ALUMINIUM 2018 will be held October 9-11 in Düsseldorf, Germany, with a special focus on automotive aluminum. Global production of aluminum has reached a record high level, with the transport sector driving demand for light metals. The precise trajectory might vary from country to country, but all around the world, the industry is making new investments to gear up for an economy that continues to boom.
The ALUMINIUM exhibition is a global marketplace for the aluminum industry. Spread across six exhibition halls, global players, specialists, and young innovative companies will showcase the industry’s complete range — from primary aluminum production to semis manufacturing to finished goods and recycling. The exhibition area will grow in 2018 to 80,000 sq m, with a total of 1,000 exhibitors and 27,000 visitors from 100 countries expected to attend.
Automotive Focus
Automotive manufacturing and the use of aluminum for lightweighting will be at the center of the ALUMINIUM exhibition. Lightweight vehicles score points with CO2 reduction, vehicle dynamics, and with comfort, which benefits aluminum as being one of the most important lightweight construction materials in the automotive sector. Aluminum has transformed the automotive industry, and it will continue to do so in future. The average aluminum content of cars is steadily increasing. Whereas 60 years ago an average vehicle contained 19 kilograms of aluminum, between 1990 and 2014 the aluminum content of an average car nearly tripled, increasing from 50 kg to 140 kg. This figure is projected to increase to between 160 and 180 kg by 2020 as small and mid-size cars follow the trend set by luxury cars in the use of aluminum.
In recent years, aluminum producers and processors have developed a series of new aluminum alloys (5xxx, 6xxx) with improved mechanical properties, including better strength, formability, and corrosion resistance, allowing them to offer to ever lighter components with reduced wall thicknesses. Thanks to their good workability, high strength values, and excellent weldability, innovative aluminum materials have made their way into new areas of application. The development of new roller surface geometries and lubricants for the improvement of tribological properties is also moving full speed ahead.
Developments in the field of e-mobility are also propelling use of this material, as power electronics, e-motors, and especially batteries and battery housings are creating further potential for the use of lightweight construction in vehicles. As a result of electronic vehicles’ different design requirements, there are many new products and applications for which aluminum profiles are the only sensible option, due to the possibilities for functional integration of cooling, for instance. Light metal solutions are winning out in battery housings, structural components, and drive systems.
New Pavilions: Digitalization and Environmental Protection
In addition to previous industry-focused pavilions — on Primary Aluminum, Recycling, Foundry, Welding & Joining, Surface Technology, and Magnesium — ALUMINIUM 2018 is introducing three new special exhibition areas focused on Digital Manufacturing, Environmental Engineering, and Young Innovative Companies.
The Digital Manufacturing area will provide an introduction to what Industry 4.0 means for the aluminum industry and what kinds of productivity benefits can already be achieved today by deploying high-performance IT solutions in production. According to a survey by the trade show organizers, the aluminum industry is already well-positioned in the digital realm and reveals the ways companies are dealing with Industry 4.0 technologies. Digital manufacturing showed very high to high significance for 85% of the companies surveyed. Small companies (up to 9 employees) and large-scale industrial enterprises (5,000 employees and up) are particularly aware of the importance of digital technologies and consider them most relevant.
The Environmental Engineering exhibition area will cover water treatment, air filtration systems, and oil/oil mist vacuuming systems. It will show how the aluminum industry is leading the way when it comes to emerging topics such as energy and resource conservation in one’s own production chain.
The Young Innovative Companies pavilion provides a space for newer companies to introduce themselves and highlight their innovations.
Technical Education Program
Expert presenters from industry and science will discuss the trends and innovations of the aluminum sector at the ALUMINIUM 2018 Conference and the ALUMINIUM Forum. Organized by the GDA, the umbrella association of the German aluminum industry, the conference will focus on the material’s future prospects. Exhibitors at the ALUMINIUM Forum will present their latest solutions and technologies covering the areas of lightweight technologies, e-mobility, and additive manufacturing, among others.
For more information on ALUMINIUM 2018, visit www.aluminium-messe.com.