Your Eyes and Ears Abroad
With one major show moving to a new location and the announcement of two new events, there’s been plenty of shakeup in the European exhibitions serving our corner of the industry. Whatever happens, MMT will likely serve as eyes and ears for those who can’t attend these foreign events.
DMG MORI showcased the accuracy and surface finish capabilities of its HSC 70 Linear with the machining of this model Porsche. Click through this picture gallery for more examples of displays and technology that caught my eye.
The most recent edition of Euromold hadn’t even closed yet when organizers announced big news. Historically hosted in Frankfurt, the annual tooling, design and application development show is moving to Dusseldorf this year, and is scheduled for September 22-25. The latest development was a push by organizers to solicit exhibitor feedback on the event's future direction.
Whatever the future holds for that show, the Frankfurt exhibition grounds certainly won't be devoid of exhibitors and attendees from our corner of the industry this upcoming winter. Trade show organizer Messe Frankfurt has announced an entirely new event, formnext, which will debut November 24-27. Meanwhile, a third mold industry show is also gearing up for its first edition. Scheduled for May 5-8 in Stuttgart, Moulding Expo is a biennial event that touts itself as being organized “by the industry, for the industry.”
Whatever the machinations behind all this news, these shakeups in the European mold exhibition sector might not have any direct impact on North American mold manufacturers. However, Euromold and similar events often serve as the first introduction to technology that most definitely will impact operations on this side of the Atlantic. That’s why, whatever happens, MoldMaking Technology will continue to serve as eyes and ears abroad for North Americans who can’t make these foreign events. What, exactly, we’ll cover and what resources we’ll devote remains to be seen, but past experience shows that a trip to Germany will be well worth it for us—and, we hope, for you as well.
For evidence of that, consider what I discovered during my last trip to Euromold just a few months back. A couple of days wasn’t nearly enough to cover everything, but I still found plenty worth highlighting. Notable examples include laser welders integrated with laser powder cladding, an innovative quick-change mold system, an unusual lifter design, and an additive machine that uses the same material as a plastic-injection press. Click through this picture gallery for more information.
