Mold the future

Thousands of product managers, product developer, designers, constructors, suppliers and purchase managers from around the world will be in Frankfurt, Germany from December 5 to December 8 for the 14th EuroMold world fair.
This follows a growth of nearly 39% in international exhibitors at the 13th EuroMold fair in 2006. China accounting for 21 per cent of the foreign participation. The main product exhibit was mold-making and tooling, followed by modeling and prototyping. Other technologies on show included engineering, design, rapid prototyping and tooling, tools, software and hardware, and machine tools and materials. Some exhibitors also showcased quality assurance and automation, processing and finishing and coating.
Automotive Industries spoke to Eberhard Doering, managing director of DEMAT, and asked him what will be new in this year’s EuroMold World Fair.
Doering: EuroMold’s focus will be on its core domains mold making and tooling. Furthermore, the domains of design and engineering as well as simulation, virtual reality and materials will be amplified in 2007 as well.
Automotive Industries (AI): What are some of the new technologies visitors can expect to see in this year’s exhibition?
Doering: For the first time, a complete installation of an automated mold center will be presented at a fair. It will produce molds during the fair without human beings involved.
AI: What does the fair offer the automotive industry?
Doering: Visitors from automotive industry and transportation are the leading visitor group at EuroMold and account for nearly one third of all visitors. Visitors from the domain of engineering account for 21% of the total. EuroMold offers its visitors exhibitors of the automotive industry all along the process chain of product development “From Design to Prototyping to Series Production”.
The special feature shows of materials and simulation are also topics that are increasingly important for the automotive industry in the future, meeting the requirements of future markets by enabling product optimization and an improved cost efficiency. New materials, for instance, enable lightweight constructions as well as new designs and simulation can considerably reduce the costs of prototyping by replacing or diminishing this cost-intensive part of the product development cycle.
AI: How many exhibitors and visitors do you expect this year?
Doering: At EuroMold 2007, we expect around 61,000 visitors from 80 countries which signifies again a considerable growth in internationality. As for the exhibitors, we expect here as well a slight growth an approximately 1,700 exhibitors from 45 nations.
AI: EuroMold seems to be getting more international with more exhibitors and visitors from around the globe. What do you think is the reason for this?
Doering: One of the most important reasons for this is the increasing globalization. The markets become more and more international, competition and competitors tighten. In this global competition, communication and cooperation platforms are more in need than ever. EuroMold provides such a platform and is thus attracting more and more exhibitors and visitors – from all around the globe and from all product areas along the entire process chain “From Design to Prototyping to Series Production”.
Innovation and interconnectedness – these two concepts fundamentally mark future-contemplating developments of global competition. Regardless of the area of activity, economic success decisively depends on innovative capacity and creative development. The basis of the development of novelties is nevertheless formed by networks, which, in turn, generate other networks.
EuroMold as a world fair reacts to market developments, economic tendencies, innovative trends and new topics – this is the secret of its success, its increasing visitor and exhibitor numbers as well as its increasing internationality.