From October 26-29 the international trade fair for sheet metal forming has been taking place in Stuttgart again after a two-year break.
Within the shortest timeframe, Blech Expo Messe has been able to gain a leading position in Europe and now ranks second in the world on the list of trade fairs for sheet metal processing and is the only event in the world that deals with the complementary technologies of sheet metal processing and joining technology.
Overall impression of Blech Expo Messe and Schweisstec was overwhelming: 4 days full of interesting visits, lively discussions with digitalization enthusiasts from the metalworking industry about the new projects under development, new metal processing technologies and hardware tools.
⬇️Few thoughts and key takeaways from this year’s trade fair duo: ⬇️
Innovation for the sheet metal industry
By bending together technology and innovation economic efficiency and cost-effectiveness might be reached easier. A one good example would be the EdgeLine Bevel solution by TRUMPF that brings recognisable advantages: less manual work, shorter processing time, reduced space in production area and cut logistics-related costs.
By exploring ColibrisODM virtual tour you could encounter a real-life example of state-of-the-art Trumpf laser and punching machines.
Global metal industry: challenges
Unfortunately, global metal industry is facing a series of problems such as skilled labor shortage, manufacturing equipment inefficiency, poor supply-chain performance, low productivity and capacity, small batch size, unwillingness to innovate etc. that might be abated by implementing the right automation tools.
”Automation is the future of the metal industry and robotic production systems are being widely used already.”
Innovation isn’t for a select few
Sustainable manufacturing practices and technological implementation on an industrial scale is one of the best ways to speed up the green transition. When it comes to sustainability, global innovators tend to collaborate and accelerate innovation: the launch of the ground-breaking first fossil-free steel created by SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall was a revolutionary invention for the whole metal industry. Martin Lindqvist, CEO of SSAB, told media: “The first fossil-free steel in the world is not only a breakthrough for SSAB, it represents proof that it’s possible to make the transition and significantly reduce the global carbon footprint of the steel industry”. This shows that collaboration between business, universities and the public sector is crucial.
ColibrisODM on-demand manufacturing platform
For us, the presentation of our intelligent automated system ColibrisODM was both a major milestone and great success – we are pleased with the great feedback we received!
After this important fair, our sights are firmly set on the objectives ahead. We’ll keep you updated with the launch of our platform highlight and will be sharing more details in the weeks to come.
See you in the next trade fair in 2023!
