As this yr’s Formnext accomplice nation, Spain can be bringing an array of progressive exhibitors to the world’s main exhibition in AM know-how and the subsequent technology of manufacturing whereas including key components to Formnext’s lineup of supporting occasions. Along with its extremely dynamic and quickly rising AM business, its geographic location on the Iberian Peninsula permits it to function a bridge between Europe and South America.
The power of the Iberian AM sector is quickly obvious at Formnext, the place Spain has been one of many nations with essentially the most exhibitors for a number of years – together with round 30 in 2024. “We’re thrilled to be internet hosting such an extremely thrilling accomplice nation and all its progressive AM corporations,” mentioned Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President for Formnext at occasion organizer Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. “Spain is an ideal instance of how AM helps guarantee progress and new developments and provides a lift to your entire manufacturing business, even in difficult occasions.”
Spain’s AM sector at present employs greater than 1,200 folks and turns in double-digit progress yearly.
“Though the market measurement remains to be small, the forecast for the incoming years is promising,” mentioned Naiara Zubizarreta, Director of the Spanish 3D printing affiliation ADDIMAT. On the similar time, the Spanish AM business is extremely numerous and options quite a few internationally famend system producers (akin to HP Printing and Computing, Meltio, Triditive, Reinforce 3D, and Supernova), in addition to many materials producers, software program builders, specialised service suppliers, and analysis institutes.
Sturdy companions
This yr, ADDIMAT and the AM community IAM3DHUB are supporting Formnext as companions. “These extremely engaged organizations play important roles in Spain’s AM business and can as soon as once more be readily available to display the exceptional potential of their nation’s AM panorama together with their member firms and cooperation companions,” mentioned Christoph Stüker, Vice President Formnext at Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH.
To assist help the method of technological evolution, Spain has constructed an excellent community. ADDIMAT is working below the umbrella of the AFM Cluster, an business cluster overlaying seven Associations, providing tailor-made providers for the superior manufacturing industries. ADDIMAT was based in 2014 to drive the usage of AM within the nation because the Spanish affiliation for AM and 3D applied sciences. Primarily based in San Sebastián, it contains greater than 100 firms alongside your entire AMvalue chain, together with machine producers, 3D printing service suppliers, know-how facilities, materials suppliers, and finish customers.
IAM3DHUB (the Worldwide Superior Manufacturing 3D Hub) is an business consortium managed and operated out of Barcelona by Leitat. It serves as a central level of contact for firms considering implementing AM. Moreover providing complete help that ranges from feasibility research and coaching to strategic implementation help, IAM3DHUB aids Catalonia’s in depth efforts to place the area as a hotbed of Trade 4.0.
Stable progress of the Spanish AM business
“In Spain, the adoption of 3D printing applied sciences has been strong,” mentioned David Adrover Iglesias, Common Secretary of IAM3DHUB – referring to analysis printed by HP and VoxelMatters, in keeping with which 96% of Spanish manufacturing firms consider that AM helps them carry merchandise to market extra shortly. “This explains why Spain continues to see a rise within the adoption of 3D printing applied sciences,” he mentioned. In 2022, gross sales of AM machines and providers grew by 24.5% and 36.2%, respectively. The important thing consumer industries embody the aviation and aerospace in addition to automotive sectors, together with healthcare, the place the functions vary from custom-fitted 3D printed footwear to patient-specific implants, prostheses, and surgical guides.
On the coronary heart of the stable growth of Spain’s AM sector is the power of the nation’s total manufacturing business. Based on Eurostat, its manufacturing has elevated by 7.3% since 2014, whereas different main European international locations like France and Germany have stagnated and even regressed considerably. The Spanish machine-tool affiliation AFM was thus capable of report document gross sales of €2,157 million in its sector in 2023. “Spain has an prolonged manufacturing custom, with robust provide chains, distributed capabilities, and a well-settled innovation tradition,” mentioned Naiara Zubizarreta, Director of ADDIMAT.
The optimistic developments within the Spanish economic system and the Spanish AM market make Spain a robust accomplice for this yr’s Formnext, which in flip supplies Spanish exhibitors – in addition to members within the supporting program and particular exhibitions – with a perfect platform to spotlight and additional increase their affect on the worldwide AM business.
Its rising profile on the AM market and additional background data on Spain’s AM business will even be lined in a particular version of Formnext Journal (to be printed in September 2025).
