EUROGUSS 2018: Mecca for the international die-casting industry

EUROGUSS 2018: Mecca for the international die-casting industry

Record exhibitor numbers: exhibition halls in Nuremberg booked out

Demand for die casting continues to grow

80 percent of production used in vehicle manufacture

Between 16 and 18 January 2018, the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg will once again be the mecca of the international die-casting industry.642 exhibitors (2016: 578) from 33 countries will present innovative solutions for the manufacture and application of die-cast components using the light metals aluminium, magnesium and zinc. More than 12,000 trade visitors will have an opportunity to expand their knowledge not only at the exhibition stands but also at the accompanying congress, the International German Die Casting Congress. The congress will look at current megatrends such as Industrie 4.0, globalisation and electric mobility, and their impacts on die-casting production. Prizes will be awarded for outstanding die-cast components as part of the aluminium, zinc and magnesium die-casting competition during EUROGUSS. 

“642 exhibitors – that is a good ten percent more than at the last EUROGUSS two years ago,” observes Christopher Boss, exhibition director at NürnbergMesse, proudly. “The three exhibition halls 6, 7 and 7A have been completely filled. We are booked out down to the last square metre.” One reason for the continued growth of this trade fair must surely lie in the continued trend toward lightweight construction in the automobile industry, which makes use of die-cast aluminium in particular. The vehicle manufacturing industry is the largest customer of the die-casting foundries. 

According to information from the VerbandDeutscherDruckgiessereien (Association of German Die-Casting Foundries, VDD), this market accounts for around 80 percent of production. The remaining 20 percent is split between other customer industries, such as mechanical engineering and plant construction, the electrical and electronics industry, furniture, energy and medical technology, and the aerospace industry. 

Every second exhibitor is international

More than half of the exhibitors at EUROGUSS are international. In addition to Germany (280 exhibitors), the top exhibitor countries in Europe are Italy (128 exhibitors), Turkey (23), Austria and Spain (19 each) and Switzerland and Slovenia (14 each). Trade visitors – mainly manufacturing specialists, developers and purchasers – come to Nuremberg from all over Europe. They represent either companies in the above customer industries or die-casting foundries. 

Die Casting Congress introduces trend topics and competition winners

The International German Die Casting Congress, a very popular bilingual congress for trade fair visitors, will be held in the NCC Ost Congress Centre this time. On the agenda are 23 presentations on industry topics and trends of current interest. Trade visitors will also be given a detailed presentation of the winners of the three die-casting competitions: zinc (16 January), aluminium (17 January) and magnesium (18 January). 

Surface technology pavilion in Hall 6

Following its successful premiere two years ago, the event in 2018 will once again feature a pavilion dedicated to surface technology, an important subject for die-casting foundries. This will cover post-processing and coating of functional and heavy-duty cast components.  The mechanical and process technology involved helps to give a high-quality appearance to the surface of cast products,and includes deburring, grinding, polishing, coating and finishing. The Surface Technology pavilion in hall 6, stand 6-333, will be the place for companies offering light metal processing and finishing.

Special show “Research for Knowledge”

This will be the fourth time that the special show “Research for Knowledge” is held at EUROGUSS. In the service area between halls 5 and 6, seven research institutes and universities will provide an insight into their current projects, present their services and focuses of research, and introduce themselves and the training and professional development opportunities they offer:

•    AalenUniversity – GTA 

•    AnsbachUniversity

•    NeueMaterialienFürth GmbH

•    The Austrian Foundry Research Institute (OGI)

•    Technology Centre Dingolfing

•    Chair of Design, KaiserslauternTechnicalUniversity

•    Chair of Materials Science and Engineering for Metals (WTM), Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg

Steady increase in production by German die-casting foundries

Demand for die casting continues to grow. According to VDD, German die-casting foundries enjoyed an increase in revenue and production in 2017, following the pattern set in 2015 and 2016. The Association is confident that this trend will continue in 2018. In 2016, German die-casting foundries produced a total of 704,820 tonnes of die-cast material, compared to 690,954 in 2015. The lion’s share was made up of aluminium (631,456 tonnes), followed by zinc (55,966 tonnes) and magnesium (17,398 tonnes). In the first three quarters of 2017, the three light metals (aluminium, zinc and magnesium) enjoyed disproportionately strong growth. VDD considers Germany to be a particularly effective location. Even so, manufacturing capacity has also been established outside Germany to offset high HR and power costs. Closeness to the production facilities of customers in the automobile industry is also important, in the Association’s view. 

European machine manufacturers lead the world market

Although the global market volume for die-casting and gravity die-casting machines declined by about ten percent to EUR 883 million in 2016, global market share for the CEMAFON countries (Denmark, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland) increased to 45 percent (+7 percent). The export volume for CEMAFON in 2016 amounted to EUR 400 million. The largest exporter of die-casting machines in 2016 was Italy (28 percent), ahead of Japan (25 percent) and China (10 percent). CEMAFON (the European Foundry Equipment Suppliers Association) brings together all the major manufacturers of foundry machines and plant, furnaces and products for the foundry industry in Europe. 

The leading die-casting shows around the world

In even years, the European die-casting industry meets in Germanyat the EUROGUSS trade fair at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg. For three days, some 650 exhibitors and 12,000 trade visitors learn about the latest technology, processes and products. In the area of die-casting, the NürnbergMesse Group is also active at CHINA DIECASTING (annually in Shanghai); ALUCAST, held at different locations in India in even years; and the EUROGUSS Mexico pavilion as part of Fundiexpo.