The forum is initiated and organised by the VDMA Additive Manufacturing Working Group – conceptual sponsor of the trade event
Rapid.Tech 3D will take place for the 20th time this year with a new format. The AM4industry forum will be held for the first time on 14 May 2024, the opening day of the pioneering AM event. The Additive Manufacturing (AM) Working Group, which is run by the German mechanical and plant engineering association VDMA, is initiating and organising the forum and – as the conceptual sponsor – providing professional consulting and support for the trade event.
Raising a recognised industry event to European level
“We have developed a format for the specialist conference to present industrial AM applications to an expert audience and provide suggestions on how additive manufacturing can make a meaningful contribution to economic and sustainable working practices. With its 20 years of experience in this field, Rapid.Tech 3D offers the ideal platform for this. The industry event enjoys a high level of recognition, not least thank to its appealing atmosphere and its focus on the latest technical AM developments. Working closely with our partners, we want to expand this platform further and raise it to an even higher European level than before,” says Dr Markus Heering, Managing Director of the VDMA Additive Manufacturing Working Group and the trade association of the same name.
Topics for a competitive industry
The AM4industry forum will focus on Sustainability & Profitability, Service & Repair, and “New Thinking – New Design”. “In doing so, we are addressing the issues that are uppermost in companies’ minds and of fundamental importance for a competitive industry,” Dr Heering continues, explaining the reasons for the choice of topics.
One item on the agenda in the Sustainability & Profitability block is large-format 3D printing. Reintjes, a company specialising in marine gearboxes, has identified the process as a resource-saving production alternative for marine gearbox housings. Daniela Haubold will report on how the company worked with project partners to create a demonstration system on which 3D printing enables the large-format housings to be produced with 41 percent less energy and 36 percent less material than with conventional manufacturing processes. Peter Ruisenaars from Dutch supply chain service provider DiManEx will talk about sustainability versus circularity. The company helps its customers transform traditional physical supply chains into future-proof digital supply chains. A key element here is the R ladder: Refuse & Reduce – Reuse & Repair – Recycle & Recover.
Sustainable with hybrid repair
Uwe Schulmeister from toolcraft, which specialises in metallic 3D printing, will focus on service and repair using AM and the opportunities that this opens up for suppliers and users. Among other things, he will demonstrate how combining additive and subtractive processes in a robot cell enables efficient component repairs.
Breaking boundaries with AM
The “New Thinking – New Design” block explores how AM leads to new approaches to product development and new processes. Dr Lucas Adler, Simon Rackl and Rudolf Derntl will be speaking on “Breaking through existing boundaries at supersonic speed”. They will present the advantages of the MPA technology developed by the milling machine manufacturer Hermle. This additive manufacturing technology opens up entirely new possibilities for the production of metallic components in all dimensions through the efficient integration of functions and sophisticated material combinations.
Philipp Roithinger from welding technology company Fronius and Tobias Kamps from technology group Siemens will look at the benefits of effective interaction between a digital tool chain and stable additive parameters for industrial additive welding processes (DED arc applications). Tim Hesse and Axel Frey from the laser technology group Trumpf will talk about how laser metal deposition (LMD) is becoming the key to mass production of EU7-compliant brake discs.
The members of the VDMA Additive Manufacturing Working Group will gather in Erfurt the evening prior to the 20th Rapid.Tech 3D for their general meeting.
About the VDMA Additive Manufacturing Working Group:
Within the VDMA, the working group focuses on industrial 3D printing. Around 200 companies represent the entire process chain of additive manufacturing – from technology providers and material suppliers, to users of new production processes, through to research and consulting.
More at: www.vdma.org/wg-additive-manufacturing
About Rapid.Tech 3D:
Over the course of two decades, Rapid.Tech 3D has emerged as a leading AM trade event in Central Europe, with the specialist conference as its centrepiece. 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:
As the second-largest trade show venue in the former East German states, Messe Erfurt is right at the heart of Germany and has established itself as a forum for businesses, scientists, doctors, trade unions and many other institutions. Every year, the venue 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/
