Materials, Processes, Energy: the Focus is on Efficiency at Fakuma 2024

The industry will meet in Friedrichshafen for the 29th Fakuma international trade fair for plastics processing from the 15th through the 19th of October, 2024. For many companies, the autumn highlight is one of the most important trade fairs and will once again be a celebration of plastics. Career Friday will take place for the first time this year with the objective of inspiring young people for careers in the plastics industry. The “Fakuma Roundtable” will be held for the second time, addressing this year’s topic of “Digitalisation – Top or Flop?”

Efficiency will be a key topic at Fakuma 2024 – on several levels and from a variety of perspectives. Increased efficiency in terms of materials and energy consumption is crucial, as are process efficiency and the efficient operation of production systems, because in light of current shortages of qualified personnel, consistently high levels of quality can only be achieved reliably and efficiently with easy-to-use control systems and digital assistance. As a result of the new Energy Efficiency Act, German plastics processors will be challenged to a much greater extent to realise their full potential. Fakuma exhibitors will provide tools and solutions for the challenges of efficiency, the conservation of resources and sustainability.

Career Friday for pupils, students and entry-level employees will be a new feature this year in keeping with the motto “Mould Your Dreams, Mould Your Future”. Together with the trade fair advisory board, trade fair promoters P. E. Schall are launching this campaign to inform young people about a broad range of career opportunities in the plastics industry. The event will be held as an integral part of the trade fair on the 18th of October, 2024. Career Friday will provide the target group with the unique opportunity of meeting Fakuma’s international exhibitors in person at their booths and finding out first-hand about exciting career prospects. The exhibitors will offer young visitors insights into the world of plastics processing, product development and new technologies. In dialogue with industry experts, interested parties will receive exciting background information on plastics processing and insights into work processes. Career Day will reveal practical opportunities for vocational training and career options. Furthermore, the “Mould Your Dreams, Mould Your Future” campaign is a tremendous initiative, because nowhere else do young people and potential employers come closer together than directly at the trade fair. Collaborations pursued by the exhibitors with partners all over the world provide talented young people with the chance of gaining intercultural experience along their career paths and tackling global challenges as part of a team. And thus the 29th Fakuma invites all pupils, students, teachers, university representatives and young professionals to visit the trade fair highlight free of charge on Career Friday, and to discover the world of plastics processing.

This 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, founder 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 the industry, as well as what still needs to be done. The discussions are also intended to reveal the extent to which digitalisation can solve the 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.

The 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 product 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 much 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 well as innovations from the field of industrial 3D printing. The increasing use of renewable instead of fossil-based raw materials will also be a key topic.

For many companies, Fakuma is one of the world’s most important trade fairs. The industry highlight retains its relaxed atmosphere, even with high levels of internationality. Fakuma’s typical expert visitors are highly professional, thus making it possible to engage in intensive, top-quality discussions. They value the trade fair’s thematic focus on their own needs and requirements. Plastics processors get concrete answers to their questions at the event and find out how they can improve their operations, increase their efficiency and strengthen their business resilience. Fakuma is a genuine working trade fair – pragmatic and highly practical. The tried-and-tested format is highly esteemed by all involved parties.

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Schall has developed successful business platforms with internationally recognised trade fairs for quality assurance (Control), optical technologies, components and systems (Optatec), stamping technology (Stanztec), automation in production and assembly (Motek), bonding technology (Bondexpo), plastics processing (Fakuma), sheet metal working (Blechexpo) and joining technology (Schweisstec). This has given rise to entirely new markets in various sectors, whose protagonists are distinguished by tremendous innovative strength, comprehensive systems competence and practical application solutions.