Sneak Preview Key industry finally gets the attention it deserves

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Moulding Expo is this year’s most important trade fair for the European tool and mould making industry. The event offers an opportunity to come together to explore current trends and challenges. 400 exhibitors have registered, with more than a third coming from abroad.

The hall at the Stuttgart trade fair grounds is almost empty; apart from a stage, tables and chairs for the audience, all you can see is concrete and steel. There is nothing to indicate that the most important event in European mould making will take place here. But that will soon change. In June 2023, this hall will be filled with life when mould, pattern and die making come together here under one roof.

It has already been four years since the last Moulding Expo. That is why it is all the more important that the industry can meet again in Stuttgart this year. In 2023, tool, model and mould makers, suppliers and customers will have the chance to come together in the L-Bank Forum at the exhibition centre. Visitors can look forward to a variety of events and presentations that will show what the industry has to offer. Florian Niethammer, Head of Trade Fairs and Events at Messe Stuttgart, is certain that this will be a comeback worth attending.

According to Niethammer, the world has changed rapidly and dramatically in the last four years and there are new challenges but also new opportunities in the areas of electromobility, sustainability and renewable energies. “Moulding Expo is extremely important this year to give the industry the visibility it needs and deserves to show what is capable of,” Niethammer said.

400 exhibitors have registered this year. 37 percent come from abroad - including important nations such as Portugal and Turkey with 30 companies each. In addition to numerous large and medium-sized mould makers, this also includes the industry's equipment suppliers and service providers — from hot runner specialists to CAD/CAM experts to machine tool suppliers.

Challenges and opportunities for tool and mould making

Just a few weeks prior to the event, Moulding Expo has offered a real foretaste of the upcoming event at a trade press conference with a sneak preview. On Wednesday, 3 May 2023, Messe Stuttgart became the meeting place for the partner associations, advisory board members and media representatives.

A special highlight was the round of talks with the partner associations of the trade fair, which focused on the opportunities and challenges of tool and mould making — but also on the fact that the trade fair gives the industry a unique opportunity to put its key role in the spotlight.

Guests on stage included Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, Managing Director of the German Machine Tool Builders' Association (VDW), Markus Heseding, Managing Director of VDMA Precision Tools and VDMA Measuring and Testing Technology, Kai Kegelmann, Spokesman Young Network of the German Association of Model and Mould Making (BVMF) and Ralf Dürrwächter, Managing Director of the German Association of Mould and Die Manufacturers (VDWF).

The representatives of the most important associations for model and mould making and associated industries in Germany spoke about the current market situation and the challenges it poses. Main influences concern the lasting challenges related to the pandemic and the need to adapt to changing global trends. Another area of focus for the industry is the urgency to address issues of human resource development and succession planning, especially in the context of an ageing workforce. Kai Kegelmann from the Young Network confirms: “The topics of recruiting young talent and succession planning are extremely important. Many CEOs and entrepreneurs are coming to retirement age and I don't think the industry is that aware of what this entails yet.” It takes courage and entrepreneurial spirit to hold one's own in the difficult market situation, he said. Against the background of rising energy and personnel costs coupled with too low profit margins in mould making, the situation is doubly threatening. Kegelmann is not the only one who would like to see a better appreciation of mould making and its function as a key industry.

Another pitfall for mould makers in Germany and Europe, according to Markus Heseding, is the bureaucracy that is getting out of hand. Hesding pointed out that the bureaucratic burden in medium-sized companies is now so great that it is in the range of the companies' investments in research and development. This is a huge problem, he said, as the money could be better and more effectively invested in meeting value-added requirements. The issue of raw material supply and energy supply is also of great importance for the industry. Here it is important to ensure the security of raw materials and to develop new ideas to counteract the great differences in this area.

When asked what companies can do to adapt to the changing industry landscape and remain competitive, Mr Dürrwächter emphasised the role of industry associations in advising and supporting small and medium-sized tool and mould making companies. The VDWF, for example, offers education and training programmes as well as support in marketing and human resource management, he said. Dürrwächter stressed the importance of adapting to new technologies and investing in research and development in order not to be left behind. He also pointed out the need to focus on sustainability and social responsibility in order to meet changing customer demands and remain competitive in the long term.

