Formnext will take place for the fourth time in Frankfurt from November 13 to 16. It covers the entire process from the design idea to manufacturing and series production. Parallel to the trade fair, a conference will be held that is dedicated to the current trends and issues of additive manufacturing and its meaningful integration into the process chains of industrial production methods.

This year, the organizers of Mesago Messe Frankfurt are expecting more than 550 exhibitors to occupy an area of around 36,000 m². The two hall levels of Hall 3 were already fully booked ten weeks before the start of the trade fair. According to Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President Formnext, Mesago Messe Frankfurt, this shows how strong the growth dynamic of Formnext is.

International mix of exhibitors

The trade fair organizers are looking forward to welcoming exhibitors from 33 nations; the proportion of international exhibitors is around 55%. In addition to Germany, the most important countries are China (13.4 percent), the USA (10.8 percent), Italy (8.2 percent), the UK (7.5 percent) as well as France, Spain and the Netherlands (6.6 percent each). 165 companies from 26 nations will be exhibiting for the first time. In addition to market leaders such as 3D Systems, Arburg, Arcam, Concept Laser, Dassault, DMG Mori, EOS, FIT, GE Additive, HP, Keyence, Markforged, Materialise, Matsuura, Renishaw, Ricoh, Siemens, SLM Solutions, Stratasys, Trumpf, Voxeljet and XJet, other companies from all over the world are expected to attend.

The range of trade fairs will be further expanded along the relevant process chains. Topics such as software, materials, pre- and post-processing for powder removal, surface treatment or heat treatment, for example, will find an even broader platform. Traditional companies such as BASF, Böhler Edelstahl, HC Starck, Höganäs and Linde will be showcasing their latest developments and industrial application expertise. Numerous start-ups and young companies will also be showing visitors their innovations, ranging from AI software to specialized additive production technologies.

Formnext will be accompanied by a comprehensive supporting program, including a careers fair, a conference and special exhibition areas. © Mesago / Thomas Klerx

International supporting program
Formnext also offers an extensive supporting program. For example, the TCT conference will take place in the Europa room in Hall 4. The international character of the trade fair benefits from the "AM Standards Forum" standardization summit on 14 November. This is organized by Formnext in cooperation with the U.S. Commercial Service and in collaboration with German and American partners. At the summit, current developments for additive manufacturing standards will be presented and also discussed in more detail with regard to specific industry sectors. Summit participants include high-ranking representatives from politics, leading international companies and standardization institutions.

The Start-up Challenge is a competition for young companies. The winners will be honored at the trade fair and will be represented in the exhibition area of the same name. Here, visitors can find out about printed micron structures, automated component optimization or solutions for additively manufactured medical products and composite materials.

In addition, the international ideas competition purmundus challenge will be held under the motto "3D printing equips us for the future" and will award prizes to creative companies. The think tank will be complemented by young companies presenting themselves in the area sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), while the Ready4industry user case area will showcase the concrete benefits that can be achieved through additive manufacturing in industry and mechanical engineering. This will once again be organized by the AM working group in the VDMA.

The AM4U platform, which was launched last year, will also be continued and offers an overview of career opportunities, further training and personal contacts in the field of additive manufacturing. The program includes an international cooperation exchange, a career day and the Discover3Dprinting seminar series.
Additive manufacturing in the construction industry

Applications and possibilities of additive manufacturing in the construction industry will be presented for the first time at AM4U. Formnext is cooperating with TU Darmstadt and the BE-AM Symposium to make the additive potential for the construction industry and architecture available to an even greater extent. This will bring the construction industry more into the thematic focus of the leading international trade fair in the coming years. At the same time, Formnext is involved as a sponsor of the BE-AM Symposium (Built Environment - Additive Manufacturing) organized by TU Darmstadt, which regularly brings together players from the construction industry and architecture and deals comprehensively with additive developments in the industry.
According to documents from Mesago Messe Frankfurt / ag