Organised by Reed Exhibitions, the ‘lightweight construction summit’ moves from Essen to the banks of the Rhine - together with the parallel event, the Aluminium World Fair. More than 1,300 exhibitors from more than 50 countries are expected to attend this year’s twin fair. Now in its seventh year, Composites Europe will be host to 400 companies displaying the entire composites process chain - from raw materials to semi-finished products and processing through to the latest technologies, machinery and services. At this year’s event the themes of automation and serial production of composites take centre stage. Three months before the start of the trade fair practically all the big names in the European composites industry have already booked their stands - from the five major CFRP producers to the leading specialists in technology and automation. The CFRP theme will be covered almost in its entirety at Composites Europe. With the competence networks of CFK Valley Stade - taking part in the trade fair with a joint stand of its own for the first time this year - and Carbon Composites, Composites Europe also brings together the leading and most innovative companies of the CFRP technology sector in Düsseldorf. The International Conference of the AVK - Federation of Reinforced Plastics will again be the prelude of the trade fair in 2012. From 8-9 October specialists will speak at the CCD Congress Centre Düsseldorf on innovative applications of fibre reinforced plastics. Conference topics will be the GRP and CFRP market and its environment, as well as current developments for serial production or solutions for joining and adhering, reparations and simulations. Since the beginning of the trade fair, the European industry association EuCIA has been the partner of Composites Europe. In 2011 the trade fair succeeded in winning the world’s largest industry association, the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA), as a second partner. Starting in 2012, the VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen-und Anlagenbau) with its Forum Composite Technology will also support the event. The VDMA will contribute its own lectures to the Composites Forum programme which accompanies the fair. www.composites-europe.com
