There’s more to Formnext than the expo booths — and I’m not just talking about the expo floor happy hours. There are three stages on the expo floor with almost constant activity. These free presentations focus on products, applications, and trends.

The Technology Stage is where exhibitors get to present their products to an audience, rather than hoping people stop by their booth. So if you’re someone who would rather have the products come to you, this is a great place to sit for awhile and rest your feet.

On the Industry Stage, you’ll hear from industrial insiders share their thoughts on topics shaping AM at the moment, such as AI, sustainability, and industrialization. These are often sponsored experts from exhibitors, but some are independent.

The Application Stage presents examples of how AM is being used in specific industries, such as  automotive, aerospace industries, healthcare, and robotics.

Last year the special region focus was on the Nordics, but this year it’s Australia’s turn. Formnext will feature a special pavilion to highlight the products, services, and academics from the land down under.

No TCT Conference at Formnext Anymore

Launched in 2018, the three day conference on additive manufacturing sponsored by TCT called TCT conference @ formnext is no more. There doesn’t seem to be a replacement conference at the moment.

Mostly Metal Printers, Metal Powders & Metal Printing Services

If you’re a manufacturer looking to 3D print end-use production parts in metal, this is where you’ll spend a lot of time. Here you’ll find most of the major industrial metal 3D players along with a wide variety of companies offering metal powders, metal printing services, and the software you’ll need to optimize the process. Apparently, Formnext didn’t want to put all the metal heavy hitters in one hall so some are over on the ground floor of Hall 12.

What is especially interesting here in Hall 11 is the variety of metal technologies. You can talk to the folks at WAAM3D (B79) about their wire arc additive manufacturing technology for near-net metal pieces, then stroll down the aisle to Additive Industries and talk to them about their new MetalFab 300 Flex metal laser powder bed fusion.

In this hall, you’ll also find companies that use metal additive manufacturing to fabricate parts, such as injection molds, and anything else you’d need 3D printed out of metal. This may be the perfect place to evaluate whether you want to buy your own metal 3D printer or strike up a relationship with a skilled metal 3D printing service.

According to the pre-Formnext press releases, there won’t be much debuted in this hall, but if you’re in the market for a metal production solution, it’s not to be missed. Fortunately, this isn’t the only hall of metal at Formnext. For more, don’t go up, but rather over to the ground floor of Hall 12.

Mostly Metal & Ceramic Printers, Metal Desktop Printers, Metal Printing & Design Services

If you’re new to metal 3D printing, you might want to start here in Hall 12.0 — not that there aren’t giants of metal here (e.g. Trumpf, Nikon, DMG Mori), but the focus is on both the entry points for metal AM, like Markforged and One Click Metal, and the innovators in R&D, such as from Fraunhofer.

For more metal FDM offerings, you’ll need to venture into the polymer Halls, 12.1 and 11.1 to the companies offering metal filament solutions, such as Raise3D among others.

This hall is also the innovation hall, where you’ll find the Start-Up Area. It’s always fascinating to check out the technology coming over the horizon, but if you’re on a mission to sign a purchase order by the end of the show, save this for last.

Polymers, Desktop Resin Printers & SLS

As you enter this hall, you’ll run smack into the 3D Systems booth, as always. It’s worth a look around here since the company’s machines are a standard to which so many other 3D printer makers are compared. But if 3D Systems is out of your price and size range, down the aisle is Formlabs with their Fuse 1+ 30W SLS machine. The company also just launched its new resin 3D printer, the Form 4.

If desktop resin 3D printers are your focus, walk over to Nexa3D and take a look at the XipPro and then just across the floor is Axtra3D with its industrial hybrid resin machine.

If you’re looking for higher capacity and faster industrial SLS, you can’t miss the giant EOS booth in the center of the floor. Here talk to their experts about how the number of lasers and laser power makes a difference in SLS printing.

We can safely say Hall 11.1 is a mixed bag of polymer solutions, FDM, resin, SLS, which is a benefit or annoyance depending on your shopping list. If you have your mind set on a new industrial polymer FDM, there are several here at the event not to miss, particularly the new entry-level models from Bambu Lab X1E and Elegoo OrangeStorm, but they are mostly distributed across the halls.

Staying here in Hall 11.1, you can hardly miss the glowing Roboze booth (C21), so check out their growing selection of industrial FDMs and sign up for one of their cast-study talks covering automotive, energy, and aerospace.

A household name in industrial FDM, Intamsys, is right down the aisle with its new Funmat Pro 310 on display featuring new slicing software. For more industrial FDM, head over to Hall 12.1 to Stratasys and check out their new J5 Digital Anatomy.

Mixed Polymers, Large-Scale FDM, Printer Retailers, Polymer Material Makers

It isn’t easy to categorize a hall that has both Stratasys and Bambu Lab, so let’s call 12.1 mixed plastics. Here you’ll also find most of the companies that make polymers and filaments, such as Evonik, which feature its new polymers, BASF Forward AM, Polymaker, Sunlu, and Arkema.

Right next to Bambu Lab is rival Creality and just down the aisle is Elegoo and Prusa. These 3D printer makers were once thought of as only for consumers, but as their products’ sophistication grows they are becomeing top choices for in-house prototyping and some end-use parts.

If you’re interested in large-scale machines, here you’ll find WASP, BigRep, and Builder 3D. Sprinkeled inbetween the printers you’ll also find some 3D scanner makers but fewer than in years’ past.

Nearly our full staff of editors will be at Formnext scouting out news and new products plus sitting down with the industry’s top decision-makers for their take on where the market is heading and what customers want. When we’re in Frankfurt, we also spend a lot of time talking to attendees to understand why they’re at the events and what forces in their industries are moving them toward additive manufacturing.

Our comprehensive coverage is all housed on our Formnext 2024 microsite and delivered to your inbox via our Pro newsletter, which you can sign up for here.

If you’d like to get in touch with All3DP’s editors with news, please reach out to us at Editors@All3DP.com.

Conference Calendar

3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing Conferences, Expos & Events 2025