The importance of Formnext for the industry is reflected in the exceptionally high number of innovations and world premieres announced by exhibitors in the run-up to the event. These range from an array of new technologies and systems designed to make 3D printing even faster, more efficient and more economical through to countless innovations across the process chain, from materials to post-processing.
“The amazing response we have seen from exhibitors and the AM industry as a whole, including those based outside of Germany, underscores the importance of Formnext as the leading international event in this sector and the strong appetite for coming together and interacting in person once again,” asserts Sascha F. Wenzler, Formnext Vice President at organizer Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. “It also demonstrates that this vibrant, in-person exhibition is crucial to a highly innovative industry like ours as a platform for showcasing innovations and discussing them with international industry professionals. It is the perfect springboard for getting future-oriented, sustainable technological developments off the ground.”
Formnext 2021, which this year is being held as a “2G” event (admittance for people who have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID only), will once again showcase the global elite of additive manufacturing and exhibitors from 35 nations. Included among them will be market leaders such as 3D Systems, Additive Industries, Addup, Arburg, BigRep, Covestro, Cubicure, Desktop Metal, DMG Mori, Dyemansion, EOS, Evonik, ExOne, Farsoon, Formlabs, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, GE Additive, HP, Incus, Keyence, Markforged, Materialise, Nexa3D, Renishaw, Ricoh, Siemens, Sigma Labs, Stratasys, Trumpf, Voxeljet, XJet, and many more. Many of the exhibitors will also be innovative start-ups from all over the world, as well as companies from the entire process chain – from material manufacturers to companies from measuring technology, machining and surface finishing, including such renowned companies as BASF 3D Printing Solutions, Covestro, Hexagon, Höganäs, or Sandvik. Also presenting their expertise at Formnext will be an increasing number of larger corporate groups and additive manufacturing users, such as Rosswag and the SMS Group, whose in-depth experience has been acquired over many years.
Partner country Italy and a wide selection of supporting events
Formnext 2021 will additionally be offering an exceptional program of supporting events. For the first time, Formnext will have a European partner country, Italy. Italian exhibitors, such as Lincotek, Mimete, Prima Industrie, Roboze, Sisma, WASP, and others, will be demonstrating Italy’s position as an important innovator for the entire industry.
Led by scientists from Technical University (TU) Darmstadt, the special BE-AM | Built Environment Additive Manufacturing showcase encompasses a whole range of sectors from architecture and civil engineering through to manufacturing automation.
In a special area of Hall 12.0, the VDMA’s Additive Manufacturing Association will be presenting examples of successful applications and developments in industrial 3D printing: tools, machine components, prototypes, and much more besides.
For the seventh time, the international Formnext Start-up Challenge has recognized up-and-coming enterprises from the world of additive manufacturing for their innovative business ideas and technical developments. In 2021, the winning innovations range from nano and glass 3D printing through to new medical solutions for spine patients, and will be presented at Formnext by the international winners. At the Pitchnext event at the Start-up Area on 16 November 2021, 16 start-ups will demonstrate why they make a good investment. The award ceremony for the Start-up Challenge winners will also take place at this event.
This year’s Purmundus Challenge at Formnext will shine a spotlight on innovative end-to-end solutions from 12 countries on 5 continents under the motto Innovation in Progress. The finalists will showcase innovative forward-looking concepts from the fields of medicine, biotechnology, 4D printing, VR, robotics, renewable energies, mechanical and plant engineering, e-mobility and drive technology.
The two-hour Discover3Dprinting seminars, which are free of charge, are aimed at newcomers to additive manufacturing in SMEs. These will take place every morning from 9:30 a.m. (CET) to 11:30 a.m. (CET) and clearly demonstrate the potential offered by additive manufacturing and how it can be put to profitable use in enterprise-own production facilities.
The four-day TCT Conference @ Formnext will discuss current and future applications and technologies of additive manufacturing with high-profile presentations from Boeing, Deutsche Bahn, and GE Healthcare, for example.
The focus of the ASTM Standards Forum will be “Industrialization of AM through standards and standardization – how can AM reach the next level?”. The workshop will be held on Monday, 15 November 2021 and is jointly organized by ASTM International, US Commercial Service and ISO.
For those unable to attend Formnext 2021 in person, Formnext Digital Days on 30 November and 1 December 2021 provides a comprehensive online offering.
For more information, see formnext.com.
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. Formnext is organized by Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. (formnext.com)
About 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 160 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
The Messe Frankfurt Group is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. The Group employs approximately 2,450 people at its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 29 subsidiaries around the world. The company generated annual sales of approximately €257 million in 2020 after having recorded sales of €736 million the previous year. Even in difficult times caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we are globally networked with our industry sectors. We have close ties with our industry sectors and serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of the Group’s key USPs is its closely knit global sales network, which extends throughout the world. Our 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. We are expanding our digital expertise with new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services. Headquartered 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
Background information on TCT (Content Partner)
Established in 1992, TCT Group’s mission is to accelerate design-to-manufacturing innovation. Through global trade shows, conferences, magazines, websites and digital products TCT delivers business-critical insights on the technologies that help manufacturers make better products, more quickly and cost-effectively. Through the TCT Awards TCT celebrates the most innovative products and applications across the design-to-manufacturing process chain. The TCT Group is owned by Rapid News Publications Ltd, part of Rapid News Group. (thetctgroup.com)
Background information on the VDMA Working Group Additive Manufacturing (Honorary Sponsor)
Within the Working Group Additive Manufacturing, over 170 companies and research institutes collaborate under the direction of the German Engineering 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)