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A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5
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SUCCESS ANALYSIS
SPECIMEN: THE BRIGHT WORLD OF METALS
VITAL STATISTICS
The Bright World of Metals trade show quartet held in
June in Düsseldorf, Germany, included the GIFA, Metec, Therm-
Process, and NewCast exhibitions, featuring foundry, met-
allurgy, thermal processing, and casting technologies. More
than 78,000 visitors from 120 countries attended the event,
which included 2214 elaborate booths on display. The ma-
jority of international visitors were from India, Italy, Turkey,
France, and China. Exhibitors, including several ASM mem-
bers, reported many successful meetings and purchase orders
with their specific target groups. At GIFA, these were experts
from the ferrous and non-ferrous metal castings industries. At
Metec and ThermProcess, most of the visitors are involved in
iron and steel production, plant engineering and construction,
equipment engineering, and tool making. NewCast attendees
included experts from automotive and gear manufacturing.
SUCCESS FACTORS
In addition to block-long booths featuring fully func-
tional machinery, private conference rooms, and catered
meals, another unique aspect of the trade shows was the
“ecoMetals Trail” featuring 24 companies with environmen-
tally friendly approaches to energy and materials usage. Be-
cause casting, steel, and non-ferrous metal production are
energy-intensive, technologies that contribute to resource
efficiency and reduced CO
2
emissions are especially import-
ant. These companies were spread out throughout the four
shows and booths were marked with special signs, while
guided tours escorted visitors to each display for technology
demonstrations. Several exhibitors showcased developments
involving inorganically manufactured castings. For example,
ASK Chemicals, Germany, highlighted its Inotec technology,
which is suitable for aluminum and iron casting as well as non-
ferrous metal casting. The technology is useful for automotive
applications such as manufacturing engine blocks and cylin-
der heads. Visitors were treated to small blue racing cars that
were cast onsite to showcase the odor-free, environmentally
friendly nature of the inorganic method.
Other companies on the tour featured technologies
that focused on reducing energy consumption for compressed
air needs, a 98% efficient distillation process that uses and re-
covers “clean” rolling oil used during aluminum production,
and vertical molding machines that require one-third of the
energy consumed by their horizontal counterparts. In addi-
tion, slag and sand reclamation systems for waste materials
and overall improvements in control systems, servomotors,
hydraulics, and drive technologies were highlighted through-
out the tour with the ultimate goal of using energy and re-
sources more efficiently and sustainably.
ABOUT THE INNOVATORS
The Bright World of Metals takes place every four years
and is hosted by Messe Düsseldorf, an international trade show
organizer spanning a range of industries from fashion and
medicine to metallurgy and heat treating. Included among the
U.S. contingent in the ThermProcess show were AFC-Holcroft,
Ajax Tocco Magnethermic, Centorr Vacuum Industries, Dry
Coolers, Fluxtrol, H.C. Starck, and Surface Combustion, along
with the European arms of companies such as EFD Induction,
Inductotherm Group, SECO/Warwick, and many others.
Contact Details
Messe Düsseldorf North America
150 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60601
312.781.5185,
mdna.comThis 50-ton induction furnace
from ABP Induction shipped
to Saudi Arabia immediately
following ThermProcess.
This BMW concept car features
several parts cast by Loramen-
di’s electric vertical molding
machine (powered by servo-
motors), which uses one-third
less energy than those with
traditional hydraulic units.
More than 78,000 visitors from 120 countries attended The Bright
World of Metals.