In its seventh year, Formnext 2021 welcomed the global AM community and, after the purely digital event in the previous year, continued the very successful development of the previous years. With numerous world premieres along the entire process chain, Formnext impressively presented the ever-growing fields of application and the enormous future potential of additive manufacturing from 16 - 19 November 2021 in Frankfurt am Main. In Frankfurt, important answers to pressing industrial questions of the future such as decentralised production, secure process chains, efficiency and sustainability were also presented.
During the four days of the trade fair, Formnext 2021 once again turned the metropolis of Frankfurt am Main into the international innovation centre of global additive manufacturing and modern industrial production. With over 600 exhibitors from 36 nations, Formnext 2021 recorded a very successful result. The 17,859 experts and executives, 48% of whom came from 76 nations, were able to experience Formnext on a total of three levels of the ultra-modern exhibition halls 11 and 12 at the Frankfurt exhibition centre with a total of 30,000 square metres (11.0., 12.0., 12.1).
The exhibitors at Formnext as well as the extensive supporting programme showed the diverse possibilities of industrial 3D printing for numerous user industries. Visitors were able to discover innovative solutions with which they can make their own production more efficient and future-proof. Above all, participants clearly enjoyed finally meeting and exchanging ideas in face-to-face encounters again. The fair was held under 2G conditions at the highest possible security level, i.e. only people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or recovered from it could attend.
World elite in additive manufacturing on site
Companies such as 3D Systems, Additive Industries, Addup, Arburg, BigRep, Carbon, Cubicure, Desktop Metal, DMG Mori, Dyemansion, EOS, Evonik, ExOne, Farsoon, Formlabs, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, GE Additive, HP, Incus, Keyence, Markforged, Materialise, Nexa3D, Renishaw, Ricoh, Siemens, Sigma Labs, Sisma, Stratasys, Trumpf, Voxeljet, XJet and many others presented innovative additive technologies and advanced solutions for the future of industrial manufacturing. Established companies such as BASF, Covestro, Hexagon, Höganäs, Sandvik but also a multitude of innovative start-ups presented numerous world firsts along the entire process chain - from manufacturing technologies to materials and software to post-processing solutions.
"Expectations exceeded"
"Once again, it has been shown that Formnext is the industry highlight of the year for the trade. After last year's major challenges, this year both the number of exhibitors and the visitor response exceeded our expectations," says Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President Formnext at organiser Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. "This shows once again how important Formnext and personal encounters are for this innovative industry, which develops technologies at a rapid pace and wants to discuss them with investors, partners or customers. We clearly felt that the entire industry has been waiting a long time for Formnext."
Successful start of the ASTM Standards Forum
The day before Formnext, more than 120 attendees participated in the premiere of the first ASTM Standards Forum, supported by USCS, ISO and Formnext. This successful launch underscores the importance of the transatlantic effort to create common standards. The ASTM Standards Forum will be held again in 2022.
Visitors were also enthusiastic about the development of Formnext and the atmosphere in the exhibition hall.
"You get the feeling that everyone has been waiting to meet again in person," says Andrea Buccelli, CEO of AMD Engineering. "It's really impressive to see how many new machines, materials and applications were introduced during the show."
Shamil Hargovan, Managing Director of STS Capital Partners International Inc. also summed up positively. "I think this was a particularly important and special Formnext because it felt like a big reunion. When you have an industry like ours that is growing fast, these personal contacts are very important."
The visitor frequency and the high quality of the discussions were also praised by the exhibitors:
"We have been preparing our solution for two years. Formnext was the right place to present it. Our stand was constantly frequented by visitors who came with a real project and application in mind. Formnext is the right place to show, discuss and market technology." Pete Hansford, business development director, Wayland Additive.
Alessio Lorusso, CEO and Founder of Roboze from Formnext Partner Country 2021 Italy, was also pleased with his company's participation, "We had a great Formnext, more visitors than we expected, and the quality was definitely high because whoever decided to come was really determined and focused. So, very qualified visitors. We are very satisfied with this edition."
From the point of view of Frédéric Le Moullec, Sales Director at AddUp, Formnext fulfilled the objectives of the fair: "We were pleased to meet the AM industry in person again, and as a French company, to see many existing customers again, especially from Germany. We were also able to show and our technology to many new prospects and had contacts from industrial companies from almost all sectors at the stand."
The Formnext experience is not over yet:
For all those who were unable to attend Formnext due to travel restrictions or the current situation, the Formnext Digital Days on 30.11. and 01.12.2021 offer the opportunity to digitally exchange information about innovations and future developments. Formnext exhibitors appreciate the extended reach of the digital format:
"After four successful days at Formnext 2021 in Frankfurt, we are very much looking forward to extending the trade fair and also connecting with our customers digitally as part of the Formnext Digital Days," says Damien Buchbinder, Head of Product Management Additive Manufacturing at TRUMPF.
"Formnext 2021 was a complete success for EOS and we are pleased to extend this important opportunity for the industry to exchange ideas a little further with the Formnext Digital Days," confirms Markus Glasser, SVP EMEA at EOS. "The Formnext Digital Days give both us as exhibitors and visitors the opportunity to deepen the content presented at Formnext and to set additional focal points.
In addition to business matchmaking, a comprehensive vendor directory of AM solutions, international attendees can expect a packed programme including, live keynotes, panel discussions and interviews.
Next year, Formnext will take place in Frankfurt am Main from 15 - 18 November 2022. Other events in the Formnext family are: