If there is a Silicon Valley of the South, it’s Austin. Organizations expanding their presence in this Texas tech hub include giants such as Apple, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Tesla, SpaceX, Oracle, and many more. This migration of tech activity now includes additive manufacturing and the first Formnext event held in the United States, Formnext Forum Austin, coming Aug. 28-30.
AMT is thrilled to be part of the team of international AM industry leaders bringing this event to you, along with our partners – Mesago Messe Frankfurt (the owner of Formnext) and Gardner Business Media (GBM, the producer of Additive Manufacturing magazine and related AM products). The event fits right in with Austin’s embracement of technology, venture capital, and attracting talent.
If you want a deep dive into the latest AM innovation that can help your industrial business evolve, then your late-summer travel plans need to include three days in Austin.
Meet Our Collaborators, New and Old
Formnext might be a name that is new to those of us in North America, but it has more than a decade of history as an exhibition and conference dedicated to additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing. Formnext 2023, which will be held Nov. 7-11, 2023, in Frankfurt, will feature more than 800 exhibitors and expects more than 30,000 visitors. If you want to talk about a premier international AM event, the proof is with numbers like that. When Formnext reached out to AMT and GBM to grow its global presence, we were more than receptive to creating new U.S. events for the manufacturing industry.
GBM and AMT have a long history of collaboration, and that includes the annual Additive Manufacturing Conference, which, on even years, was held in conjunction with IMTS. Now as part of the new partnership with Mesago Messe Frankfurt and AMT, the AM Conference and all its activities have become incorporated into Formnext Forum Austin.
A Unique Event
Formnext Forum Austin resulted from AMT, GBM, and Mesago Messe Frankfurt listening to the AM community and creating a new and unique event designed to drive the growth and adoption of industrial AM technologies. To be completely clear, the Austin event is not a trade show (that will be the Formnext Chicago expo in 2025, as well as the IMTS 2024 Additive Manufacturing Sector, accelerated by Formnext).
The focus of Formnext Forum Austin is industrial AM innovation. We designed the event for industrial business leaders who want to further expand AM into their operations, as well as for those who want to evaluate AM as a production technology. It is also a place where engineers, researchers, and those who develop and apply AM technologies can exchange ideas that spur further innovations.
Compared to many other industrial technologies, AM is relatively young. Even so, the market size is already estimated at $15 billion to $20 billion globally. What makes AM exciting is its very nature enables fast iteration. When you find the right applications, AM creates a fast impact. Barriers to high volume and longer part runs fall every day. The applications for end-of-arm tooling, workholding, and fixtures will continue to grow, as will applications that optimize supply chains and improve sustainability. As for additional opportunities, you’ll just have to register for Formnext Forum Austin to learn more. Use discount code AMTFFA for 20% off your all-access pass. Visit formnextforum.com to register.
To read the rest of the Transportation Issue of MT Magazine, click here.
