With more than 850 exhibitors and over 34500 visitors from 99 countries around the world, Formnext 2019 was the biggest AM trade show ever…

Two Halls, two floors each, and thousands of professionals sparked four days full of innovation and breakthroughs.
Only a few months ago, metal-AM serial production examples were rare finds in the industry but now more and more cases are rolling out. Aerospace is leading the scene: the early adoption of DMLS and EBM technologies across the industry is now pushing AM production a step ahead. However, the Automotive industry is also gaining pace and the BMW MINI JCW model, which incorporates 4 AM serial parts made by DMLS process, is just the latest example. To be noted also the development of new materials such as Copper, which is currently driving the innovation in heat-exchanger and other applications for Automotive.
While DMLS consolidates its position, the rise of new technologies such as HP Metal Jet is further accelerating the technology’s adoption. Thanks to a year-long collaboration with GKN and Volkswagen, the 3D printing giant is walking the talk on the implementation roadmap: 2019 has been the year of cosmetic models, in 2020 the first functional parts will roll out and after 2021 full platform production is expected. This will be a big shift. In their first public presentation, just a few weeks ago, GKN produced for the German carmaker 40.000 parts in just one week of production.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=28&v=j-0GCdiA7Ik&feature=emb_logo
Source HP-VW video

 

Leveraging the presence of our sister company Deloro, which was exhibiting at the show, we manage to have two days full of promising meetings – including the one with Deloro itself. Post-processing, including support removal, surface enhancement, HIP and coating are Industry Hot-Topics due to their significant contribution to AM final quality, and cost – both key to industrialization.
In this scenario, industrial solutions for finishing are becoming a cornerstone to success; this is where Extrude Hone solutions – AFM, COOLPULSE, and TEM – can deliver an unprecedented advantage to their adopters, with unique quality delivered. To learn more about our processes contact us.