by Industrial Print Magazine Staff
NPE2024: The Plastics Show took place from May 6 to 10, 2024 in Orlando, FL at the Orange County Convention Center. This was the first NPE since 2018, and it was met with excitement from exhibitors and attendees alike. Over 2,200 exhibitors took up more than 1.1 million net square feet of exhibit space. On the show’s second day, the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) announced that it exceeded over 50,000 registrants.
Above: NPE2024 was held in Orlando, FL in May and exceeded over 50,000 registrants.
“The energy and excitement at NPE2024 are truly palpable,” says Matt Seaholm, CEO, PLASTICS. “From established industry giants to groundbreaking startups, this show is a testament to the unwavering spirit and ingenuity of the plastics community. We can’t wait to see how this next generation of the plastics workforce will use these resources and connections to foster the future of the industry.”
According to data from PLASTICS, 63 percent of the attendees experienced the event for the very first time. 30 percent of the attendees were under the age of 40.
Of Note
The event served multiple industries including automotive, medical, packaging, building and construction, and consumer products. This was the first year it included keynote speakers. Attendees received insight from Michael Cicco, president/CEO, FANUC America Corporation. Cicco discussed robotics and automation advancements revolutionizing the plastics industry.
This was seen first hand on the show floor. For example, in Innovative Digital Systems’ booth, the company exhibited a robotic arm and conveyor as part of its high-speed rotary UV LED printing process. The part was specifically designed to streamline cylindrical print production.
Michael Heinz, chair/CEO, BASF Corporation, also headlined a keynote. He touched on the challenges the industry is facing and the importance of collaboration along the value chain.
Part of meeting the challenge head on is accepting and embracing emerging technologies for parts production, like three-dimensional (3D) printing. As such, one of the on-site workshops focused on 3D printing. The multi-hour event included several mini sessions. The first provided a platform for Greg Paulsen, director, applications engineering and marketing, Xometry, to educate attendees on when and why to employ plastic 3D printing or injection molding.
Later in the day, attendees learned how to automate toolmaking with metal 3D printing. Ted Sorom, CEO/co-founder, Mantle, headlined this session. He discussed how he started Mantle to address the specific challenges faced by the tooling industry.
Future NPE Plans
At press time we were still awaiting feedback on the 2024 show, but we look forward to reporting on more in the weeks ahead. And keep an eye out for the next iteration, NPE2027, which takes place May 3 to 7, 2027 in Orlando, FL.
Jun2024, Industrial Print Magazine
