Extrusion International 2-2018

63 Extrusion International 2/2018 PLAST 2018 (29 May to 1 June 2018, Milan, Italy) will be the preeminent European event this year for the plastics and rub- ber industry, embracing the whole chain from raw materials to semi-finished and finished products, from machinery and equipment to support services. And, quite rightly, once again this year the fair enjoys the sponsorship of the ItalianMinistry of Economic Development. The international scope of this triennial tradeshow, now in its eighteenth edition, is confirmedby the impressive numbers of foreign exhibitors and visitors. With three months to go be- fore opening day, a total of 1,100 exhibitors have registered for PLAST 2018. Of these, 870 are direct exhibitors (one third of them foreign, representing more than forty countries and growth of 21% in number and 24% in space allocation) and 230 are represented. A total of 52,000 square metres of exhi- bition space has been assigned. PLAST reflects the preeminent global position of the Italian plastics and rubber processing machinery, equipment and moulds industry, which forms the core of the exhibition. Over 70% of national production – which hit a new all-time record value of 4.5 billion euros in 2017 according to figures from the trade association AMAPLAST, produced by 900 manufactur- ers employing some 14,000 people – is exported. Italian technology (as well as that produced in Germany, It- aly’s main global competitor in the sector – indeed Germany tops the list in terms of both foreign exhibitors and foreign visitors at PLAST) is purchased by converters all over the world who require high-tech capabilities to produce large volumes of quality products with optimal precision. PLAST 2018 thus offers economic operators a full-spectrum technological showcase addressing all the various production processes (from extrusion to blow-moulding, from thermo- forming to injection moulding) and applications (packaging, automotive, medical, construction, etc.). Given the excellent performance of Italian exports in the in- dustry and recovery in the domestic market, participants have every right to expect rewarding business opportunities at PLAST 2018, with their order books swelling significantly di- rectly at the fair. Again this year, PLAST will feature satellite fairs dedicated to three sub-sectors of excellence: RUBBER (in its third edition), 3D PLAST (focusing on additive manufacturing and related technologies, now in its second edition) and PLAST-MAT (first edition, dedicated to innovative plastics). A jam-packed schedule of technical seminars and company meetings is in theworks, providing a full-spectrumviewof the latest in materials, processes, machinery and services. These conferences, combined with the breadth of the exhibits, will draw in not only professionals working in the field but also young people seeking a place in the jobmarket. But that’s not all. In keeping with tradition, the Art & Plastics area of PLAST 2018 will feature a splash of colour, with artists exhibiting works they have created using plastic, providing a further demonstration of the versatility of this material. PLAST 2018 PROMAPLAST srl plastonline.org Booth 2L91 Alessandro Grassi, President of Promaplast srl: “Exhibitor expectations are quite positive, with growth particularly in the number of foreign exhibitors, providing further confirmation of the growing international stature of the exhibition, which will be Europe’s most important tradeshow for the sector in 2018, as underscored by the continuing sponsorship of the ItalianMinistry of Economic Development.”