August 16th - 18th, 2010
Sandton Convention Centre
Johannesburg
WHAT is Afrimold?
concept > design > engineering > prototype > manufacture
Unique opportunity to connect with Africa’s top mouldmakers
afrimold, aims to create a strategic platform to highlight mould-making and tooling and to enhance product development throughout the African continent as well as advancing business, technology and design.
Prestigious exhibitors who have already secured their places at the inaugural event include 3D Solids, Retecon and Bohler Uddeholm Africa.
Margie Oosterlaak, Marketing Manager at 3D Solids says the company is very excited to be participating in this first event in Africa. “We are part of the Stratsys Group which traditionally successfully participates in both euromold and amerimold. This show will give us the chance to demonstrate our 3D printers for prototyping to our direct target market on the African continent.”
“Our product is such that it needs to be seen for customers and prospects to appreciate the true value of our system and afrimoldprovides us with the ideal platform for exposure to our specialised target market. We have had interest from Namibia and look forward to enhancing our interaction with them at the exhibition,” she concludes.
A high level conference program is planned to run concurrently with the afrimold exhibition which will address tooling technologies from design through manufacture and conversion and include all the manufacturing disciplines such as plastics, metal forming and foundry (low pressure, high pressure and sand casting).
The exhibition has received the endorsement of the “The Toolmaking Association of South Africa (TASA)
afrimold will for the first time bring experts together in South
Africa to share experiences in the vital area of product development,
tooling and manufacture, based on the very successful
formula from EuroMold in Germany.
The annual afrimold exhibition will host a conference with international
and local speakers who will present varied papers
on all aspects of the product development, – i. e. cycle tooling
and manufacture, leading to successful launches of new products
in a variety of industries.
The latest tooling technologies will be discussed, with international
principals showing the very latest in machine tool technologies
which are contributing a competitive edge in tooling
design and manufacture.
Three Keynote addresses have been secured including Pierre
Terblanche, a very successful South African designer based in
Italy who for many years revolutionised design at Ducati and
recently completed the design of a hydrogen powered bicycle
in SA. He will talk about design in the competitive world of expensive
motorbikes and factors leading to product successes.
Wolfgang Diehl of Fraunhofer will deal with the latest technologies
for well adapted tool coatings that can signifi cantly improve
the tool life and the economic effi ciency of forming and
cutting processes. Additional embedded thin fi lm sensors
offer the opportunity to measure forces and temperatures
during the forming processes. The presentation will give a
survey of the state of the art and actual coating developments
for different applications.
Dirk van Dyk of the National Tooling Initiative and colleagues
from the Gauteng and Western Cape Tooling initiatives respectively
will update the delegates to local developments inSA from the government perspective to fast-track the tooling
manufacturing base.
The importance of product design will be discussed by two of
South Africa’s leading Industrial Designers, Brian Steinhobel
and Peter Dreyer respectively, and they will highlight local and
international successes.
International machine tool suppliers will deliver papers on the
latest machining technologies, with many also exhibiting the
latest equipment in the exhibition areas.
The services industry to tooling will also present papers in
areas as diverse as metallurgy for the selection of the right
material to manufacture the tool, to the latest simulation and
prototyping technologies.
Each presentation will be 30 minutes duration, with ample
time for questions. The conference is an excellent opportunity
for delegates to network, and the speakers are established
specialists in a variety of areas contributing to this vital industry.
You will have the chance of meeting face-to-face, with local
and international experts in the fi eld, as well as free entry to
the exhibition. All teas and lunches are included over the three
days, an excellent opportunity of meeting new people in a
professional and relaxed environment, conducive to new business
opportunities, as is the EuroMold experience developed
over 16 years of holding the exhibition in Frankfurt Germany.
This is a conference not to be missed and will inform you of
the latest developments in the industry.
Please confi rm your booking to catch the “Early Bird Price” book before July 15th to avoid disappointment.
Register online at www.afrimold.com
Download full pdf
of afrimold Conference Program
AFRIMOLD SHOW POISED TO BOOST SA MANUFACTURING POTENTIAL
South Africa is simply not doing enough to attract the right type of business or to become internationally competitive to its true potential.
