Materials, Processes, Energy:
The Focus is on Efficiency at Fakuma
Then industry will meet in Friedrichshafen for the 29th Fakuma internationaln trade fair for plastics processing from the 15th through the 19th of nOctober, 2024. For many companies, the autumn highlight is one of the nmost important trade fairs and will once again be a celebration of nplastics. Career Friday will take place for the first time this year nwith the objective of inspiring young people for careers in the plasticsn industry. The "Fakuma Roundtable" will be held for the second time, naddressing this year's topic of "Digitalisation - Top or Flop?"
Efficiency will be a key topic nat Fakuma 2024 - on several levels and from a variety of perspectives. nIncreased efficiency in terms of materials and energy consumption is ncrucial, as are process efficiency and the efficient operation of nproduction systems, because in light of current shortages of qualified npersonnel, consistently high levels of quality can only be achieved nreliably and efficiently with easy-to-use control systems and digital nassistance. As a result of the new Energy Efficiency Act, German nplastics processors will be challenged to a much greater extent to nrealise their full potential. Fakuma exhibitors will provide tools and nsolutions for the challenges of efficiency, the conservation of nresources and sustainability.
Career Friday for Pupils,
Students and Entry-Level Employees
Careern Friday for pupils, students and entry-level employees will be a new nfeature this year in keeping with the motto "Mould Your Dreams, Mould nYour Future". Together with the trade fair advisory board, trade fair npromoters P. E. Schall are launching this campaign to inform young npeople about a broad range of career opportunities in the plastics nindustry. The event will be held as an integral part of the trade fair non the 18th of October, 2024. Career Friday will provide the target ngroup with the unique opportunity of meeting Fakuma's international nexhibitors in person at their booths and finding out first-hand about nexciting career prospects. The exhibitors will offer young visitors ninsights into the world of plastics processing, product development and nnew technologies. In dialogue with industry experts, interested parties nwill receive exciting background information on plastics processing and ninsights into work processes. Career Day will reveal practical nopportunities for vocational training and career options. Furthermore, nthe "Mould Your Dreams, Mould Your Future" campaign is a tremendous ninitiative, because nowhere else do young people and potential employersn come closer together than directly at the trade fair. Collaborations npursued by the exhibitors with partners all over the world provide ntalented young people with the chance of gaining intercultural nexperience along their career paths and tackling global challenges as npart of a team. And thus the 29th Fakuma invites all pupils, students, nteachers, university representatives and young professionals to visit nthe trade fair highlight free of charge on Career Friday, and to ndiscover the world of plastics processing.
World-Class Panel to
Discuss Digitalisation at the Roundtable
Thisn year's Fakuma Roundtable is further highlight which focus on digitalisation in plastics processing on Tuesday the 15th of October at 4 p.m. The discussion is entitled "Digitalisation - Top or Flop?", and will examine the question of which digital tools really help the plastics industry. Panellists including professor Dr. Braungart, foundern and scientific director of BRAUNGART EPEA, Philipp Lehner, chief executive officer of the ALPLA Group, Guido Frohnhaus, director of technology at Arburg, Professor Dr.-Ing. Hans-Josef Endres from the Institute of Plastics and Recycling Technology at Leibniz Universität Hannover and professor Thomas Seul from Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences will discuss the current level of digitalisation in then industry, as well as what still needs to be done. The discussions are also intended to reveal the extent to which digitalisation can solve then challenges faced by the industry, i.e. sustainability and the shortage of qualified personnel. The Fakuma Roundtable will be moderated by Dipl.-Ing. Markus Lüling, editor-in-chief at K-Profi. All interested parties are cordially invited to attend the discussion - participation is free of charge.
Exciting Innovations Expected in
the Field of Injection Moulding Technology
Then overall focus of Fakuma is thus on digitalisation, automation, flexibility, energy efficiency and sustainability. The establishment of closed-loop material flows, product optimisation targeted at recycling and the processing of recyclates for high-end applications will also be at the top of the agenda this year. Innovations in the field of injection moulding technology are being eagerly awaited - systems with all-electric drives that make machines flexible and powerful, and raise them to a new level of efficiency.
Fakuma will also provide new impetus for the aspects of holistic productn design and the further development of recycling and degradability. Design for recycling - this goal is taking shape to an ever-greater extent in product manufacturing. Future-proof solutions for packaging, recycling compounds and alternatives to metal are therefore just as muchn in focus at the trade fair as machines for grinding and crushing, cooling systems and energy-efficient mould temperature control technology, systems for process monitoring and data acquisition, as welln as innovations from the field of industrial 3D printing. The increasingn use of renewable instead of fossil-based raw materials will also be a key topic.
Images: R. Eberhard, messekompakt.com, EBERHARD print & medien agentur gmbh