[AMB 2012] Once again on the road to success
10:52 am am July 30, 2012
AMB, the international exhibition for metalworking, will be taking place from 18 to 22 September 2012 on the grounds of Messe Stuttgart, achieving its ambitious goals and finding itself once again on the road to success. All exhibition spaces have been booked out for months already. More than 1,300 exhibitors are expected to participate, with around a quarter of these coming from outside Germany.
Altogether, there will be 27 countries represented with Switzerland traditionally leading the way, followed by Italy, Spain and Japan. There will also be exhibitors coming from Australia, Brazil, Russia, Korea and the USA. All nine trade fair halls will be occupied and, thus, a total of 105,200 m². The only downside? The trade fair organisers are once again caught short for space. “We could have filled one or two more standard-sized halls, something we unfortunately don’t have,” explained Ulrich Kromer, Managing Director of Messe Stuttgart, regretfully. There are long waiting lists for Halls 4 and 6 where the peripherals and special machinery will be housed. In the other areas, some exhibitors were unable to get the exhibition spaces they wanted. “Any exhibitor who had registered by the official registration deadline of 30 June 2011 was offered a stand space, it got harder after that,” admitted Kromer. Taking the continuing success of the mechanical engineering sector into consideration, it is looking likely that visitor figures will once again far exceed the record set in 2010 (86,000, with 11% coming from outside Germany). More than 90,000 trade visitors are expected to attend AMB 2012. And Kromer is certain about one thing: that this year’s AMB will “finally establish itself as the leading European trade fair for the machine- and precision tool industry every second year.”
However, it’s not just all about business. The constantly increasing success of AMB is also an indication of the importance of Baden-Württemberg for this industry. “Baden-Württemberg is at the heart of machine tool manufacture here in Germany; around half of all German mechanical engineering companies and their suppliers are located here,“ explains Kromer. The buyers are also concentrated in this region. International exhibitors have the advantage here in that they can contact potential customers from Baden Württemberg very easily. International visitors also stand to benefit. As Kromer explains: “In addition to the large variety of large international and German exhibitors, there is also often a great selection of smaller, highly specialised and extremely interesting companies who only exhibit at AMB.“ Baden Württemberg also boasts interesting opportunities for investment. It not only has a unique mixture of large, world-renowned companies and small, highly innovative “hidden champions”, but also provides an excellent research field with 80 third-level institutes and vocational academies, as well as over 100 extramural research institutes.
Problem-solver for the manufacturing industry
At the centre of AMB is the theme of metal cutting with the three areas of metal-cutting machine tools, physico-chemical process machine tools and precision tools. Surrounding this are the suppliers of measurement technology and quality assurance, robotics, workpiece and tool handling, software and engineering, as well as parts, components and accessories. To make it easier for visitors, the areas have been thematically arranged. The turning and milling machines, as well as the machining centres, will be located in the adjacent Halls 3, 5, 7 and 9. The precision tools will be in Halls 1 and 2, i.e. directly beside each other. The peripheral suppliers will be located opposite the machine tool halls: software and engineering, controls and other equipment or accessories will be in Hall 4, sawing, drilling and gear machinery will be in Hall 6, and grinding and deburring machines in Hall 8.
AMB is aimed at all technical decision-makers and production managers within the machine and precision tool consumer industries – from the trade worker to the department head, as far as the Executive Board member and Managing Director. The key industries include vehicle construction, the automotive and automotive supplier industries, mechanical engineering, the iron, sheet metal and metal goods industry, the electronics industry, tool construction and mould making, aerospace engineering, medical technology and the manufacturers of power-generating systems, as well as further classic customer segments.
Programme of accompanying events to demonstrate current trends
A superb addition to the exhibiting companies is the comprehensive programme of accompanying events, organised together with leading associations, research institutes and universities for the provision of highly relevant information concerning the theme of industrial production. A scientific viewpoint will be demonstrated during the “Metal Working Innovation Tour – Trends of Tomorrow“ by the Institute for Production Management, Technology and Machine Tools (PTW) from the Technical University in Darmstadt. The experts will provide AMB visitors with focussed, well-structured information about the latest developments in the world of production technology.
Sustainability is another theme that is increasingly gathering momentum. The ”Blue Competence” Initiative from the German Machine Tool Builders’ Association (VDW) will present both itself and the work it does. In addition to several professional associations within the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) and other mechanical engineering and plant construction organisations, 125 leading companies within the sector have since joined the initiative. Its aim is to further promote technologies and processes which reduce energy consumption, conserve raw materials, generate less emissions or improve a person’s quality of life.
