As a trade fair, CastForge focuses on castings and forgings and their machining and is held every two years at Messe Stuttgart, where from 4 to 6 June 2024 international manufacturers of castings and forgings, as well as highly specialised processors meet industrial buyers from industries that include mechanical engineering, plant construction, drives, pumps and hydraulics, and utility vehicles.

Regarding the current market situation, Steffen Dittmann — the sales manager at EMB Zerspanungstechnik GmbH, which is exhibiting at CastForge for the first time — said: “The current conditions in the foundry industry can be regarded as critical. High energy costs, new government regulations, and increased CO₂ pricing, are leading to lower demand. End customers are therefore increasingly using benchmarks to compare foundries and downstream work processes. The foundries that continually invested in their machines and focused on automation in the last few years have advantages here.”

The show organiser said: “More than 400 companies have now registered for CastForge 2024 with the aim of cultivating and building business relationships. These companies include a large number of processors that offer customised solutions and first-class processing opportunities.”

Claudius Hennig, managing director of Hennig GmbH, said: “As a professional metal-cutting company, we will be exhibiting at CastForge for the second time. Global supply problems with expensive and time-intensive transport routes are having an adverse effect on many purchasers. CastForge will not only enable us to become acquainted with customers but also discover new partners for our procurement needs.”

Turkey, meanwhile, ranks as the second-largest caster and forger in Europe and the seventh-largest globally, with a total production exceeding 3 million tonnes. The Turkish casting and forging sector exports over 70% of its production, with more than 50% destined for European markets. However, the industry faces many challenges, including ongoing conflicts such as the war between Russia and Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine conflict, which create uncertainties on both international and domestic fronts.

Çetin Tecdelioglu, president of the Istanbul Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals Exporters’ Association (IDDMIB), said: “With Germany being one of the foremost producers in Europe, the location of CastForge presents unparalleled opportunities to forge business relations, tapping into the strength of Germany’s industrial landscape and its extensive ties on the global stage. This year, we are gearing up to participate in the trade fair with a stand covering an area of about 300m², and I am optimistic that by 2026 our presence will expand even more with a larger pavilion.”

SurfaceTechnology Germany will be held concurrently with CastForge. Further details can be found at the website here.