The month of November is always marked in red in the calendar for all companies active in the field of additive manufacturing, as this is when the world's largest trade fair for 3D printing traditionally takes place in Frankfurt. After two rather lean (corona) years, this year's FormNext was back to its former glory, making it the center of attraction and meeting place for the entire (international) industry. In four packed halls, the almost 800 different exhibitors from all over the world covered the entire additive manufacturing process - including materials (powders and their production), software and component design, printer hardware, production solutions, post-processing and quality assurance.
This year's partnership with the Nordic partner region, essentially Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway, also played an important role. Not only was the entire supporting program of the exhibitor evening themed around this region (which manifested itself in the colors of this event and the dinner, which appeared to have originated from a Swedish furniture store), there was also a separate exhibitor area dedicated to this region. In addition to the trade exhibition, there were, as every year, numerous specialist presentations. This time, the focus was on AM service providers and sustainability. The names of the three lecture stages alone were meaningful and showed the increased focus on application and production. In addition to the "Technology Stage", there was also the "Industry Stage" and the "Application Stage". The implementation of 3D printing in industrial practice was therefore the order of the day. The speakers were unanimous that they now really want to move into the application area with AM, which already works well with polymers, but there are still obstacles to overcome with metallic materials. When a leading German car manufacturer complained on stage that the non-scalable, manual mechanical removal of support structures was preventing the widespread implementation of 3D-printed metal components, the importance of post-processing became very clear once again. However, solutions for this were not offered, at least not on the three lecture stages, as you had to delve into the depths of the exhibition area.
As usual, the majority of exhibitors came from Central Europe; Germany, together with the USA, is still the leading nation in the field of additive manufacturing. The size of the joint stand of the Fraunhofer Institutes, which was one of the largest at the trade fair, was also impressive. In general, even the stands of the leading 3D printing companies were significantly smaller this year than in previous years. Exhibitors from the USA in particular were much more reserved in their presence. Instead, Asian manufacturers of printers and corresponding accessories are increasingly coming to the fore. A few years ago they were ridiculed, but this year there were very serious printer suppliers at FormNext. A new strategy for faster market entry in Europe appears to be increasing strategic cooperation with German suppliers and service providers. Many a prominent German player referred to their new printer systems manufactured in China. Major alliances such as the Japanese Nikon Group's takeover of the world's number two in the field of metal 3D printers (SLM Solutions) were presented and celebrated accordingly. In general, the trade fair was colorful and varied, especially due to the large number of small stands. The results in the plastics sector were impressive, while there were few innovations to be discovered in the metal sector. However, some German manufacturers, such as Rosswag or Toolcraft, successfully realized their first small series production. An interesting stage showed live 3D printing of concrete structures, which are already being used in bridge construction, for example.
Last but not least, the topic of post-processing should not be missing from my report. From my point of view, three areas can be distinguished here. On the one hand, there were numerous suppliers of handheld devices for processing prototypes, which are familiar from well-stocked DIY stores. I don't want to go into this group any further, as proven tools are used here in a new market. The second group consists of industrial solutions for mechanical processing. This area includes various blasting techniques and the entire field of mass finishing. German suppliers have a strong position here, alongside the market leader Rösler with its brand AM-Solutions, which was created specifically for 3D printing, as well as suppliers such as OTEC and Spaleck. The third group comprises chemical and electrochemical methods. Some innovations from unexpected regions also came from this area. The two market leaders GPA Innova (Spain, DLyte process) and RENA (Germany, Austria, shedding) were joined by young start-ups with new solutions. The start-up 3DM Surface Finishing from Australia presented a process for electrochemical surface finishing. The technology is based on traditional electropolishing, but supplements it by applying a high (pulsed) current density to the workpiece in a controlled manner. This leads to a significantly faster removal of metal material through the process, which is known as "electroablation". In practice, either the entire workpiece or only a selective part of the surface can be processed. The English company Holdson presented a process for pulsed electropolishing, using a dynamic electrode that allows the process to be adjusted in real time. This is intended to ensure a uniform and precise surface finish. In addition, the electrolyte flow and process parameters are adjusted using machine learning and optimized fluid dynamics, which is expected to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the surface improvement process. Overall, FormNext 2023 was once again an impressive event that impressively reflected the dynamics of a rapidly growing industry. The committed goals regarding the technological implementation of various 3D printing technologies will certainly be measured by the results shown at the next FormNext. It is to be hoped that by then the industry will finally have established itself as an independent manufacturing method in industrial production in the metal 3D printing sector.
