Published 9/13/2024

Coming to McCormick Place in April: Additive FOR Manufacturing at Formnext Chicago

New U.S.-based event announced in 2021 finally debuts next year: focuses on complete additive manufacturing value chain. More at formnextchicago.com.

IMTS

Peter Zelinski

Editor-in-Chief, Additive Manufacturing

Source: AMT - The Association for Manufacturing Technology

The world’s leading additive manufacturing (AM) trade show is launching a U.S. based event in 2025 here in McCormick Place, the same venue as IMTS. Formnext Chicago, April 8-10, 2025, will focus on the entire manufacturing value chain for AM, showcasing industrial 3D printing technology plus the technology needed for handling, machining, finishing and other downstream steps involved in realizing low-labor, low-lead-time production via additive manufacturing.

“We see huge potential in U.S. companies that have not yet encountered AM or are not utilizing the benefits of this technology,” explains Sascha F. Wenzler, Formnext vice president. “Our focus is on the various user industries to which we want to provide solutions. This will further raise awareness of the opportunities offered by additive manufacturing across the industry. We also intend to promote AM technologies and significantly increase our exhibitors’ business contacts.”

Additive manufacturing is a means of part production offering the chance for low labor requirement, fast lead time and design complexity such as internal features. However, it is more than just 3D printing. Next year’s Formnext Chicago event at McCormick will address the entire AM value chain.

Formnext Chicago is being organized by Mesago Messe Frankfurt in collaboration with AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology and Gardner Business Media. AMT is the organizer behind IMTS and Gardner Business Media is North America’s leading media company focused on discrete part production in metals, plastics and composites.

The new U.S. Formnext event has been years in planning, in response to the arrival of AM as an established, accepted production process. Rather than another AM or 3D printing event, Formnext Chicago will focus exclusively on additive for manufacturing, strictly addressing manufacturers and their needs.

“Formnext was early to recognize the significance of the U.S. market for the AM industry and announced the 2025 Chicago event back in 2021,” says Doug Woods, AMT President. “We see Formnext Chicago as a great opportunity for the U.S. application industries because it covers the entire additive value chain — from material suppliers, software and production systems to postprocessing and quality assurance. This clearly differentiates the new format from existing 3D Printing or rapid prototyping events in the U.S. market.”

For more on Formnext Chicago, see formnextchicago.com.