An important trend that has been observed in recent years is the return to local production. The Covid 19 pandemic has shown that global supply chains can be very fragile. In order to better manage future crises, many companies are therefore increasingly relying on local production and shorter supply chains. With customers and suppliers having retired to the home office, it is all the more important to re-establish personal contacts and meet the European suppliers at the trade fair. The Moulding-Expo offers the perfect setting for this and the event is designed to bring the tool pattern and mould making industry together with customers and suppliers.

Overall, the participants agreed that a joint effort was necessary to ensure the competitiveness of the industry. Cooperation with technology suppliers plays an important role in this and offers great opportunities for the future. Dr Schäfer, representing the machine tool manufacturers, emphasised the importance of quality and efficiency in order to keep up with international competition. Machine manufacturers could make an important contribution here by coordinating specific solutions and processes with customers and adding digital functionalities from the data of the machine's process.

Technology partners at the fair

Digitalisation and the use of new technologies are constantly setting new standards in tool, pattern and mould making, and are vital for future competitiveness. In order to cope with the increasing demands, reliable and experienced technology partners and their expertise are essential for the tool, pattern and mould making industry.

Visitors to Moulding Expo will be able to gain an impression of the latest developments in the areas of components, installation parts and accessories for tool, pattern and mould making. “For us, Moulding Expo has the status of a leading trade fair. Every two years at Moulding Expo we meet the industries with whom we generate 60 per cent of our turnover. This year, we will present a wide range of innovations such as the built-in cylinder EBZ, intelligent sensors, the ECO-line hybrid cylinder made of steel and aluminium, and the two-stage ejector,” said Christen J. Merkle, Managing Director of AHP Merkle.

For technology suppliers, cooperation with tool, pattern and mould making companies means that its services and products must satisfy the extremely high demands in the industry and have expertise. The company Oerlikon HRS Flow specialises in hot runner solutions from five grammes through to 50 kg. “On our stand we will provide an overview of solutions for multi-cavity applications, thin-walled applications in the packaging industry, solutions for small shot weights in the area of high-tech plastic applications, family moulds and function film back injections,” summarised Stephan Berz, Vice President Sales Oerlikon HRS Flow & General Manager HRS Flow GmbH (DACH branch).

Complete production technologies

Partool is well-known for its high-quality clamping devices. In order to satisfy its customers’ requirements, the company attaches great importance to individual solutions. “We provide individual clamping devices for tool, pattern and mould making, for mechanical engineering, medical technology, contract manufacturing, production and the automotive industry. We supply highly accurate and reliable zero point clamping systems, innovative tool clamping technology, automation and extensive advice. We analyse processes and develop and implement solutions together with our customers,” said Holger Heimerdinger, Authorised Officer and Head of Project Management and Sales at Partool.

Precision machine tools are indispensable for many areas of industrial production and especially in tool, pattern and mould making. Since it was founded in 1930, Fehlmann has specialised in producing high-quality precision machine tools. Alain Strebel, Head of Sales — Northern Europe at Fehlmann Maschinenfabrik, summarised: “Fehlmann develops and produces high-quality precision machine tools. In addition to the proven precision milling machines for manual and CNC processing, we will present at Moulding Expo a compact high-performance machining centre from the Versa line that can be expanded by further modules and perfectly combines the milling, hard milling and jig grinding processes.”

High-quality metal cutting tools are also indispensable in tool, pattern and mould making. The company Zecha Hartmetall-Werkzeugfabrikation is an expert in this field. “We specialise in highly accurate micro-precision tools, for example for mould making, medicine and parts production. We are looking forward to presenting our innovations in the area of micro-tools and an innovation in the area of testing technology for micro-tools at Moulding Expo,” said Arndt Fielen, Sales Manager at Zecha Hartmetall-Werkzeugfabrikation.

From hydraulic cylinders and standard components through to hot runner systems. From clamping devices and processing tools through to machine tools and software solutions. Technology partners make an impression at Moulding Expo with their expertise at all stages of the value-added chain. Together with tool, pattern and mould making companies they present the best that the industry has to offer.

Jens Lüdtke, Head of Tebis Consulting and a member of the Executive Committee of Marktspiegel Werkzeugbau (a cooperative benchmark initiative for tool, pattern and mould making), emphasised the importance of suppliers for tool, pattern and mould making companies: “In addition to important factors such as increased efficiency, professionalisation of sales or documentary evidence of climate-neutral production, cooperation models may be the key to maintaining competitiveness. Joint development of utility-oriented business models and specific solutions with suppliers offers unique opportunities.” (ast)

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