AMB 2024 Showcases the Potential and Future of Metal Working

The international exhibition attracted 65,584 visitors and key players of a metal working industry undergoing digital transformation

Important updates from the industry, numerous events and intensive discussions: 65,584 trade visitors from 78 countries used AMB to find out about the latest technologies and trending topics and to establish or expand business relationships. The AMB 2024 was therefore even more successful than the 2022 event. The international exhibition for metal working, which was fully booked despite the current difficult economic environment, was opened on 10 September by Roland Bleinroth, President and CEO of Messe Stuttgart, and Dr Florian Stegmann, Minister of State and Head of the State Chancellery of Baden-Württemberg. After five successful days of the trade fair, it closed its doors on 14 September.

“For 42 years, AMB has demonstrated again and again its importance as a platform for international dialogue in the metal working industry, especially in economically challenging times like these,” summarised Roland Bleinroth. “The International Gallery was a great success this year. Many interested parties came along to make contacts and position their companies globally. We also welcomed a delegation from India – an important market where Messe Stuttgart has been represented by a subsidiary of its own since last year.”

1244 exhibitors from 28 countries, 30 percent of them from outside Germany, presented their innovations, products, services and concepts in a total of ten exhibition halls. The major manufacturers of metal-cutting machine tools and precision tools were represented at the exhibition, as well as leading medium-sized companies and innovative start-ups. AMB is both a marketplace and a central hub for contacts and ideas in the metal working industry. This is why Messe Stuttgart attaches great importance to the ongoing further development of attractive networking possibilities at AMB.

Strong relevance meets high-quality discussion

The importance of AMB extends far beyond Baden-Württemberg as a centre of technology, as the trade fair proved once again this year. Around 20 per cent of the trade visitors came from outside Germany, with the most strongly represented nations being Switzerland, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic, France and Türkiye. A large proportion of the non-European guests travelled from India. The majority of AMB trade fair visitors are active in mechanical engineering (36 percent), as well as in the metal working and metal processing industry, in the automotive industry and vehicle construction, in metal construction enterprises and in tool construction and mouldmaking. Many exhibiting companies praised the quality of the discussions at the stands and in the networking areas. They were delighted by the high number of decision-makers and the potential for doing post-exhibition business. A visitor survey confirmed this impression: 69 percent of visitors stated that they were involved in purchasing and procurement decisions. Overall, the feedback from trade fair visitors was very positive with a grade of 1.8 (= B+). More than a third of visitors only visit the AMB and no other industry-related trade fair.

Artificial intelligence and networked machines

AMB 2024 was strongly characterised by the topic of Industry 4.0. Interested parties were able to find out more about intelligent networks, interfaces, collaborative robotics and AI at many trade fair stands and at the special show organised by the umati initiative (universal machine technology interface). In a 100 square metre special area located in the Entrance East area, visitors to the SmartFactory were able to experience at first hand how machines can communicate with each other. Several companies used the live production of a multi-tool to demonstrate how systems can interact via interfaces. The extent to which the topic of AI is occupying the industry was also demonstrated at the AMB Stage as part of the “Expert talks on AI in manufacturing” followed by a “meet the experts” session.

Première of the AMB Award

One highlight of the exhibition was the AMB Award, which was presented for the first time to honour outstanding new and further developments in the field of metal working. The award went to goCAD GmbH in the software and digitalisation category, to Liquidtool Systems AG in the components, assemblies and operating materials category and to Mahr GmbH in the measuring systems and quality assurance category. HAINBUCH GmbH won the AMB Award in the precision tools category, while Sodick Deutschland GmbH impressed the jury in the machine tools and production systems category and exoIQ GmbH received the AMB Award in the automation and handling technology category. The special sustainability award went to VITO AG and CERATIZIT S.A.

Pretzels ‘n’ Pitches select start-ups Start-ups were also able to prove themselves at AMB – namely at the Pretzels ‘n’ Pitches, a joint event organised by the Allianz Industrie 4.0 Baden-Württemberg, the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation and Messe Stuttgart. On two days of the trade fair, companies from the Start-Up Area and the Young Innovators joint stand presented pioneering innovations in metal working in five-minute pitch sessions. The winner of the first day, Tetralytix GmbH, impressed the jury with its innovative simulation software, which enables users to optimise their cutting tools and processes virtually. The winner on the second day was plasmotion GmbH. The company has developed a jet polishing process that combines plasma physics and electrochemistry in a single technology, offering the quality and flexibility of manual finishing in a fully automated process for the first time.