Asiamold concludes with an array of potential business opportunities

Asiamold ‒ Guangzhou International Mould & Die Exhibition successfully brought to a close its 12th edition of the fair. Held concurrently with SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou from 4 ‒ 6 March at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, the two fairs hosted 896 exhibitors and welcomed 72,068 professional buyers during the three-day shows. Enjoying year-on-year growth, the fairs continue to strengthen their position as a critical trade platform for both the industrial automation and the mould, die casting and additive manufacturing markets in China.

Before commencing her presentation on the 3D printing process, Ms Kim Francois, Managing Director, Materialise China, asked the audience whether they understood or had ever used 3D printing before. When just a few hands were raised from a packed seminar audience, it was clear that despite the undeniable industry buzz and growing awareness of 3D printing, knowledge about its application is still limited. Recognising this demand for a high-level gathering of key industry professionals in the 3D printing sector, Asiamold established the Guangzhou International 3D Printing Technology Application Summit which invited 13 speakers to deliver a range of insights into the industry over the two-day summit. Talks varied from the approach and impact of 3D printing in the China and European markets respectively, to how the mould and 3D printing industries can work together collaboratively.

Feedback from both exhibitors and attendees underlined why a concurrent event programme of talks and seminars is so useful alongside the exhibits. Seminar speaker, Ms Francois, explained: "It's a no brainer for us as a company to take the opportunity of presenting at the summit and meet people from our target industry. It was a great chance to explain more precisely just what it is that we do and how we can provide important business opportunities for companies not yet incorporating 3D printing technology."

The overwhelming feedback from both exhibitors and buyers at the show was that new 3D printing technologies do not have to replace traditional manufacturing techniques, but that they can be used by companies to simplify production lines, lower manufacturing costs and speed up production, ultimately increasing revenue and profitability. Many 3D printing exhibitors spoke of new business contacts made at the fair with companies who are in the beginning stages of employing 3D printing technology into their own production lines.

Key figures for AOG18 (combined with SIAF18):

• 896 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions (+12.7%)
• 72,068 visitors from 40 countries and regions (+12.5%)
• 60,000 sqm across 5 halls
• 231 buyer delegate groups (+6%)
• 80 presentations delivered during the concurrent event programmes

High quality seminar programme invites leading industry professionals to shed light on exciting new technologies and solutions

The concurrent event programme was organised to provide a comprehensive business platform for visitors, featuring the debut Automobile Lightweight Product and Technology Summit as well as the Guangzhou International 3D Printing Technology Application Summit.

The new Automobile Lightweight Product and Technology Summit hosted six noted speakers during the conference, delivering in-depth talks about the ways in which the auto industry can make lightweight automobiles by using lightweight materials, laser welding and die-casting. Integrating lightweight materials can thus create a more efficient and cost-effective production process. As the automotive industry is a key sector of visitors to the show, the summit was an ideal learning and research occasion for industry professionals to tap into cross-sector business opportunities.

With such a promising array of mould making, die casting, laser welding and 3D printing technologies on display at the show, it will be fascinating to see the progress of the industry in the South China region by the time Asiamold descends on Guangzhou next year.

Participants share their feedback of Asiamold:

Exhibitor: Ms Wu Shuqin, Director, Industrial Accessories Department, Dongguan Eontec Co Ltd (China)
Our business operates in various sectors including the communication, LED, medical and automobile manufacturing industries. This is our second year at the fair and we prioritised the promotion of our automobile molding services and liquidmetal products. We chose to participate at Asiamold because the show is a part of the Messe Frankfurt family, which is well known to our target buyers in the car industry. We believe the fair is good way to promote our brand and products and the number of visitors at our booth has exceeded our expectations. A number of clients we have met with have been from overseas corporations which is very pleasing.

Exhibitor: Mr Hyun-Joon Jang, Manager, Marketing Team, Korea Association for Die & Mold Industry Development (Korea)
We participate at the show to connect with mold and die companies from surrounding cities like Duangguan, Guangzhou and Zhongshan.

We come to the fair to both buy and sell. On the one hand we want to find outsourcing partners for raw materials, on the other hand we want to look for new customers. Asiamold is a really important platform to network and liaise with Chinese partners. We have witnessed new technologies and innovations by domestic Chinese suppliers and I am quite surprised by the speed of developments in China. The 3D printing and molding companies are collaborating rather than competing against each other.

Visitor: Mr Aleksander Ciszek, CEO, 3YOURMIND, (United States)

I represent a software company and we are thinking about extending our business into the Asian market. Primarily I am looking for customers and partnerships at the fair. I think that to break into the Asian market it is necessary to work closely with local partners and to understand their culture better. There are many different sectors and types of companies present which is a good thing as it allows for some cross-sector collaboration opportunities.

Seminar Speaker: Mr Xu Guojian, Deputy General Manager, Raycham Laser Technology Group Co Ltd (China)

My presentation was concerned with the application of laser welding technologies in the automotive industry. Organising seminars concurrently with the fair allows the needs of fairgoers coming from diversified sectors to be met, and at the same time provide direction for future development. In terms of logistics, the seminar was well organised and I was able to meet with many of the attendees to discuss potentially working together. I think that this type of seminar arrangement is an indispensable part of the fair.

Seminar Speaker: Ms Kim Francois, Managing Director, Materialise China (China)

When looking at materials we are always looking into applications and we believe that mould making is one of the industries with high potential to incoporate 3D printing. Right now there are not many case studies for potential new customers to see and understand and so that's why delivering talks like this can be very beneficial for our company. The mould and die business matches perfectly with the additive manufacturing. Although there is a lot of talk and buzz about 3D printing right now, the number of people who understand and know how to incorporate this technology is relatively low. It is my goal here to open the minds of those attending and then possibly collaborate with them at a later stage.

Seminar Attendee: Mr Yulin Huang, Account Manager in Guangzhou Area, Hunan Farsoon High-Tech Co Ltd, Shenzhen Farsoon 3D Printing Co Ltd (China)

By attending the 'Guangzhou International 3D Printing Technology Application Summit', I was able to find out more about the latest technologies on the market and also to meet with industry professionals for networking. The presentations provided us insights into the newest trends by displaying advanced solutions developed by leading brands. I think the seminars have provided me with useful knowledge to help with my daily work.

Asiamold is organised by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd and forms a part of a series of international events including formnext and Intermold Japan. The next edition of formnext will be held from
13 – 16 November 2018 at the Frankfurt exhibition grounds in Germany. Intermold Japan will take place from 18 – 21 April 2018 in Tokyo and 13 – 16 June 2018 in Nagoya. The next edition of Rosmould will take place from 15 ‒ 17 May 2018 in Moscow.