20th Rapid.Tech 3D will link the three elements even more closely - Rapid.Tech 3D is set to welcome visitors to Erfurt for the 20th time. For its anniversary event from 14 to 16 May 2024
(Erfurt, 2 May 2024). Rapid.Tech 3D is set to welcome visitors to Erfurt for the 20th time. For its anniversary event from 14 to 16 May 2024, the renowned AM trade show has linked its specialist conference, exhibition and networking formats even more closely.
Keynotes from ASML, Wohlers Associates, InnoSyn and BMW; more than 60 forum presentations, including talks from Audi, BASF, Boeing, Rheinmetall and Siemens; an exhibition featuring around 100 products and services from providers including Arburg, Daimler, Hermle, Trumpf and Yizumi, as well as new formats such as the Technical Deep Dives, Table Top Presentations and the AM Science Corner – this is just some of what Rapid.Tech 3D has in store for its 20th anniversary event.
Focus on new target markets for AM
“Our aim is to continually increase the appeal of Rapid.Tech 3D and specifically to promote constructive dialogue between industry players. In addition to sectors in which AM is already established, such as aerospace and automotive, we are focusing on markets that have so far been largely overlooked with regard to additive manufacturing, such as the chemical industry and mechanical engineering. Our collaboration with DECHEMA and VDMA, the powerful associations representing these industries, has enabled us to organise thought-provoking trade forums and secure renowned speakers for them,” says Michael Eichmann, Director Business Development EMEA at Stratasys and Chairman of the Rapid.Tech 3D Advisory Board.
The quality and quantity of the contributions from research has also increased, as Professor Christian Seidel, Chair of Manufacturing Technologies and Additive Manufacturing Processes at Munich University of Applied Sciences and also Chairman of the Advisory Board, emphasises: “We’ve seen the largest number of submissions to the Science forum in Rapid.Tech 3D’s 20-year history. They’re also of an even higher standard than previously. Our new publication partners Springer Nature and RTe Journal have played a big part in this. Overall, we’ve focused on creating a well-balanced triumvirate of congress, exhibition and networking, structuring the programme more clearly and bringing congress participants, exhibitors and visitors even closer together.”
Diving deeper into the latest AM topics with new formats
This is exemplified by the new Technical Deep Dives, the Table Top Presentations and the AM Science Corner. Technical Deep Dives focus on AM innovations in industry and research, and will allow visitors to take a more in-depth look at specific AM topics. Ten exhibitors have been selected to present their innovative developments and applications at their exhibition stands during the final hour of the first and last days of the event. Detailed information is already available on the Rapid.Tech 3D website to enable visitors to put together their own customised tour.
The AM Science Corner in the exhibition hall is an extension of the Science trade forum. This poster session will present contributions to the Science forum that could not be included in the programme due to the limited number of slots. The exhibitor party on the evening of 14 May will give trade visitors the opportunity to discuss the latest research on additive manufacturing.
The Table Top Presentations will link the specialist conference with the exhibition, both spatially and in terms of content. Along the route between the Congress Centre and the exhibition hall, companies will present 3D exhibits and services that will be featured in 2D in the keynotes and trade forums.
High-calibre keynotes and innovative forums at the Rapid.Tech 3D specialist conference
In addition to the high-calibre keynotes from ASML, Wohlers Associates, InnoSyn and BMW, the Rapid.Tech 3D specialist conference programme includes eight industry and science forums covering cutting-edge developments in AM. On the first day of the event (14 May 2024), the AM4industry format organised by the Additive Manufacturing Working Group of the German mechanical and plant engineering association VDMA will welcome visitors for the first time. The established Aerospace forum is also set to take place that day, as is the AM Science forum, which will continue into the second day (15 May 2024). On the second day, the Chemistry & Process Engineering, Software, AI & Design, and Innovations in AM forums will also open their doors. The final day (16 May 2024) will see the second part of the Innovations in AM forum. Further highlights on the programme for this day include the Mobility and AM Science by Fraunhofer forums.
