formnext 2017 3D Printing Technology Exhibition Frankfurt

Paid the 2017 formnext in Frankfurt Germany a visit. The show has evolved from the former Euromold show, but now is focussed on additive manufacturing.

formnext 2017 3D printer

This year´s megahype "Metal Printing" and new players in the game.

Metal printing is all around no matter where you look. Plastic printers such as FDM or DLPs have lost a lot of presence here. Companies like Desktop Metal or Markforge present their new desktop friendly 3D printers based on metal powder sintereing, after dispensing a solution and burning away the binder that holds the tiny metal balls. Large players such as HP or GE have large booths to show off their product lines and services. Even DMG Mori formerly also known as Deckel-Maho-Gildemeister a merger of the largest German toolmachinery manufacturers are now openly promoting 3D (metal-) printing.

Still lots of stuff to see. XYZ printing has begun to diversify their product line even further now coming with FDM, DLP and even small metal powder printers. Also new large scale FDMs are available. 

XYZ is also offering old style powder printers

Larger volume FDM 3D printer from XYZprinting

Large part made by the large volume 3D printer

Metal powder 3D printer by XYZprinting (SLS)

Specs of the 3D metal powder SLS printer

In my videoreport I not only tested my 28€ ebay smartphone and its camera from china, you will also see some filament making machine, a low cost DLP printer, that uses your mobile phone to print quite amazing quality objects (I could not be veryfied if those samples where really from the printer, but I think for this price, it is worth a try). I mentioned this product in this blog 2 years ago.

Also see some 3D printed art and fossils, the biggest commercially available FDM 3D printer in the world - and no, it is not BigRep, a nice 3D printed fidget spinner and much more. Best is listen to it with headphones, to better capture spoken words, due to the noise in the exhibition halls. The show was rather full, everybody in good mood. Industrial mass production and metal printing are the two big keywords. Additive metal working machines believe to be mature enough to use them instead of tradional machines such as lathe etc. Depending on the product type, the whole productions could be converted and simplified. One Machine instead of many. Low volume production is fast and can be  achieved with minimal costs regarding molds etc.

My tip: There is a booth with free industry magazines in aile H. Go there and grab some of the free copies. Some of them are only available for visitors of the exhibition, so you might still find unread information on the market and technology there, that does not appear on the internet. 

Free industry news mags.
Job seekers or serious busisness people get them!

Also, if you are intested in the production technology, go to the 3DHubs boot at H90. they have a free (hope still is) copy of their 300 pages 3D printing handbook there. Get one, you may not get it lateron in the free market. Who knows. Interesting stuff on the differences between various additive manufacturing methods, designrules, limitations etc.

What is also nice with this small fair is that you find a lot of visitors areas, where you can sit down, rest, meet or just exchange impressions with someone. There are also spots for recharging your mobiles or laptops.  Again_ Check out the relaxed video of day 1 of the formnext 2017 show. covering about 3 hours and 50% of one hall (3.0) of two.

Here again the video: