The entire world of materials at Industrial Supply 2015

- Ceramics, plastics, and aluminum surprise with new application possibilities
- Material Forum with interdisciplinary lectures on high-tech materials

The further development of materials for use in technical components is a constant topic for the global supply industry. Not only relatively new materials such as carbon- or glass fiber-reinforced plastics offer great potential, but also traditional materials like aluminum, rubber, and technical ceramics surprise with new application possibilities – to be experienced at Industrial Supply, the international leading trade fair for industrial supply solutions and lightweight construction as part of HANNOVER MESSE from April 13 to 17, 2015.

“It is always impressive at HANNOVER MESSE how engineers manage to continuously improve materials in terms of energy efficiency, strength, or weight,” says Marc Siemering, Head of the HANNOVER MESSE division at Deutsche Messe AG. “Or how they give materials entirely new properties. The Material Forum at Industrial Supply also offers new impulses for this.” The fair provides both sides – users and suppliers – with a comprehensive overview of modern and thus application-optimized high-tech materials. When used material- and energy-efficiently, and combined with new manufacturing or bonding and joining techniques, these materials are gaining international focus in business and ecological interests.

Innovator in technical ceramics

An example is burner tubes made of high-performance ceramics: Advances in process engineering now enable the interior surfaces of the tubes to be equipped with textured surfaces. This can increase heat transfer and, consequently, the energy efficiency of the furnaces.

Remarkable are also the advances in translucent ceramics. Using innovative manufacturing processes, aluminum oxide is made as transparent as glass. The application areas of this new material are diverse: in medical and lighting technology, jewelry and watchmaking – and in deep-sea exploration, which is important for raw material search.

“Diving computers can currently be used up to 150 meters deep. With ceramic displays, the devices withstand even more than 400 meters of water pressure,” reports Martin Hartmann from the Association of the Ceramic Industry, which is represented at the fair with a joint booth. “Ceramics are an innovator, constantly finding new uses in electronics and electrical engineering, but also in chemistry and plant engineering. Where else but in Hannover do companies have the opportunity to meet potential users from all these fields?”

The diversity of reinforced plastics

The variety of application possibilities also attracts companies from the composites industry to Hannover. “The fair is a must for us,” says Elmar Witten from the Industrial Association of Reinforced Plastics (AVK). Member companies benefit from the trend toward increasingly higher energy efficiency. For example, the brand-new Airbus A350 is already made of more than half reinforced plastics. Witten explains the reason: “Considering the lifespan of the aircraft, each kilogram less reduces fuel consumption by three tons.” The main materials used are carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP), such as those used in the innovative passenger cell of the BMW i3. But companies like BASF, Jäger, and LKH Kunststoffwerk Heiligenroth will also use Industrial Supply next year to showcase the trend diversity of reinforced plastics.

Glass fiber-reinforced plastics (GFRP) are also opening up further applications. “GFRP pipes score with strength and corrosion resistance,” explains Witten. Additionally, advances in process engineering lead to decreasing costs – with the consequence that steel pipes are increasingly being replaced by GFRP pipes in Turkey and the Middle East.

Multifunctional aluminum sandwich panels

Another trend at the fair is multifunctionality: components gain added value through new functions. This saves material and reduces construction sizes. An example is aluminum sandwich panels for construction, transportation, and machinery. The lightweight, stiff panels consist of two aluminum sheets and a wavy core in which heating cables can be embedded. “These panels can be used for underfloor heating. But fillings for acoustic insulation or heat storage are also possible,” explains Herbert Fährrolfes from Metawell GmbH, who uses the fair's synergies for cross-industry networking. “Industrial Supply is a fixed part of our trade fair planning.”

HANNOVER MESSE – Get new technology first!

The world's most important industrial trade fair will be held in Hannover from April 13 to 17, 2015. HANNOVER MESSE 2015 combines ten leading trade fairs in one location: Industrial Automation, Motion, Drive & Automation (MDA), Energy, Wind, MobiliTec, Digital Factory, ComVac, Industrial Supply, Surface Technology, and Research & Technology. The five central themes of HANNOVER MESSE 2015 are industrial automation and IT, drive and fluid technology, energy and environmental technologies, industrial supply, production technologies and services, as well as research and development. India is the partner country of HANNOVER MESSE 2015.