Registration Opens for Formnext Chicago: US Version of World’s Largest AM Trade Show

Registration has opened for Formnext Chicago, the North American edition of Formnext, the world’s premier additive manufacturing (AM) show, which will be held April 8-10, 2025, at Chicago, Illinois’ McCormick Place. The show is a venue for everything involved in AM, including material providers, additive equipment, postprocessing solutions, engineering, inspection and software needs.

The trade fair will help discrete part producers integrate AM solutions for metal, plastics, composite and ceramic materials.

“If AM is to achieve its full potential in design, lead time, supply chain and overall business efficiencies, it must be linked to the larger manufacturing technology industry,” says Douglas K. Woods, president of AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. “The face-to-face meetings and discovery of new solutions at Formnext Chicago will enable faster and wider industrial AM adoption, as well as spark new AM innovations.” 

Formnext Chicago is a collaboration between industry leaders AMT (the producers of IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show), global trade leader Mesago Messe Frankfurt (the producer of the flagship show Formnext in Germany), and Gardner Business Media (North America’s leading media company serving business and manufacturing leaders).  

“Mazak is excited to be a founding partner of Formnext Chicago, which will bring the best in additive technologies to Chicago in April 2025,” says Bridget Spears, marketing and communications manager at Mazak. At Formnext Chicago, Mazak says it will showcase the VC 500A/5X HWD hybrid multitasking machine, which incorporates joining hot wire deposition AM technology.  

“Members of the tool and die industry should attend Formnext Chicago because we will show them how they can grow a casting in a matter of hours,” Spears says. “With legacy technology, it could take six to 15 months to get a casting made and machined. The ability to accelerate product development, repair and replacement times makes hybrid solutions a game changer.” 

EOS also plans to participate in Formnext Chicago. “EOS has been engaged with both Formnext and AMT for many years. The combined strengths of these two organizations brings exceptional value to additive manufacturing,” says Glynn Fletcher, president of EOS North America. “Formnext Chicago brings together the best of both organizations to stimulate peer-to-peer engagement and further AM as a production solution.”  

The Next Logical Market 

North America is the biggest market for AM equipment and products in the world, and the manufacturing industry holds vast, untapped potential. Organizers say Chicago is a logical choice for Formnext in the U.S. because it is the epicenter of U.S. manufacturing. The Chicago area has 11,968 manufacturing business establishments which employ 420,000 people and create $74.5 billion in manufacturing output.  

“Formnext has been an incredible show in Europe. I think partnering with Formnext is one of the best decisions that AMT has ever made, and it just puts Formnext Chicago head and shoulders above other shows,” says John “Jay” Rogers, CEO of Haddy, the world’s first fully digital furniture company powered by 3D printing technology. 

Scott Dennis, the CEO of 3DEO, also notes the strength of Formnext in Germany: “It’s a massive show convening people who are actually using AM technology. Bringing that to the United States can help create a new additive manufacturing/manufacturing technology meeting place. Formnext Chicago is where U.S. companies can find partners to increase AM adoption in production applications.” 3DEO will feature its Intelligent Layering metal AM process at Formnext Chicago.  

Melanie Lang, co-founder and CEO of FormAlloy Technologies, notes that Formnext Chicago’s connection to IMTS benefits the manufacturing community, where users demand repeatable, reliable and profitable performance from their technology investments. 

“We exhibit at IMTS and at Formnext Chicago because it helps engage with a targeted audience that wants an additive-focused resource for high-quality manufacturing solutions,” she says. “Visitors to Formnext Chicago can engage with us to see how our directed energy deposition (DED) systems and services, and FormAlloy’s DEDSmart technology provide greater manufacturing flexibility and repair efficiency.” 

Formnext is the leading trade fair for AM and the next generation of intelligent manufacturing solutions. It focuses on the efficient realization of parts and products — from their design to serial production. It is organized by Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH and the 2024 event will run Nov. 19-22, 2024, in Frankfurt, Germany.