AMAFOND

The anticipation of the international trade fair for die casting was great after the enforced break. The mood in the four full halls of the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg was also very good. On the stands of the 641 exhibitors from 36 countries, current topics such as mega-casting, sustainable production methods, the ongoing transformation of the drive towards e-mobility, digitalisation in manufacturing and additive manufacturing processes were discussed. The 21st Die Casting Conference, organised by the VDD (Association of German Die Casting Foundries), took place parallel to the trade fair and offered participants the usual high quality of presentations.

“The die-casting family was noticeably looking forward to the exchange and personal meeting at EUROGUSS 2022,” says Christopher Boss, Executive Director Exhibition at NürnbergMesse, summing up the mood in the halls. “Finally! was the word that could be heard from almost every exhibitor and visitor and that expressed the joy about the personal exchange.”

The comprehensive application possibilities of die casting ensured a meeting of various customer industries, which did not run out of things to talk about after a break of more than two years due to a multitude of current topics. The fair provided new insight and business for manufacturers, suppliers, buyers and developers: “The pandemic and thus the break did not diminish the quality of EUROGUSS and its audience,” says Koen Beckers, Managing Director of ae group ag, experts in green, ready-to-install light-metal die-cast components. “It is a trade fair for customers, where the focus is nevertheless on the exchange of colleagues.”

Diverse programme for a diverse audience
The numerous exhibitors and the high-calibre trade audience once again gave EUROGUSS 2022 its international character. “At EUROGUSS, all players from foundrymen to processors in the die-casting industry meet. Competitors, customers and colleagues sit around the table and discuss various processes to achieve common goals such as climate neutrality. Ultimately, we will make the change ourselves, even if politicians first have to give us fair, constant and resilient framework conditions for this,” says Hartmut Fischer, President of the VDD (Association of German Die Casting Foundries) and Managing Director of STIHL Magnesium Die Casting, who discussed the economic situation of the industry at the start of EUROGUSS 2022 together with Roland Weigert, State Secretary at the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, and Dr. Timo Würz, General Secretary CEMAFON.

“We are not omniscient in politics, which is why we need an industry dialogue like at EUROGUSS,” says Weigert. “Industrial policy is always also energy policy and together we have to get the Green Deal off the ground in a technology-open way. But that also means taxonomy, which ensures an efficient and predictable outcome in the market.”

In addition to innovative die-casting products, new machines and systems, processes and developments in tool and mould making, accompanying technologies could be experienced at first hand. This made EUROGUSS the ideal meeting place to exchange ideas about the future of technology, processes and products in the industry and to cultivate networking. A total of 10.707 visitors from 61 countries came to Nuremberg on the three days of the fair this year. The exhibitors emphasised the large proportion of decision-makers and the high quality of the discussions.

Highlights included the 21st Die Casting Conference, where speakers from die casting foundries, the automotive industry, universities and company representatives presented concrete solutions, the latest developments and ideas. Supporting programme on topics such as additive manufacturing and surface technology, guided tours on various current topics, panel discussions and the buyers’ day were very well received by the public, who once again awarded very good marks for their visit to EUROGUSS.

Young talents were also honoured with the EUROGUSS Talent Award on the first day of the fair. The award honours graduates and outstanding theses in the field of die casting. This year’s winner was Julia Dölling from the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University in Stuttgart, who was among the last five best candidates and also won the audience award.

Sustainability – an important topic at EUROGUSS 2022
Topics that particularly moved the die casting industry this year are sustainable business models and the path to climate neutrality. “The bottom line is that no one can avoid the topic of sustainability anymore. It’s not just about electricity, but also about the social component,” says Prof. Dr Matthias Fifka, Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) Erlangen-Nuremberg and elaborated on this in his presentation on sustainable business models.

The presentation of the study on the status quo of sustainability in the die casting industry provided some nice surprises: The energy-intensive die-casting industry is already much greener than its reputation. In production itself, but also in materials procurement, the industry is showing initiative in many cases, as the independent sustainability survey among exhibitors commissioned by EUROGUSS reveals.

Laura Therese Heinl from the Chair of Corporate Sustainability at FAU presented the results, addressed climate change, supply chain security, the shortage of skilled workers and summed up: “A lot is already happening on a voluntary basis, for example in the direction of recycling and circular economy, which the die casting industry itself is partly not even aware of. That’s why communicating sustainability goals and sharing sustainable know-how is so important.”

High satisfaction among old and new exhibitors
What is and remains particularly attractive for exhibitors and trade visitors is the exchange at eye level, the cultivation of existing connections and the initiation of new business contacts. “It shows once again: the whole die-casting family meets at EUROGUSS and visitors are bubbling over with joy because of it,” says Martin Lagler, Director Product Management at Bühler AG. “Our national and international customers, colleagues, suppliers and competitors are on site. This is a unique chance to meet many acquaintances in a short time and to have personal discussions.”

Anna-Lena Sutter, Marketing at GROB-WERKE GmbH & Co. KG, is already looking to the future: “This is our first time exhibiting at EUROGUSS and we feel we are in exactly the right place here. Our customers are on site, the quality and quantity of visitors is great and the internationality is clearly noticeable. We will be happy to come again.” For the trade fair premiere, the company displayed what is probably this year’s largest exhibit: The “G520F” for machining frame structure components had to be transported in two parts through the gates of the exhibition hall.
Next EUROGUSS in January 2024
The next EUROGUSS will be held in Nuremberg again on the usual date from 16 – 18 January 2024. “This year’s EUROGUSS did not satisfy the urge for face-to-face exchange in the die casting industry, but highlighted its importance once again,” says Boss. “We are pleased that EUROGUSS brings together a community within the industry that sees itself as a family and also easily integrates newcomers into the discourse.”