Foam Expo Europe and Composite Europe 2019 in Stuttgart
Last year, the two trade fairs COMPOSITES EUROPE and FOAM EXPO EUROPE were held separately. Composites Europe in Stuttgart, Foam Expo Europe in Hamburg. But this year the organisers have joined forces and both fairs took place from 10-12 September in Stuttgart. Since both trade fairs welcome an audience from partly similar industrial sectors, this is a reasonable step, as resources can be saved and the environment is protected in this way. Visitors only have to travel to one location in order to visit both fairs.
Composites Europe is the leading trade fair for fibre-reinforced plastics in the DACH region. The main customers for these fiber-reinforced plastics are the automotive industry and the aerospace industry. 310 exhibitors from 64 nations presented their products at these trade fairs. However, the declining figures, especially for customers of glass fibre reinforced plastics, are already casting their shadow over Composites Europe. Both visitor and exhibitor numbers are down on the previous year. However, there are also industries that offer a ray of hope and are experiencing increasing demand, including the aerospace and booming construction sectors.
The 5TH ICC - INTERNATIONAL COMPOSITES CONFERENCE took place next to Composites Europe. In particular, the composites market in Great Britain, which is the most important market in Europe, was discussed. Experts from the UK industry association therefore took a look at the high degree of innovation in British composites processing. In his lecture "Composites Market Development and Trends in Europe and Worldwide" Dr. Witten presented excerpts from the new market report. It should be noted in particular that the market for fiberglass-reinforced plastics is stagnating in 2019 compared to the previous year after years of growth. As described above, this can be attributed to the decline in the industries with the highest processing volumes.
Foam Expo Europe is a trade fair for foam products and technologies that is also free of charge for visitors, manufacturers and users of foam products. Another unique feature of this show is that there is no other annual event of its kind in Europe that brings together the entire supply chain of the foam industry under one roof. Visitors were able to see all types of foams and raw materials used in the production of foams. A marketplace for foam manufacturers and buyers will be created, as moulded, rigid and flexible foam solutions made of materials such as polyurethane, elastomers, rubber, PVC but also thermoplastics will be presented. In addition to the foams themselves, equipment and machines as well as a large number of service providers were also presented. Solutions were offered in the areas of foam production, adhesives and sealants, conversion and production, equipment and machinery, raw materials, recycling and testing, in particular for the following industries: Aerospace, automotive, construction, medical, packaging, sports and leisure.
As at Composites Europe, a conference followed the exhibition. It provided a platform to showcase the benefits of foams for the automotive, packaging, aerospace, construction, medical, sports and leisure industries. The focus was on key industry topics such as market trends, innovations and regulations, manufacturing process optimization, R&D presentation, foam innovation, waste and waste reduction, and the promotion of recycling and supply chain sustainability. New this year were the specific round tables, which offered a space for targeted discussions on individual topics, in which the participants could exchange ideas in a small circle.