The SMTconnect, PCIM Europe and SENSOR+TEST trade fairs will take place in Nuremberg from June 11 to 13, 2024
SMTconnect
The trade fair has long established itself among trade visitors as the trade fair for electronics production in Europe, where trends and new technologies in electronics development and production can be tracked, as well as developments in services and applications for microelectronic assemblies and systems. It is the only trade fair in Europe that covers the entire production process for microelectronic systems in a compact format.
This year's event is once again a meeting place for all areas of electronics production within microelectronics, including the entire contract manufacturing sector. The focus of the trade fair is on system development and production preparation, materials and components, processes and production of electronic assemblies, reliability of electronic assemblies and test procedures as well as software and production control.
What can visitors expect this year?
- A novelty at SMTconnect 2024: In order to focus more strongly on the interaction between electronics manufacturing and power electronics, Hall 5 of PCIM Europe will be dedicated to 'Smart Power System Integration' as a connecting element between the two sectors. This hall will focus on the specific requirements of power electronics manufacturing, where visitors can find out about the latest findings in presentations and discuss them in further talks with exhibitors at SMTconnect.
- SMTconnect stands for the presentation of all elements required for the production process in system integration. PCIM Europe presents solutions for the special requirements of power electronics in terms of circuit carriers, conductor cross-sections, temperature resistance and assembly and connection technology. Bringing the two trade fairs together has advantages: decision-making processes can be better supported when ordering materials and components or investing in machinery and equipment.
- This year, the production line of the Fraunhofer IZM (Institute for Reliability and Microintegration) offers additional insights into individual production steps. Its motto is 'See the REAL DEAL' and focuses on how a higher degree of digitalization and automation can make manufacturing processes more robust against disruptions and external influences.
- Current forum program with insights into power electronics - on the second day of the trade fair, power electronics will be the main topic at the trade fair forum. The program will be supplemented on all days by various current topics such as 'AI in electronics manufacturing and Industry 4.0' and 'Sustainable electronics manufacturing'.
- A comprehensive spectrum of surface mounting, from materials and components to coating and test systems, will be on display at the trade fair. Key players in the industry will showcase their latest products and services in these fields, including Asys, Essemtec, FUJI Europe, Göpel electronic, SmartRep, Viscom and Techvalley.
This year, the exhibition space at the trade fair will be condensed. The aim is to promote targeted exchanges between exhibiting companies and trade visitors in exhibition halls 4 and 4A.
Viola Krautz
PCIM Europe trade fair and conference
In four exhibition halls with more than 600 exhibitors from 33 countries, visitors to the internationally important trade fair for power electronics and its applications such as intelligent drive technology, renewable energy and energy management can find out about a range of products along the entire power electronics value chain. The exhibiting companies include industry leaders as well as numerous new exhibitors. Current topics will be highlighted on various stages, e.g. innovative solutions and application examples for the challenges of power electronics production will be shown in Hall 5. Or the presentations on the E-Mobility & Energy Storage Stage will shed light on current and future developments in power electronics for electromobility and energy storage.
In the new University Research Zone, visitors can find out the latest in research. Here, different national and international universities and institutes will provide an insight into power electronics research work every day.
Image 2: A networking area invites visitors to exchange experiences.
The PCIM Europe Conference
The conference is a user-oriented platform with current presentations from research and development by leading companies and universities from all areas of power electronics. Highlights of the conference include the keynote speeches at the start of each conference day. These will deal with important current and innovative topics in the industry. For example, Rolf Hellinger from Siemens will begin with the topic 'AI between Hype and Industrial-Grade'.
Experts will present their first publications on developments and trends in power electronics at the conference and will be available for technical discussions. In the user-oriented, half-day seminars, participants will be able to engage in a direct exchange of experience and knowledge with the seminar leaders and other seminar participants.
Conference topics include current power electronics trends, developments in power semiconductors, passive components, thermal management products, energy storage, sensors and new materials and systems. The conference language is English. The detailed conference program and the seminar program are published on the PCIM website. The discounted conference rate is available for conference tickets until 28.05.2024.
The digital platform PCIM Europe digital offers the possibility to discover presentations of the conference and the stages independent of time and location. All oral presentations at the conference will be streamed live and will be available on the digital platform afterwards - with the exception of the poster presentations.
Viola Krautz
SENSOR+TEST
At the trade fair for sensor, measuring and testing technology, international exhibitors will present the spectrum of metrological system expertise from sensors to evaluation. 400 exhibitors from Germany and abroad are expected. According to the organizer, interest from international exhibitors in particular has grown once again this year. Following the traditionally strong numbers of exhibitors from neighboring Switzerland, British and US companies in particular have confirmed their participation.
The range of exhibits at the trade fair includes
- Sensor elements, sensors, sensor systems and sensory measuring devices, services, research and development for sensor technologies
- Measurement systems, devices, components and software
- Measuring and testing technology for vehicle/aircraft technology, material and quality testing, customer-specific measuring and testing systems
- Laboratory measurement technology, calibration, analysis and testing equipment
- Calibration systems and services for measurement and testing technology
The exhibitors come from production, distribution, the service sector and scientific institutions. As part of the trade fair, they will present their products and applications live at the specialist forums and on June 13, the Young Engineers Day will take place for all young professionals.
Impression of 'Sensor + Test' 2023 - this year the trade fair is expecting more than 400 international exhibitorsNewthis year is the promotion for young innovative companies. In order to make it easier for these companies to participate in certain trade fairs in Germany, including the 'SENSOR+TEST', the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection has launched a funding program that covers up to 60% of the costs incurred for stand rental and stand construction. Participation takes place as part of a joint stand, for which you can register directly on the trade fair website.
Up to date with the specially designed 'Calibration Area' - Calibration is currently at the top of the to-do list for many companies. As the number of sensors and measuring points increases, the use of modern digital and automated calibration concepts is becoming a decisive competitive factor. Exhibitors will be showcasing their latest applications and services at theCalibration Area.
The GMA/ITG Symposium Sensors and Measuring Systems 2024 and the 'ETTC 2024 European Test and Telemetry Conference', which will take place parallel to the exhibition, will enrich the event with scientific principles and outlooks on the future of the industry.
Viola Krautz
Press conference for SMTconnect and PCIM Europe
In the run-up to the trade fairs, Mesago organized a joint press conference to provide information on the current status and news. There were also two specialist presentations on economic and technical developments in the industry.
Dr. Sandra Engle, VDMA Productronic, first gave a market outlook on mechanical and electronic engineering. She cited the VDMA Economic Bulletin from April 2024, in which incoming orders and production output are still in decline. However, the ifo index rose in March, as there are now fewer pessimistic expectations. However, more companies are still pessimistic about the next six months than optimistic.
Prof. Dr. Eckart Hoene, Fraunhofer IZM, Berlin, discussed the demand (ten times more will be needed in the future compared to now) and the trends in power electronics. In a few years, 1.25 TW of power will have to be replaced each year just to maintain the required capacity. This is 2.5 times as much as is currently being built each year and is therefore quite affordable. Faster switching electronics are one solution for meeting the increasing power demand and new packaging concepts are required for this, such as the IZM Gen1 module (ECPE) with ultra-low inductance. Designing power electronics for automated manufacturability is the key to high-volume production. Reducing material consumption for each power electronic unit is the key to resource efficiency and cost competitiveness. Achieving these goals requires the inclusion of the production process in the early stages of topology decisions. And higher production figures in turn also enable more comprehensive engineering for even better performance in all areas, but there is a shortage of the skilled engineers required for this.
Gustl Keller
