Especially in these times, innovations and thoughts of the future are what keep us going!
The new international trade fair for lightweight construction solutions “LightCon”, organized by Deutsche Messe with Composites United as the technology sponsor, will for the first time in 2021 showcase the latest trends and solutions in the field of lightweight construction, spanning all materials, technologies and sectors of industry.

Again we are happy to be part of this promising sector of Additive Manufacturing, our Managing Director Stefanie Brickwede together with Dr. Gunnar Merz from Composites United e.V. heads the Advisory Board of the LightCon 2021.

In an interview, Stefanie informed us, why she supports this trade fair: “Lightcon has the great task of providing information about innovative materials and new manufacturing technologies to enable new applications. To this end, experts will provide information on the latest trends and real implemented applications can be experienced on site. Especially in small and medium-sized companies, the possibilities are often not sufficiently explored yet. Get inspired by other companies at LightCon!”

The Advisory Board is convinced that lightweight construction solutions are indispensable for achieving climate targets and a sustainable economy. “Sustainability Needs Lightweight Design” is therefore the motto of LightCon 2021 and focuses on four key topics: material solutions, manufacturing innovations, sustainable lightweight engineering and design, and applications and use cases. The deadline for submitting presentations on these topics is December 10.

Learn more

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Lightweighting is a holistic design philosophy. It aims to save weight, material and energy while also ensuring, and even improving, the performance and efficiency of components and complete systems. This is achieved through load reduction and a switch to new construction materials. By reducing mass and the amount of material needed, and by using the right lightweight design, components’ carbon footprint can be significantly reduced before, during and after operation. The brand-new shapes and designs developed for lightweight designs, which are often based on those in nature, are difficult if not impossible to realise using conventional manufacturing processes. In order to advance lightweighting as a key enabling technology, it is therefore crucial to use new construction technologies such as additive manufacturing, and to develop these further. Lightweighting and additive manufacturing are thus two technologies that complement each other extremely well.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Lightweighting is flagged up as a game-changing technology in Germany’s Coalition Agreement for the 19th legislative period, as well as in its Sustainability Strategy and 2030 Industrial Strategy. In order to actively promote lightweight construction, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has set up a programme called the Technology Transfer Programme for Lightweighting (German abbreviation: TTP LB). The programme aims to establish lightweighting as a driver of innovation for sustainable business, and to make an important contribution to achieving the Federal Government’s climate targets. Funding of around 300 million euros is being made available for this purpose between 2020 and 2030.
The funding provided by the Federal Government is being used to support new technological developments, construction techniques and the use of new materials, projects focusing on resource efficiency and substitution, standardisation issues and demonstration projects with the overarching goal of reducing carbon emissions. In particular, the programme’s first funding line seeks to promote innovative design principles and technologies, such as additive manufacturing, as drivers and enablers of sustainable lightweighting. The focus is on optimising and automating lightweighting production processes (especially in additive manufacturing) in order to raise sustainability throughout the entire life cycle of the products.
Under the Technology Transfer Programme for Lightweighting, funding line 3 ‘Resource efficiency and substitution’ also offers plenty of scope for additive manufacturing projects. It aims to promote projects in which, for example, additive manufacturing processes are used to replace resource-intensive materials with more resource-efficient and lighter materials, and components can be produced directly on site. This reduces both time and carbon emissions as it eliminates the need for transport.
The Technology Transfer Programme for Lightweighting was successfully launched in April 2020 despite the considerable restrictions in place due to the coronavirus pandemic. Outlines for some 180 projects, for which over 60% funding is being provided by industry, were submitted by the first deadline (April 2020). These covered innovations that can be applied across a broad variety of different industries – from the automotive sector, to aerospace, through to medicine and construction. Full applications are now currently under way for about 60 of these projects. The next funding deadlines for innovative additive manufacturing processes for sustainable lightweighting are 1 October 2020 and 1 April 2021.

Detailed information can be found under TTP LB and Initiative Leichtbau des BMWi.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Call for formnext Start-up Challenge 2020

The Start-up Challenge has been a key pillar of Europe’s largest trade fair for 3D printing and additive manufacturing, the formnext, for many years. Now it’s time for a new edition!

Since 29. June 2020, innovative and young start-ups may apply for the formnext Start-up Challenge. Not only will they be supported with a free admission. It rather offers numerous pioneers a unique platform to present themselves and their concepts to a number of investors, the press and the relevant market or to find their own professional entry into our fascinating industry.

At the latest since the corona pandemic with its far-reaching consequences for economic, but also social and private life, the topic of sustainability has become more important than ever. In this challenging time, additive manufacturing has often been able to set out one or two rays of hope.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”3801″ img_size=”768 x 432″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]This makes it all the more important to underline the importance of sustainability in 3D printing and to motivate those who are enthusiastic about sustainable approaches to our society, but also to our planet Earth this year: be it innovative technology or application concepts, a newly calibrated corporate philosophy or a fresh look at the value chain.

The assessments are based on the 17 goals of the United Nations for sustainable development. Environmental concerns (e.g. green energy and resource conservation) and social aspects (e.g. education and equality) play a central role.

The formnext Start-up Challenge runs until 04.09.2020. MGA is represented on the jury by our MD and network management Stefanie Brickwede.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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The State of 3D Printing Report: 2020

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Every year, Sculpteo, one of the world’s leading online 3D printing service providers, presents a report on “The State of 3D Printing” – just recently the sixth edition was published for the year 2020.
The report is based on detailed questionnaires completed by global additive manufacturing users as well as customers and partners to determine the status quo of the industry.

What topics are covered in the report?

As a major international player in the 3D printing industry, it is important for both Sculpteo and our network to identify trends, to strengthen the market and to convince new companies of the benefits of this technology.
In order to facilitate access to the technology or to provide established companies with a baseline for new strategies, a pool of data was compiled to provide the basis for the report.

The survey in particular examined the following points:

• Who exactly uses 3D printing technology?
• What is 3D printing used for exactly?
• How is the technology being perceived at present?
• What business model makes sense for a 3D printing company?
• Who are the industry’s power users?
• What are the significant global differences?
• What has changed over the last six years?

Key findings of the report

After six years, a clear development in the application areas of additive manufacturing technology can be recognized. 3d printing is generally recognised as a very future-oriented process. More and more companies are getting involved in the industry, more and larger investments are being made in the technology.
In essence, Sculpteo’s report captures four key findings:

• Standstill is the Achilles’ heel of 3d printing.
• 3d printing has a reputation for being very costly.
• 3d printing is mainly established in specific manufacturing industries.
• 3d printing is increasingly being perceived as a production technology rather than merely a prototyping method.

Moreover, it outlines four clearly identifiable development areas for 3D printing: materials, sustainability, technological progress and cost-effectiveness.

The 23-page report can be downloaded here free of charge.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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International Design-competition for additive manufacturing

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column_inner width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Already for the fifth time the unique 3D Pioneers Challenge, as the platform for pioneers in 3D printing, covers a range of verticals and is aimed at designers who are breaking new ground in the field of 3D printing, taking into account the complete value-added system of additive technologies and understand the key trends of the industry.

With Messe Erfurt and Rapid.Tech 3D,
3DPC seeks to uncover the specialists from around the world who are thinking outside the box and…
pushing boundaries.

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Verticals 2020

Design, Digital, Architecture, Material, FashionTech, MedTech, Mobility, Sustainability, Electronics

More: https://3dpc.io/en[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]