Plastics Industry: Unbroken Demand

From sports cars to consumer products, from ophthalmic lenses and packaging materials right on up to yoga mats – today, more and more products are made of high-tech plastic materials. End-user requirements with regard to precision, durability and weight are increasing along with demand for low-cost items. Top-quality supply will once again meet with unbroken demand at the Fakuma international trade fair for plastics processing at the Friedrichshafen Exhibition Centre from the 16th through the 20th of October, 2018.

Technical Trade Fair Presents Innovations in Plastic

The international plastics industry is doing very well. More and more products are being manufactured today with the help of plastics and composites. Simultaneously rising demand for better and better performance, as well as top-quality, necessitate a consistent innovative spirit and an unceasing stream of new development. This is also made apparent at Fakuma. Whether injection moulding, extrusion, thermoforming, foaming or 3D printing is involved – raw materials producers, machine builders and manufacturers of precision parts will present all they have to offer in the way of innovation throughout the entire value chain in Friedrichshafen. “As the world’s number one event for plastics processing through injection moulding, numerous exhibitors take advantage of Fakuma in order to unveil their new products to the public for the first time”, confirms project manager Annemarie Schur.

Private trade fair promoters P.E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG will once again count on their time-tested combination of technical innovation and practical application at Fakuma 2018 – a philosophy which has led to the success of all Schall trade fairs. After all, the latest developments of universities and scientific institutes are only as valuable as the benefits they provide for industrial applications.

International Industry Meet Brings Experts Together

Speaking of new developments: The fact that everyone who’s anyone in the field of plastics processing anywhere in the world will come together at this industry meet is made apparent by the rising levels of internationalism at this repeatedly booked out trade fair as well. Expert visitors, specialists and decision-makers journeyed to the last Fakuma in 2017 from more than 120 countries. 48.375 expert visitors accepted the invitation of the roughly 1900 exhibitors to attend the event in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance where Germany, Austria and Switzerland meet – and the numbers continue to rise. In addition to innumerable participants from Germany and elsewhere in Europe, above all the number of visitors from Asia is increasing.

Top Issues: Efficiency and Digitalisation

One of the major issues currently occupying the world of plastics is efficiency – with regard to energy-saving processing steps, electrified and thus more economical machines, and more efficient processes. The users intend to get these challenges under control through, amongst other things, the increasing implementation of digitalisation. And in an age of lightweight design and the climate change, materials efficiency is also a significant factor. Beyond this, solutions will be presented in October which are occupying many of the plastics processing industry sectors such as innovative recycling, digitalised processes and “green” materials.