Formnext 2022
- Date
- 2022-11-15
- Location
- Messe Frankfurt (Congress Centre Messe Frankfurt), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Host
- Formnext
About this event
Formnext 2022 is where additive manufacturing stops being a niche conversation and shows up at full industrial scale. If you want to understand where 3D printing is actually being used, what technologies are moving into production, and how the broader advanced manufacturing ecosystem is evolving, this is the room to be in. Held in person at Messe Frankfurt in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Formnext brings together the companies, technologies, and decision-makers shaping the full additive manufacturing process chain. It is a trade fair built for people who want to see real systems, real materials, real applications, and the practical path from prototype to production. About the Event Formnext is widely recognized as a leading global trade fair for additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing. Rather than focusing on one narrow slice of the market, it showcases the broader ecosystem around industrial AM: machines, materials, software, automation, post-processing, quality assurance, and production workflows. This is an in-person industry event, which matters for a category like advanced manufacturing. Many of the most important questions in this space are best answered face to face: how equipment performs, how finished parts look and feel, how workflows connect, and how suppliers and partners think about scaling adoption in real production settings. The event format is built around exhibition-floor discovery and business conversations. Attendees can move across the venue to compare technologies, talk directly with teams behind products and platforms, and build a sharper view of the market across industrials, manufacturing, and adjacent production technologies. Whether you work in engineering, manufacturing strategy, operations, product development, procurement, or business development, Formnext offers a concentrated way to understand how additive fits into the wider industrial landscape. What to Expect Expect a broad look at the full AM process chain, from early-stage design and digital workflow tools through printing, finishing, inspection, and production integration. One of the event’s strengths is that it does not isolate the printer from everything around it. Instead, it presents additive manufacturing as a complete industrial system. On the show floor, attendees can typically expect to explore areas such as: Industrial 3D printing systems across different applications and production needs Materials and feedstocks that influence performance, cost, and manufacturability Software and digital tools for design, simulation, workflow management, and production planning Post-processing and finishing solutions that help move parts toward end-use quality Inspection, quality, and process control approaches relevant to industrial adoption Automation and manufacturing integration that connect AM to broader production environments Just as important as the technology on display is the density of conversations happening around it. Formnext attracts people looking for practical answers: which use cases are mature, where economics are improving, what constraints still matter, and how organizations are structuring adoption internally. Because the event is centered on industry and applications, you should expect discussions that go beyond hype. The most valuable moments often come from side-by-side comparison, direct questions to exhibitors, and seeing how different vendors position their solutions across speed, precision, throughput, workflow, and production readiness. Why Attend If you are evaluating additive manufacturing for your organization, Formnext can dramatically shorten the learning curve. Instead of researching technologies in isolation, you can compare multiple approaches in one place and develop a more realistic understanding of what is available now versus what is still emerging. For teams already working in AM, the value is different but just as strong. This is an opportunity to benchmark your current assumptions, spot new suppliers or process improvements, and stay current on where industrial 3D printing is heading across materials, hardware, and software. Attending can be especially useful if you want to: See the market in context, not just one product category at a time Evaluate production readiness across technologies and workflows Find partners and vendors relevant to your manufacturing roadmap Understand adoption trends in advanced manufacturing and industrial applications Pressure-test internal plans by comparing them against what leading players are building There is also a strategic advantage to being there in person. In a fast-moving industrial category, timing matters. Formnext gives attendees a current snapshot of market direction, technical momentum, and commercial activity, which can help inform investment decisions, supplier relationships, and product or operations planning. For anyone working at the intersection of additive, industrials, and manufacturing, this event is valuable because it combines breadth with specificity. You are not just hearing that additive manufacturing matters; you are seeing how the ecosystem is being assembled around real industrial use. Practical Details Location: In person at Messe Frankfurt (Congress Centre Messe Frankfurt) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Messe Frankfurt is a major trade fair venue, making it well suited for an event of this scale and format, with room for extensive exhibition activity and on-site business meetings. When: Tuesday, November 15 at 12:00 AM UTC. If you are planning travel from another region, make sure to confirm the local Frankfurt schedule and any venue-specific entry details before attending. Because this is an in-person trade fair, it is worth arriving with a plan. A focused approach can make the event significantly more productive, especially if you are evaluating multiple technologies or trying to cover specific parts of the process chain. A few useful ways to prepare: Identify your priority topics before you arrive, such as materials, machines, software, or production integration List the questions you need answered about cost, throughput, qualification, and deployment Leave time for discovery, since some of the most useful insights come from unexpected conversations Wear comfortable shoes and plan your route, especially if you expect to spend most of the day moving between exhibitors and meetings If your goal is to get a clear, current picture of industrial additive manufacturing, Formnext 2022 is one of the most efficient places to do it. It brings the technology, the business context, and the production conversation together in one venue.
Who should attend
If you work anywhere along the path from product idea to production, this is where you can quickly see what additive manufacturing looks like at industrial scale. - **You’re evaluating or expanding industrial 3D printing capabilities** and want a practical view of the full AM process chain in one place, from design and materials through hardware, software, post-processing, and production workflows. - **You lead manufacturing, engineering, operations, or innovation teams** and need to understand where additive fits into real-world production, supply chains, tooling, prototyping, and end-use parts. - **You’re a product designer, design engineer, or R&D specialist** looking for new ways to improve part performance, reduce complexity, speed up iteration, or unlock geometries that conventional manufacturing can’t easily deliver. - **You’re responsible for sourcing, partnerships, or technology scouting** and want to compare vendors, platforms, and capabilities efficiently at one of the industry’s key in-person gatherings. - **You work in an advanced manufacturing business** and need a sharper read on where the market is moving, what technologies are maturing, and how peers across the sector are approaching adoption. - **You’re already in AM and want to stay current** by seeing the latest industrial applications, meeting others in the field, and pressure-testing your roadmap against the broader ecosystem.