by Industrial Print Magazine
Formnext is a leading industry platform for additive manufacturing (AM) and industrial three-dimensional (3D) printing. Over 730 exhibitors are set to showcase their products and services from November 15 to 18, 2022 at the Messe Frankfurt exhibition grounds in Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany.
According to event organizer Mesago Messe Frankfurt Group GmbH, the 2022 event surpassed last year’s number of exhibitors. “This successful development shows that exhibitors continue to see Formnext as the most important industry meeting point and an extremely valuable trade show platform, and also underscores the fact that, for many companies in the AM industry, in-person interaction is essential to successfully conduct business, drive developments, or find partners and investors,” explains Sascha F. Wenzler, VP, Formnext at event organizer Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH.
Deck the Halls
Formnext takes place in halls 11 and 12, the most modern part of the Frankfurt exhibition grounds. Here we share vendors’ plans at the show.
3D Minerals, hall 12.0, booth C39, is a French company that designs and develops ceramic 3D printers with patented extrusion technology—slurry deposition modeling. This allows for the 3D printing of large parts without stopping the printing process. Moreover, with this process there is simple and fast preparation of the extruded ceramic paste. With the ability to print all types of traditional ceramics, 3D Minerals is developing the printing of technical ceramics with all the advantages of its technology—printing without size limit or air bubbles.
3D Spark, hall 12.1, booth B101A, the comparison engine for components, identifies the cheapest, fastest, and most sustainable manufacturing process. This enables OEMs to cut production costs, lead times, and CO2 emissions, while increasing supply chain security and part performance. Manufacturing service providers analyze printability and calculate production costs in seconds, which speeds up quoting many times over. Test and experience the software, which is trusted by industry leaders like Alstom and ZF for yourself and see how it can help your company greatly increase efficiency.
3D Systems, hall 11.1, booth D11, showcases its unique solutions portfolio designed to address a variety of advanced applications in healthcare and industrial markets. Visitors have the opportunity to discuss manufacturing challenges with the company’s application engineers who collaborate with customers to transform how they deliver their products and services. The company also showcases its hardware and materials, as well as Oqton’s software portfolio, which when combined are the foundation of each application-specific solution.
3DCeram, hall 11.1, booth C33, displays its 3D printer the C1000 FLEXMATIC, which is designed to meet the industrial challenges of large-scale production. Optimized to integrate the Smart Ceramic Factory, it has all the assets to print ceramic parts in a semi-automated line.
AddUp, hall 12.0, booth E01, launches a suite of new process monitoring software to bolster the capabilities of the FormUp 350 Powder Bed Fusion machine—AddUp Dashboards, Recoat Monitoring, and Meltpool Monitoring. This new software suite accelerates the adoption of its metal 3D printing technology, increasing confidence in part quality for both prototyping and end-use industrial applications.
Boston Micro Fabrications, hall 11.1, booth B38, showcases its newest micro 3D printer, the microArch S350. Stop by to see the S350, S240, and plenty of 3D printed parts.
Carbon, hall 11.1, booth D22, encourages attendees to see Carbon’s Idea-to-Production Platform, with its software, materials, and hardware, to bring radically better products to market faster. Hear from partners daily in the Carbon booth, as well as sessions at TCT and Formnext on success stories using Carbon’s platform.
CEAD, hall 12.1, booth C91, is a technology supplier of 3D printing equipment on the frontier of large-scale composite AM. For seven years it has developed large-scale 3D printing technology. From standalone printheads to build-your-own 3D printers to complete gantry or robot solutions, delivered and installed worldwide.
Evonik, hall 12.1, booth C59, focuses on sustainability in 3D printing. The specialty chemicals company wants to align its INFINAM polyamide 12 (PA12) powders along improved overall eco-balances. In doing so, the group analyzes not only CO2 emissions but also other important sustainability factors of its own footprint, such as water consumption or land use. Evonik starts with the introduction of a new grade of PA12 powders with significantly reduced CO2 emissions. With immediate effect, they replace the previous INFINAM PA12 materials for all common powder-based 3D technologies.