A space for dialogue, knowledge expansion and networking
Even more space for dialogue is being provided in all areas of the programme. So AM pioneer Dr Brent Stucker from Wohlers Associates will not be delivering his session on 15 May in the form of a traditional keynote speech. Instead, he will be joined by Professor Seidel for a discussion of AM challenges to date and the importance of this key technology as a trailblazer for the future. A panel discussion on the afternoon of the first day of the event will focus on AM as a driver of innovation and growth in Germany and Europe. Dr Bernhard Langefeld from Roland Berger will chair the discussion between experts from industry and research and representatives from start-ups. The Chemistry & Process Engineering Forum presented by DECHEMA on 15 May will conclude with a panel discussion on how additive manufacturing is contributing to carbon neutrality in the process industries. The Mobility Forum on 16 May will also conclude with a discussion, centring on replacement parts production at the touch of a button.
The 3D Printing Conference and the 3D Pioneers Challenge, which span all three days of the event, will offer further opportunities for attendees to exchange views, expand their knowledge and network. Both of these formats will be located in the exhibition hall itself. The final of the 3D Pioneers Challenge – an international competition for innovative design and advanced technologies – will be held at Rapid.Tech 3D for what is now the ninth time. The winners in a total of eleven categories will be honoured at the gala evening on 15 May, which will be held in the historic Kaisersaal in Erfurt’s old town to mark the event’s 20th anniversary.
Organisers determined to keep pushing AM – “because we can and because we need to”
“The evolution of Rapid.Tech 3D reflects the progress of additive manufacturing in general. Twenty years ago, we talked about rapid prototyping and presented the available machinery. Today, the focus is on the entire process of additive manufacturing, from research and development, materials, processes, systems and software to quality assurance, standardisation, and education and training. Rapid.Tech 3D covers all these topics and presents applications for a wide range of industries, showing how AM has advanced to become a key industrial technology. The fact that the event has been held for 20 years is testament to its importance,” says Michael Eichmann, who has supported Rapid.Tech 3D from the very beginning.
“We want this anniversary event to extend the excellent reputation that Rapid.Tech 3D enjoys beyond the world of AM. If industry stakeholders and our visitors go back to their daily work filled with new inspiration and the drive to put it into practice, we will have achieved a great deal. We’re determined to work together to keep on pushing AM because we can, and because we need it to enable Germany and Europe to survive in the face of international competition,” says Professor Dr Christian Seidel, summing up the mission of the Rapid.Tech 3D organisers.
The groundwork for a stunning anniversary event
“Thanks to our new partnerships with the VDMA Additive Manufacturing Working Group, DECHEMA, the publishers Springer Nature and RTe Journal, and the excellent work of our Advisory Board and the entire organisational team, the groundwork has been laid for a stunning anniversary event. We’ve also further increased our international reach, as can be seen from the speakers and exhibitors we’ve attracted from Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the USA, to name just a few,” says Michael Kynast, CEO of Messe Erfurt GmbH.
About Rapid.Tech 3D:
In just two decades, Rapid.Tech 3D – with the specialist conference as its centrepiece – has become one of Central Europe’s leading additive manufacturing trade events. This year’s event will be held from 14 to 16 May at Messe Erfurt.
More at: www.rapidtech-3d.de/en
About Messe Erfurt GmbH:
Central Germany’s largest trade show and conference venue, Messe Erfurt has established itself as a forum for businesses, scientists, doctors, trade unions and many other institutions. Every year, it hosts more than 220 events, conventions, conferences, trade fairs, exhibitions, corporate events and concerts, attracting over 650,000 visitors.
More at: www.messe-erfurt.de/en/
Trade Media Contact
Ina Reichel
- Freelance Journalist -
Mob: +49 172 602 94 78
inareichel@ma-reichel.de