This is a situation that the inaugural afrimold Exhibition, highlighting the critical mould-making, tooling, design and application development industries that are the foundation of all manufacturing, aims to be a prime catalyst in overcoming.
“It is time that the local tooling industry gears itself to taking on the opposition head-to-head. Our tooling companies not only need to become more involved and more innovative, they need to get more competitive,” says Ron MacLarty managing director of the afrimold exhibition that takes place at the Sandton Exhibition Centre from 16-18 August.
“Good toolmakers will never see a recession or an economic downturn; they are always in short supply anywhere in the world,” adds MacLarty. “South Africa needs to encourage tool and mould-making as a career and profession with appropriate education and training. Our goal should be to benchmark ourselves against the German industry and to realise our potential to be able to take on the likes of China in exports of tooling, moulding and design solutions.”
Management at EDM Shop -- a specialist provider of CNC mills, high speed machining centres, CNC lathes, Wire EDM machines, RAM EDM machines and surface grinders to tool rooms, -- have strong views on the South African industry.
EDM Shop director Steven Andrews says the South African Tooling industry is “in tatters” because the country is exporting its natural resources which are then converted into tooling and products that are then re-imported.
“We’re missing out on the most important and profitable part of the value chain. There needs to be real change and although government is making hesitant steps in the correct direction they are still missing a vital point.
“All their efforts are based on creating new BBBEE- based businesses instead of helping existing and profitable businesses become BBBEE with access to cutting edge technology, creating a market for their abilities and more importantly, creating sustainable employment.
“If we can get some DTI officials to visit and spend time at afrimold perhaps some of these issues can be debated with the people that are making the real effort and spending real money, trying to improve the Tooling Industry as represented by the people exhibiting at and visiting afrimold.”
Andrews adds that he does not believe the first afrimold will create any valuable export contracts as the exhibitors are mostly companies that are currently importing their wares and selling them in South Africa. However, he thinks South Africa could be a valuable trade partner, in the mould industry, to Europe and the USA as there are no language barriers, “we still have good skills and we have a labour force that could easily be trained into the ‘Eastern model’ of manufacturing tooling and producing product.”
Major South African steel and high performance metals supplier Bohler Uddeholm Africa, an exhibitor at afrimold, also has strong views. “The industry needs to wake up,” says Chris de Wet, the company’s Gauteng manager for steel and high performance metals, adding that the afrimold exhibition could not come at a better time.
“After all, production and manufacturing is the backbone of an economy. afrimold will draw attention to this and highlight the need for skills development and training for future tool and mould makers in South Africa, an area into which Bohler Uddeholm is directing a lot of effort.”
He adds that Bohler Uddeholm is adding value with specialised steel, heat treatment technology and machining. “With our roots in Austria and sourcing high quality product from our top steel mills in Europe and South America, we have easy access to considerable reservoirs of knowledge, technology and innovation.”
David Owen, general manager sales and marketing at Tool steel and specialised metals supplier Schmolz & Bickenbach South Africa, says the major competition lies in the Far East and the South African industry needs to focus on becoming more competitive. He believes a more flexible and co-operative labour environment would assist.
“I also believe afrimold is a serious step in the right direction for us, providing a platform for the local industry to demonstrate to foreign markets that it is vibrant and capable with the potential to become a strong international competitor.”
Unitemp, the South African agent for hot runner systems manufactured by Thermoplay of Italy for the plastic injection moulding industry welcomes the afrimold Exhibition. “Our market involves plastic packaging in general, including cosmetics, domestic appliances, medical equipment and automotive components,” says unitemp marketing and PR manager Natalie Liddle. “We need to be alert to new trends and directions in overseas markets and afrimold is a significant opportunity for the local tool, die and moulding industry to benchmark itself and ensure the industry remains vibrant and competitive.”
Register online at www.afrimold.com
Contact Details:
Ron Mac Larty - Managing Director
C: +27 (0) 72 353 6699 | T: +27 (0) 11 873 6644 | F: +27 (0) 865 162975
Email:
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