HP, hall 12.1, booth D59, exhibits a variety of updates and advancements across its industrial 3D printing platforms—HP Multi Jet Fusion and HP Metal Jet. This event marks the first time that HP’s commercial HP Metal Jet S100 Solution is showcased in Europe. Now commercially available, HP’s Metal Jet Solution is creating mass metals production opportunities for even more partners and customers around the world.
MELD, hall 11.0, booth B41, spotlights the newest addition to its line of 3D metal printers. Parts printed with the MELD process are near-net shape and fully dense, ready for machine finishing. The newest hybrid printer, 3PO, goes one step further. Not only will it have additive capabilities, but a subtractive component will be installed so that printing and finishing can be accomplished with one machine. MELD’s open atmosphere technology eliminates the need for chambers or vacuums. The streamlined process ensures savings of time, money, and effort.
Meteor Inkjet Ltd., hall 12.0, booth B12, shows its full range of solutions for 3D and AM print systems including one of the world’s largest range of drive electronics for all major industrial inkjet printheads; ready-to-use Digital Front Ends that integrate with commercially available 3D build tools; Software Development Kits allowing custom printers to be built from the ground up; and a complete suite of tools and services to support the design and optimization of print systems.
Oqton, hall 11.1, booth F41, showcases its software solutions for industrial manufacturing including Manufacturing OS, 3DXpert, Amphyon, Geomagic Design X, Geomagic Control X, and Geomagic Freeform. Visitors are invited to engage with the company’s application experts for hands-on demonstrations of the entire software portfolio. Additionally, a variety of parts on display showcase what is possible by incorporating this software into a manufacturing workflow.
Photocentric, hall 12.0, booth D79, displays its LC Magna and LC Opus 3D printers, as well as details about the company’s range of high-performance printing materials. Attendees can learn about how the latest developments in AM can help to reimagine manufacturing across a range of applications.
Rapid Shape, hall 12.1, booth C41, presents the RS inline. This large and effective production line with up to five units connected in a series offers a high level of productivity. The RS inline is a fully automated 3D print solution with which Rapid Shape can ensure high quality as well as cost efficient, reliable, and fast production of parts.
Replique, hall 12.1, booth B73, showcases its industrial 3D printing platform. Visitors experience the entire end-to-end process with the Replique platform. They will get a look behind the digital inventory, where part designs can be stored, managed, and even ordered internally. With just a click of the button visitors can request a free giveaway via the platform that is automatically being produced directly at the booth on an Ultimaker S5. Moreover, Replique presents new features of the platform, including a quality module that enables companies to track all print files and assure that the parts meet the requested quality requirements.
Velo3D, hall 12.0, booth D01, provides a fully integrated metal 3D printing solution for mission-critical parts in the space, automotive, semiconductor, and energy industries. Unlike conventional metal 3D printing solutions or traditional manufacturing methods, Velo3D helps design engineers build the complex parts they need without compromising their design or part quality. Stop by to see parts printed on the Sapphire XC, a production-level metal laser powder bed fusion printer that enables the highest levels of quality, innovation, and productivity.
Wematter, hall 11.1, booth B69, makes advanced industrial technology available in a user-friendly, all-in-one solution that includes hardware and software. This technology allows customers to produce chainsaws, prosthetic bones, and robotic arms. Wematter’s 3D printing solution lowers the thresholds for on site use in the customer’s office, manufacturing, and development environments, creating new commercial opportunities. In the booth take a closer look at the Gravity SLS 3D printer, the Density waterjet cleaning cabinet, and cloud-based Deep Space software.
Xact Metal, hall 12.0, booth D98, highlights the XM200G, a single or dual powder bed fusion system; and presents the XM300G, a mid-size system recently launched at IMTS in Chicago, IL. Xact Metal has accepted orders with scheduled shipments in Q3 2023.
Coming to the U.S.
Formnext promises to be an encouraging display of the advantages of 3D printing and AM. It hits the U.S. next year with involvement at the Additive Manufacturing Conference in Austin, TX. The Formnext Forum will be held as a conference with accompanying exhibition in 2024. Finally, in 2025, Formnext arranged a strategic partnership with the Association for Manufacturing Technology and Gardner Business Media to hold Formnext Chicago at the McCormick Place exhibition center in Chicago, IL.
Nov2022, Industrial Print Magazine
