#Additive Manufacturing

2020-02-20

Additive manufacturing: Individual, climate-friendly production

Resource efficiency and sustainability are two key themes at the upcoming edition of HANNOVER MESSE, with additive manufacturing playing a major role. The close connection between additive manufacturing and lightweight construction will be reflected at HANNOVER MESSE, with both topics co-located in Hall 23. The 6th Additive Manufacturing Symposium is also being held at HANNOVER MESSE.

Additive manufacturing is opening up a whole new range of opportunities. In addition to resource efficiency, the keyword is flexibility. "Additive manufacturing is driving new design freedom through product individualization as well as printing on demand," says Rainer Gebhardt, project manager within the Additive Manufacturing committee of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA). "Individual gripper systems, function-optimized casting tools or the production of performance-optimized copper induction coils are just a few examples." Additive manufacturing is becoming a climate-friendly solution due to its lower energy and material consumption, lower repair costs and, last but not least, the ability to manufacture close to the required location as well as economically. All this has led to additive manufacturing becoming successfully established as a manufacturing process in industry.

Ideal partners: Additive manufacturing and lightweight construction

Cutting down on the amount of material with a consequent weight reduction makes additive manufacturing an ideal partner for lightweight construction. "As a result of the new layout at HANNOVER MESSE, lightweight construction and additive manufacturing are now direct neighbors in Hall 23," explains Olaf Daebler, Global Director of Engineered Parts & Solutions within the HANNOVER MESSE team. "That means we are creating shorter distances for visitors. In addition to additive manufacturing and lightweight construction, Hall 23 will also feature parts and components made of innovative materials like technical ceramics, rubber and high-performance plastics," he adds.

For companies like Arburg , additive manufacturing and lightweight construction definitely belong together. "Lower weight, lower costs, higher efficiency: Lightweight construction is indispensable for numerous innovative industries," says Gerhard Böhm, Managing Director of Sales at Arburg. "At HANNOVER MESSE 2020, we’ll be presenting two cutting-edge applications for the flexible and, at the same time, economical production of fiber-reinforced components, demonstrating that we offer efficient solutions for injection molding as well as for additive manufacturing." Using an electric injection molding machine, the company will be showcasing its lightweight fiber direct compounding (FDC) process, in which materials can be flexibly combined, fiber length and fiber content individually adjusted and component properties thus directly influenced. In the field of additive manufacturing, a free-former will be on display at the fair, demonstrating the production of a fiber-reinforced gripper.

In the fields of medical technology and aviation, several successful application examples for additive manufacturing have already been achieved, with individualization and lightweight construction playing a key role. But there are benefits for mechanical engineering as well. "Tools, complex functions or highly dynamic processes are predestined for the use of additive manufacturing," reports Gebhardt. "There is great potential in automating the process chain of additive development and manufacturing, and we can already see how various processes and materials are finding their place."

Resource efficiency to be featured at symposium

On Tuesday, 21 April, the Additive Manufacturing committee within VDMA will be organizing the sixth Additive Manufacturing Symposium at HANNOVER MESSE. Taking place at the Technology Academy, the event will focus on sustainability and resource efficiency, featuring presentations and best-practice examples from the field of mechanical engineering and providing trade visitors with an overview of the options offered by additive manufacturing. The topics will include efficient design and manufacturing, design freedom, addition vs. removal, material diversity and performance enhancement through the use of additive-manufactured components.

Hall 23 at HANNOVER MESSE will feature a dedicated Additive Manufacturing area, and companies like alphacam , Arburg , Formlabs , HP and 3D Gence have already confirmed their participation. In addition, Additive Manufacturing will be the topic at the Suppliers Forum in Hall 19/20 on Thursday afternoon.

Texprocess 2026: Automation, digitalisation and AI redefine textile processing

Making investment decisions in textile processing has become significantly more demanding. Increasing energy costs, a shortage of skilled labour and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties are compelling companies to focus on technologies that deliver clear gains in efficiency and process reliability. This applies equally to apparel manufacturing and to the processing of technical textiles and high-performance materials. As a result, modernisation initiatives are assessed more carefully – even as the need to upgrade production systems continues to intensify.

Techtextil 2026: Between innovation pressure & market reality

From 21 to 24 April 2026, Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main will once again become the central meeting point for the international technical textiles and nonwovens industry. Running in parallel, Texprocess will focus on the industrial implementation of textile processing technologies as the leading platform in this field. Together, the two trade fairs form a closely integrated presentation and working platform along the entire textile value chain – from material development to finished applications.

Between geopolitical pressure and industrial resilience

In this interview, Dr. Janpeter Horn (VDMA) discusses the current challenges facing textile machinery manufacturers, shaped by geopolitical tensions, regulatory developments and subdued investment. He also outlines why innovation strength, integrated solutions and strategic positioning remain key to global competitiveness.

SHIMA SEIKI to show complete knitting and cutting workflow at ITM 2026

Leading computerized flat knitting technology provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Turkish representative TETAS IC VE DIS TICARET A.S., will participate in the ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition in Istanbul, Türkiye this month with a full product lineup. In addition to flat knitting machines and design software, visitors will also have the opportunity to experience the full range of SHIMA SEIKI textile machinery with its automatic cutting machine exhibit, all geared toward the fashion apparel market as well as non-apparel related businesses.

European Flax-Linen & Hemp step into advanced manufacturing: Enabling filament winding, 3D printing and high-performance composite processes

The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp announces a new wave of technological advancements demonstrating how flax-linen and hemp fibres are now being successfully integrated into advanced composite manufacturing processes. These developments mark a transition beyond traditional hand lay-up techniques, positioning natural fibres as credible, scalable solutions for high-performance industrial applications.

SETEX turns dyeing and finishing data into daily production control

At ITM 2026, SETEX will show how textile mills can use machine, recipe, quality and energy data for more reliable daily production decisions — not as another reporting layer, but as part of the running dyeing and finishing process. With OrgaTEX X3 MES, E390x/C390x controllers, CamCOUNT and FabricInspector Portable, SETEX connects planning, machine execution and fabric-related quality insight within existing mill structures.