contact and innovation among architects, structural engineers and companies from the construction industry.
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
