The partnership of organizations leading the marketing industry with ABM insights and resources, ABM Leadership Alliance, announces key findings from its 2020 ABM research study. Conducted in partnership with Itsma, “Rethinking ABM for the Next Opportunity” is the fourth annual ABM benchmark study from the two organizations.

The Mouldmaking Index ended on a high note in December in the U.S. thanks to increased readings for both production and new orders.

Incoming orders for German machine tools dropped 7% in the first quarter of the year, the German machine tool association VDW said, but production this year is expected to rise 5% despite the weak quarter.

Although it is now more than a year since the removal of the EUR/CHF exchange rate floor, export-oriented industrial sectors in particular, such as the mechanical engineering, electronics, and metals industry (MEM), are likely to suffer this year from the strength of the Swiss franc. SMM Publisher Matthias Böhm talked to Schaublin-CEO Rolf Muster.

USA — Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF) specializes in micro-precision 3D printing. The company's Micro Arch system is based on a 3D printing technology called PμSL (Projection Micro Stereolithography).

Formnext has continued to show its best side in 2018. At the beginning of September, 10 weeks before the exhibition opens its doors, the two levels of Exhibition Hall 3 with 550 expected exhibitors and an exhibition space of 36,000 square metres were full to capacity.

From 16 to 20 October, people from all over the world will come to Friedrichshafen, Germany, to see the latest trends in plastics processing. More than 1,800 exhibitors will present their international offerings at Fakuma, a leading technical event for the plastics industry.

United States – German 3D printer company Voxeljet, which specialises in the development of industrial additive manufacturing systems, has recently expanded its presence in North America by launching operations of the largest 3D printing system, the VX4000 3D printer, the company said.

Germany – In the first quarter of 2016, order bookings in the German machine tool industry rose by 8% compared to the first quarter of 2015.

Germany-based AHP Merkle has optimised the damping in hydraulic cylinders and introduced a linear damping concept, an innovative and ground-breaking new solution, the company claims. We wanted to learn more and talked to Development Engineer Philipp Santen.