First-Class Result for the
19th SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN
They are the motor for many branches of the economy worldwide: Joining, cutting and surfacing technologies are becoming ever more decisive for industry. From September 25 to 29, 2017, the world's premier fair, SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN, once more highlighted its position as the most important forum in the sector. Messe Essen and the German Welding Society (DVS), as the ideal sponsor and a longstanding partner, greeted about 50,000 visitors from over 120 countries, this year in Düsseldorf for once because of the modernisation of Messe Essen. These included, above all, decision takers from the sectors of automobile and vehicle construction, shipbuilding, mechanical and installation engineering, pipe fabrication and pipeline construction, mining as well as the building trade, the chemical industry and the manufacture of metal products who generated an order volume amounting to two billion Euro. Thus, the exhibitors' expectations with regard to the business at the fair were surpassed by far. "The expertise of the numerous visitors to the fair was very good and the density of decision takers on a very high level," was the tenor of the exhibitors. In this respect, the good economic situation also played into the hands of the sector: The industry both in the Euro zone and globally is more confident than it has been for years. In Germany, too, it remains on a growth course and the medium-sized industrial enterprises are even showing their euphoria.
Five days' long, around 1,035 exhibitors (in 2013: 1,017) from 41 nations (in 2013: 40) have presented their innovations at SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN - in total, the foreign participation was nearly 64 percent (in 2013: 61). Also on the part of the visitors, the fair registered high internationality. 66.3 percent (in 2013: 47.6) of the public arrived from abroad. Moreover, the density of decision takers was, at 83.0 percent, above the already very good value at the preceding event (81.2).
The exhibitors rated the visitor structure as very positive all in all. Further satisfaction was ensured by the placing of the companies in the halls which followed five subject areas this year: It was now possible to head for the latest developments and innovations within the entire value added chain in a more targeted and more compact form. This was rated as very good throughout and will be continued at SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN 2021 in Essen. The visitors also made successful assessments and nearly all of them are planning to take part in the coming edition of the fair (94.0 percent; preceding event: 92.8).
Ordering Platform:
One in Three Visitors
Placed Orders at the Fair
76 percent of the exhibitors (in 2013: 66) and 71 percent of the visitors (in 2013: 64) rated the current economic situation of their companies as favourable to very favourable. The former showed that they were extremely satisfied that the trade visitors were thus very willing to invest: One in three already ordered machines, materials or consumables at the fair or are planning concrete post-fair business.
"These outstanding figures document the status of SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN as the undisputed number one in the sector. As the premier fair in the joining, cutting and surfacing sectors, it has once more tapped the pulse," was the summary made by Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen. "We have brought exhibitors and visitors together in a perfectly matching form. Thus, SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN 2017 has once more become the impetus provider for and driving force behind the whole sector." That was also affirmed by the ideal partner of the fair, the German Welding Society (DVS), in the person of the General Manager, Dr.-Ing. Roland Boecking: "Our member companies and we can confirm the good business at the fair. During the period of the fair, this impression has been intensified in many discussions."
Important Trends:
Industry 4.0 and Additive Manufacturing
One tendency which emerged at the fair this year was the trade visitors' growing interest in automation and robotics, also in the case of manual welders: In general, the needs are heading towards connectivity because Industry 4.0 as a topic is permeating through the sector. One of the reasons for this is that corresponding systems are becoming increasingly affordable.
To the same extent, this applies to additive manufacturing whose significance is increasing even further in sectors with long product life cycles. It has already gained acceptance in the automotive, aviation and heavy machinery industries. Moreover, the areas of application of additive manufacturing, for example, by means of arc technology have grown constantly in the last four years. Dr. Jörg Hildebrand from the Ilmenau University of Technology confirmed that the manufacturing of large and complex structures is a trend which will continue in the future, too. A second trend consists of processing different materials into hybrid structures. At SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN, global players as well as newcomers introduced their innovations on this subject - e.g. a machine for surface treatment by means of surface welding as well as a new procedure for manufacturing metallic components: With the 3D metal printing process, the revolutionary production technology of 3D metal printing now offers the advantages of three-dimensional printing in the case of metal, too.
Fair and DVS CONGRESS in Parallel:
Chance for Knowledge Transfer
SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN went down excellently also as a global platform for exchanging specialist ideas. On the DVS joint booth, the contacts from the various DVS companies were also available to answer the visitors' questions on the subjects of "Modern Training in Welding Technology", "Modern Media", "Network - Career - Research" and "Services for Industry and Skilled Trades". Moreover, a diverse stage programme and various welding trainers on which competitions were offered every day awaited the public at the fair there.
Young and Well-Versed:
Promotion of Young Welders at SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN
Under the overall responsibility of DVS, the promotion of young welders was also continued at SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN: No fewer than several highlights followed each other with the DVS Student Congress for young scientists as well as the Young Welders' Competitions - three competitions for young welders from Germany, Europe and other nations which have been staged live for the visitors to the fair since 2013. All the events met with a great response from the visitors to the fair and rounded off the range on offer at the fair in a coherent way. "The success of SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN is also a result of the partnership between DVS and Messe Essen which has lasted over 60 years," was the summary made by the DVS General Manager, Dr. Roland Boecking. "Even now, we are already pleased that the next edition of SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN will return to its regular location in Essen in four years. We will again offer a comprehensive programme and various competitions then, too."
Images: R. Eberhard, messekompakt.com
Source: Messe Essen