Preparations are already underway for EuroBLECH 2026, set for October 20 to 23, in Hannover, Germany.
The sheet metal working industry showcased its dedication to progress and growth at the 27th International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition – EuroBLECH 2024.
With 38 946 trade visitors from 114 countries and 1 317 exhibitors on 160 000m² gross space, the event reaffirmed its role as the world’s leading platform for innovation and business in this sector. A sense of cautious optimism dominated the halls, with many exhibitors securing substantial orders.
Despite the slowing global economy, there was widespread agreement that key markets will eventually bounce back and grow, together with a clear commitment to driving the necessary transformational change. Determined to focus on new opportunities, the industry has been intensifying its push for innovation. The proactive stance on technological progress was matched with a notable willingness from buyers to consider new investment.
The sheet metal working industry showcased its dedication to progress and growth at the 27th International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition – EuroBLECH 2024. A sense of cautious optimism dominated the halls, with many exhibitors securing substantial orders
The four-day event delivered massively on visitor quality, with the majority of visitors classifying as key decision makers. The number of unique visitors increased by 3%
Preparations are already underway for EuroBLECH 2026, set for October 20 to 23, in Hannover, Germany
The four-day event delivered massively on visitor quality, with the majority of visitors classifying as key decision makers. The number of unique visitors increased by 3%, with a strong presence from Germany which has recently gained in market importance for certain technology sectors. Besides Germany, the top visitor countries in 2024 were the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, Austria, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, and Switzerland.
Key technologies included, but were not limited to: a new AI vision system for fully automated sorting of laser-cut parts; remote machine diagnostics and monitoring for fast troubleshooting and servicing; highly automated factory systems that integrate people, machines, and data into smart production flows; folding machines with fully automatic tool changer; simplified and robust laser-cutting machines particularly suited for new users; modular or compact bending cells for smaller production environments; a substantial 20kW high-speed and high-precision fiber laser cutting machine for extra demanding applications; AI-driven robotic software for complex and adaptive applications; and many other advancements.
Observations and opinions of visitors EuroBLECH 2024
Below are some observations and opinions, as well as some photographs, of some of the visitors from South Africa that visited EuroBLECH 2024.
Barry Page – Amada
“The 2024 EuroBLECH sheet metal fair was once again an amazing show to have visited. Although the overall show seemed to be a bit smaller than in previous years, it did not disappoint with the variety of equipment on display.”
“The 2024 theme of ‘The power of productivity’, was aptly displayed by many exhibitors through their offerings of automation solutions, especially. Automation is generally taking over in the sheet metal industry and most companies exhibiting this year, seemed to have demonstrated this clearly.”
“Together with this automation was the dominance of laser cutting. We have clearly under estimated the number of laser manufacturers around the world and we were surprised to see so many ‘new’ names in the industry. It was surprising to see so many offerings from so many different countries, all priced at various positions of the market.”
“Thanks to the stringent laws in Europe, fiber lasers are only allowed to be sold if they meet all safety standards, which seems to protect their market to a point. Unfortunately this cannot be said for us here in South Africa. These cheap lasers can basically be ‘dumped’ in our market at give-away prices, which places everyone at risk in more ways than one.”
“It was great to meet up with many South African visitors who made their way to the show, many of whom are regulars at each EuroBLECH, as well as many past customers who now find themselves in various parts of the world after emigrating from South Africa, most of whom have stayed in the sheet metal industry.”
“It was as always a great time to enjoy a few German beers together and network, even with opposition users. It is good to see the comradery between South Africans even though they may be in opposition with each other when back home.”
“The wide variety of visitors we met from East Africa, South Africa, England and Australia all seemed to agree that the 2024 EuroBLECH show was still the pinnacle in machine tool exhibitions where you get to see all options available in the industry and gather ideas on different aspects of manufacturing.”
“From the Amada side, it was pleasing to introduce customers to the new, improved solutions offered by Amada that are designed to increase production, reduce down time and improve profitability. This is not only achieved through the machinery and automation displayed, but through the total solution which includes the software behind the scenes too. The advances in software capabilities was astounding to see, and we look forward to offering these upgrades and improvements to our market which will certainly separate the ‘boys from the men’ in the industry.”
“To all who visited us on the Amada stand, we thank you. To those who have taken the next step towards production improvement, we look forward to growing together with you and we assure you of Amada’s committed support going forward.”
“We look forward to EuroBLECH 2026 and the technological advances in our industry.”
Gábor Veress – Retecon
“My perception was that there is a very real street fight going on regarding laser power and the cost of production of laser sources. While the premium brands remain conservative regarding laser power, the Asian brands are chasing huge kilowatts. One manufacturer now even offers a 200kW machine!”
“AI and advanced software are being used to drive productivity and efficiency. Does this mean we are reaching a plateau regarding machine capabilities? The products on display can be considered a glimpse of the future.”
“No ‘new’ technology was on display, other than the software and AI packages mentioned in the previous point.”
“There were a few South African customers that attended the exhibition and we had meaningful discussions with them, but I am unsure if any purchases were made. It will be up to us now to follow through with any enquiries.”
“My impression regarding attendance was that the first day was very slow, but a large pick-up was seen over the following days.”
“As always it is a must to attend the international exhibitions like EuroBLECH if you want to keep up-to-date with world trends and to enlighten yourself with the latest technology that has recently been launched or what you can expect going forward.”
Peter Retter and Uli Retter, both of Kare Sheet Metal with Barry Page of Amada
Rick Ferreira of Amada, Shawn Welthagen and Gavin Schmidt, both of SP Laser Cut and Jason Nagel of Amada
Marius Bezuidenhout of Allied Steelrode
Herman Van Niekerk of Amada, Sietse Walma Van Der Molen and Ketti Ferrari, both of Budget Sheet Metal and Jason Nagel of Amada
Herman Van Niekerk of Amada with Garth Beulich of P.Beulich Sheet Metal
Clinton Windt and Tony Windt of TWR with Graham Rome of Retecon
Bradley Crafford and Mike Lee of Puma Machine Tools, Gong Xuepei of JFY, Gábor Veress of Retecon with Jiang Rui and Wang Taoxiang, both of JFY
Bradley Crafford and Mike Lee of Puma Machine Tools with Gábor Veress of Retecon
Tim Seiler of Trumpf, Gábor Veress of Retecon and Johannes Vierling of Trumpf in front of the new Trumpf TruLaser 3040 Bevel Cut Edition. The machine was decorated by an artist and sold as is
Mike Lee of Puma Machine Tools and Freddie Visser of Stainless Plate Products
