Extrusion International USA 2-2019

37 Extrusion International 2/2019 Please tell us in what way Asiamold 2019 is different from its previous issues Sascha F. Wenzler Originally, when Asiamold started about 13 years ago, it was just an ordinary mold and die show. But now we witness the share of additive manufacturing grow- ing here. It’s naturally since Asiamold is also a Formnext brand where AM is its core part. The additive manufacturing technolo- gies have become very strong during the last 5-7 years. When we launched Form- next 2015 in Germany, it was also devel- oping in Europe and in the USA as well. But China has been developing very fast since then. A lot of Chinese companies have come to the innovative technolo- gies market recently. That’s what we’re facing at Asiamold. Petra Haarburger Moreover, at formnext the international attendance from China is number 1. The second one is the US. It also reflects how fast the market is growing here. It should be mentioned, that Formnext covers all the process chain from design to the finished product. The material side is getting more and more important involving not only plastics but ceramics, metal and combinedmaterials as well. All these encourage new technologies de- velopment. That’s what we can see here also happening in China. Please give us more information about AMmost perspective applications. Sascha F. Wenzler As for applications, automotive, aero- space and medical are main drivers, of course, but the technology tends to cover more and more industries. Almost every week newapplications are coming to use additive manufacturing and 3D printing. It’s very dynamic and Formnext trade fairs are perfect to reflect the process. One more important issue is that one might call AM a very digital business. In- dustry 4.0 is a most vital topic nowadays. With additive manufacturing you have an idea and data, you program it and design it in 3D. And you just print it on a machine. Then you need a lot of post processing machinery but you should do it in a digital workflow. That’s where an innovative approach also lies. Petra Haarburger In this connection, we should mention spare parts production as a great mar- ket for AM. Obtaining customized spare parts has become very easy thanks to ad- ditive manufacturing and 3D printing. Sascha F. Wenzler Still it is new to apply it in an industrial way. Even in China the most part of 3D printing is used just for prototyping. In Germany and the USA prototyping with 3D machines has become a standard already. And now more and more com- panies are developing applications in regular manufacturing. It’s not mass pro- duction yet small-series of customized products, for example. Please tell some words about challenges you are facing, especially while working at the local markets. Petra Haarburger On the one hand, our key issue is to iden- tify the visitor target groups for exhibitors to meet their potential customers in Ger- many, China or Russia. It’s challenging ev- ery year in every country. Another point is education issue.Wework closely together with the Fraunhofer Institutes and VDMA to teach people how to get better result of the product. Buying an expensive 3D printer does not solve the problems at the production process level. That’s why there are a lot of seminars at Formnext, Asiamold and Rosmould. Our corporate slogan is Connecting bright minds. The creative platform where the right people meet is our core competence. Sascha F. Wenzler Every local market is very specific. So we are very happy to have a network of trade fairs with local colleagues in the Messe Frankfurt global networkwho can take care of the special demands of Chi- nese and Russian markets and adapt the trade show to the local needs. Petra Haarburger Besides, you need some patience. When we acquired Rosmould 3 years ago, one could think it’s just Formnext evolving in Russia. But it does not work like that. One cannot bring the status quo in Germany one to one to Russia or China. It’s not a miracle. It’s a step-by-step process. So it is about managing the expectations. And, of course, it is also about educating our colleagues, on the one hand, and learn- ing something new for ourselves, on the other hand. All of us are a part of the Formnext community and we keep on progressing together. Connecting Bright Minds Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH https://corporate.mesago.com/ events/en.html Interview with President of Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH Petra Haarburger and Vice President Sascha F. Wenzler