Also returning this year is the partner network “Enterprise Europe Network” (earlier “b2fair”). Organised by the Stuttgart Chamber of Crafts, this has been set up by the European Commission to specifically address small and medium-sized companies looking to connect with international production or sales partners, and vice versa. Another important theme at AMB will be occupational safety. In Hall 5, the “Berufsgenossenschaft Holz und Metall“ (occupational safety association for wood- and metal working trades) will address the theme of occupational safety. And, for the first time, the 8th Design Engineers’ Day “Safety + Automation” will be taking place parallel to AMB. The conference and accompanying exhibition taking place on 18 September in the ICS, organised by Messe Stuttgart, safety experts Pilz and the Konradin Media Group, will address the “Practical implementation of machine safety! Innovative technologies and future-proof applications“.
Encouraging young talent
A problem that needs to be urgently tackled is the shrinking number of young talented workers, involving both the engineers and skilled workers. An increasing demand for industrial goods and the requirements these goods have to meet, coupled with today’s demography issue, is leading to a bottleneck already felt by companies. This is a problem the German government has also recognised. On June 5th of this year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel thus invited top representatives from the large trade associations, the trade unions, as well as seven government ministers, to the second “Summit on the Shortage of Skilled Workers – The Source of our Future Prosperity“ in Meseberg Palace. There, Chancellor Merkel emphasised that “a good training system is crucial for the provision or acquisition of sufficiently skilled workers.“ The large industrial associations VDMA, ZVEI, VDI, VDE and VDA are also of this opinion, which is why the “Think-Ing.” Training Initiative was set up years ago for the promotion of young talent. It will once again turn the spotlight onto a career in engineering at AMB. The “Special show for young people“, organised by the VDW Education Foundation for Young People in collaboration with well-known companies, will be presenting the entire scope of vocational careers in the machine tool industry. And the career competition “WorldSkills Germany” will be aimed specifically at apprentices and young skilled workers. From 18 to 22 September at AMB, this national competition will not only recognise the best young lathe operator in Germany, but also select participants for the “WorldSkills” 2013 event in Leipzig.
The competition “Lathe Operator of the Year”, organised by trade journal “fertigung” from the mi publishing house since 2002, is aimed at skilled workers who already have a few years of experience under their belt. This year, the competition will be supported by the Swiss machine tool manufacturer Tornos. Visitors to the trade fair will also have the opportunity to take part in guided tours which will provide a quick overview of all that is on offer. A welcome break from the hectic pace of the event is promised by the “Art meets Technology” event from the trade journal ‘mav’ (Konradin publishing house), taking place for the third time already. ‘mav’ is also organising a trip down memory lane with the special show “Changing Technology”. On display here will be plenty of interesting illustrative material relating to historic machine tools and workpieces, as well as impressive company chronicles.
Worth an extended stay!
The trade fair grounds is conveniently located directly beside Stuttgart Airport and on the A8 motorway. For anyone looking to avoid the hassle of making travel arrangements, attractive travel packages are available from Messe Stuttgart, organised in collaboration with Deutsche Bahn AG and the travel agency Travelpoint, with special flight offers, including hotel overnight stays, from many German and European cities. Because an extended stay in Stuttgart is well worth it! This is an extremely attractive city, home to Mercedes and Porsche with their internationally renowned car museums, as well as superb cultural highlights and a distinguished culinary tradition. The “city between the woods and the vines”, due to its green spaces and excellent wines, is also rich in artistic merit. Art and design enthusiasts will find a variety of museums, galleries and studios here, as well as a very lively art trading scene. The State Theatre, six large private theatres and around 20 smaller companies hold approximately 700 performances each month. Stuttgart is also a centre for the European puppet theatre. So as you can see, spending a few extra days in the state capital of Baden-Württemberg is certainly to be recommended.
AMB international subsidiary supporting exhibitors on the Chinese growth market
In addition to the “parent trade fair” AMB in Stuttgart, there is also an AMB China, which is taking place from 15 to 17 October 2012 in Nanjing, supporting exhibitors looking to tap into important future markets.
AMB China is the new name for the China Machine Tool Exhibition (CMTE 2011), which got off to a great start when it was first held from 12 to 14 October 2011 in the Nanjing International Expo Centre. A total of 7,752 visitors from seven countries and regions came to CMTE 2011 and showed plenty of interest in what the 160 exhibitors from eight countries had to offer. Following this successful debut, Messe Stuttgart took the decision to use the trade name AMB for the next event. With full support from the successful parent brand in Stuttgart, AMB China will now function as the international industry platform in China’s strongest production region.
The text file, photos from the last AMB and trade fair logos can be downloaded at www.messe-stuttgart.de/Journalisten/Pressematerialien.
