In the run-up to the international trade fairs wire® and Tube – once again being held at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre from 30th March – 3rd April 2020 – Friedrich-Georg Kehrer, global portfolio director metals and flow technologies at Messe Düsseldorf, explains what visitors can expect at the shows, and what’s new for 2020.
What’s new at the world’s leading trading fairs for wire, cable and tubes in 2020?
“There are a number of new features at wire® and Tube. We will be following on from the good registration results obtained at the previous 2018 events with some 2,600 exhibitors from 65 countries. Again 16 exhibition halls will be occupied extending over a net total of 115,000m2.
We will have not one but two premieres and new campaigns in 2020. Exhibition halls 16 and 17 will see for the first time, the complete value chain for fasteners and springs. In addition to production machinery and equipment, finished products in the form of fasteners, connectors and technical springs will now also be on show.
This means that from 2020 wire will be the new information and order platform for the producers, marketers and buyers of screws, fasteners, construction elements and fitting parts, as well as all types of springs and bent wire parts.
For the first time, we will also be running a large-scale ecoMetals campaign for the entire duration of wire and Tube 2020. Exhibitors who are particularly committed to the areas of energy saving production, material and resource efficiency, climate compatible use of renewable energies, or optimised energy controlling, can join in the campaign. Their stands will be highlighted specifically using a label and corresponding sticker.
We will be having ecoMetals trails, which are guided tours stopping by these exhibition stands. Participating exhibitors are given the opportunity to personally provide detailed information about their company’s innovations at their stand for a fee. Interested trade visitors can register online for participation in an ecoMetals trail in the run-up to the event. Spontaneous participants on-site are also welcome, of course. The meeting point is the ecoMetals information counter at entrance ‘Nord’.
2020 will also see the premier of a new exhibition hall for Tube exhibitors from the tube production, tube accessories and tube trade segments. 158 metres long, 77 metres wide and offering more than 12,000m2 of floorspace hall 1 corresponds to roughly the size of halls 8a and 8b.
In technical terms the new hall lives up to the high standards of the whole exhibition centre. It can be accessed via seven gates, and suspensions from the hall ceiling are possible as is the supply of stands with power, water and compressed air from the hall floor.”
What will be the main emphasis at wire 2020?
“wire 2020 covers a comprehensive spectrum of themes ranging from machinery and equipment for wire manufacturing, wire processing and finishing, spring and fastener technologies and their finished products, auxiliary materials and process technology tools through to glass fibre.
Glass fibre is a highly topical theme of growing significance because ultra high-speed fibre optic links are expanding worldwide.
Furthermore, the latest developments in test engineering and specialist areas will be on display. Exhibitors provide information on trends in measuring and control technology. Additionally, materials, special wires and cables will be in focus.”
What countries do the exhibitors and visitors of wire and Tube hail from?
“Our exhibitors primarily come from Italy, Great Britain, France, Turkey, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Poland and Germany. Companies travelling to Düsseldorf from overseas come from the USA, India, Taiwan, South Korea and China.
70,000 trade visitors are again expected over the five days of the trade fairs. Most guests will come from the strong production and buyer countries such as Italy, Belgium, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Russia, Turkey and Germany. From overseas we expect many visitors to come from the USA, Brazil, India and China.”
How are the two events being affected by the global economy?
“The exhibitors of wire as well as Tube present their technology highlights to an international trade audience. The leading trade fairs are therefore must attend events for the whole industry.
wire and Tube regard themselves as pacesetters – especially in these times of heightened uncertainty caused by trade tensions between the USA, China and Europe, and the UK due to BREXIT. According to the Deutsche Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahlrohre e.V, the energy industry, automotive sector, and mechanical engineering, remain the key users as before.
The challenges are also accordingly high for the wire and cable industry. Economic unpredictability in the wake of increasing protectionist tendencies put a burden on the industry, according to Germany’s Eisendraht- und Stahldraht-Vereinigung (German Iron and Steel Wire Association).
However, more cables, lines and wires are the positive consequence of the constant and rapid changes affecting mobility. The demands made on the industry in terms of innovations and flexibility are rising, new drive technologies, autonomous driving or e-mobility determine the thinking and decisions taken in boardrooms. Demand is also driven by more and more artificial intelligence in vehicles and rising multimedia requirements.”
Having spent a decade in the fastener industry experiencing every facet – from steel mills, fastener manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, as well as machinery builders and plating + coating companies, Claire has developed an in-depth knowledge of all things fasteners.
Alongside visiting numerous companies, exhibitions and conferences around the world, Claire has also interviewed high profile figures – focusing on key topics impacting the sector and making sure readers stay up to date with the latest developments within the industry.
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