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touchpoint 3D fab+print

Boosting additive know-how for drupa

  • The VDMA Additive Manufacturing Association organises conference programme for world’s leading trade fair in Düsseldorf
  • drupa touchpoint AM with around 80 presentations on ten days
  • Focus on applications for the print and media industry and additive process chains
Since drupa 2016, 3D printing has been one of the six highlights in the trade show program. In addition to its own exhibition area, drupa will once again dedicate a touchpoint 3D fab+print to this future technology. For the first time, the VDMA Additive Manufacturing Association will be responsible for the content design and implementation of the ten-day lecture programme. A total of 80 specialist lectures are planned, which will be spread over two two-hour blocks every day.

Additive Manufacturing at the interface to printing and paper technology

With a view to the trade fair’s target group, the focus will be on applications in printing and paper machine construction as well as applications for media and packaging. The spectrum will range from additive-manufactured machine components to prototyping or on-demand spare parts supply for printing presses to the use of additive processes to manufacture individual advertising products and unusual packaging solutions.
In the five years of its existence, the working group has grown to around 150 members. These include leading suppliers of AM production technology for processing metals and plastics, suppliers of components, software, automation technology and materials as well as industrial users from various industries and leading research institutes. "Many of our members have been pioneers in industrial 3D printing for many years. They bring with them concentrated practical and theoretical know-how that we want to show visitors at touchpoint 3D fab+print," says Heering.
Rainer Gebhardt is the project leader of the working group and will be responsible for the content planning of the conference. "It is important for us to pick up the drupa visitors where they are in additive manufacturing," he says. For this reason, both introductory lectures on technical processes within additive process chains and insights into current and future applications in the printing, packaging and media industries are planned. "Additive design and manufacturing create scope for creativity in many industries. From this point of view, the technology also fits in perfectly with the drupa," stresses Gebhardt.

Press release

Impressions 3D fab+print 2016