Opening Plenary Session

Dr Lionel Aboussouan

Prof Christoph Broeckmann (Institute for Materials Applications in Mechanical Engineering (IWM), RWTH Aachen University, Germany)

Dr Henk van den Berg (van den Berg HMC Consulting, The Netherlands)

Mr Ralf Carlström (EPMA President)

Mr Stephen A Riddle CEO (Asbury Graphite & Carbons)

Graphite is important to PM companies in various applications such as an essential alloying agent in various iron, steel, copper and bronze PM blends; a liquid dispersion releasing agent in PM forged parts; as sintering trays in heat treating of PM parts and as electrodes in electric arc furnaces for the production of iron powder.

This presentation will include; key graphite properties, where does graphite come from and how it is produced to meet PM requirements, what are the various types, current and future market trends and future developments in the graphite industry.

Prof Johannes Schleifenbaum Chair of Digital Additive Production (RWTH Aachen, Germany)

Additive Manufacturing, especially 3D metal printing is becoming more and more essential to manufacturing: it allows to create, quickly, fully functioning parts with high mechanical properties, and sometimes geometries that would be impossible to make with traditional manufacturing techniques. Consequently, most of the world’s top companies have taken notice and are making ambitious moves to capture their share of its potentially huge value. GE’s fuel nozzle and the acquisition of two of the leading companies that specialize in metal-based AM technology are only one example. BMW, Google and many more are among the investors funding Silicon Valley & MIT startup’s efforts to develop new polymer- and metal-based AM systems. Yet, there are still undiscovered secrets of AM especially in the context of material development, Industry 4.0 and design. This talk will share insight in the current status of Metal AM and the expected development within the above mentioned domains.