GrindingHub, the new trade fair for grinding technology, is set to premiere from 17 to 22 May in Stuttgart. The organizers, VDW and Messe Stuttgart, are holding a series of press conferences in the key European markets for grinding technology: France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. More than 320 big-name exhibitors from 23 countries have signed up for the first event. This will underpin GrindingHub’s claim to become an international hub for the industry. The lion’s share of exhibitors, around 180 companies in total, are from Germany, followed by Switzerland and Italy with 34 manufacturers each. There are 31 exhibitors from overseas. Distributed over halls 7, 9 and 10 of the Stuttgart exhibition center, approximately 16,900 m² of net exhibition space is already taken .

GrindingHub is organized by the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association), Frankfurt am Main, in cooperation with Messe Stuttgart and with Zurich-based Swissmem (Swiss association of mechanical and electrical engineering industries) as institutional patron.

Modern concept featuring very latest content

Under the banner of “Brings solutions to the surface”, GrindingHub will showcase solutions along the entire value chain. A total of 33 industry sectors will be spotlighted, including cylindrical and non-cylindrical grinding machines, grinding, polishing and honing agents, grinding machines for cutting and machining tools, disposal and treatment of cooling lubricants, and surface grinding machines.

“The portfolios of the individual exhibitors will be supplemented by attractive special shows,” reports Martin Göbel, Head of Trade Fairs at the VDW, in the GrindingHub press conference for Switzerland.  He is referring here to the two special exhibition areas GrindingSolutionPark Industry and GrindingSolutionPark Science: “We are performing a balancing act between business and research, helping to forge ever closer links between the two,” continues Göbel. Various members of the WGP (German Academic Association for Production Technology) are involved as cooperation partners on the research side.

GrindingHub is also a suitable platform for start-ups. The Start-Up Area offers first-class support at a reasonable price, making it easier for innovative companies on smaller budgets to gain a foothold in the market. A further focus is on the digitalization of production. This includes the umati interoperability initiative of the VDW and VDMA (Mechanical Engineering Industry Association), which will showcase global data connectivity in a live demonstration on a joint booth. Various specialist forums and seminars will round off the event.

Digital supplements

“In our eyes, there is no way around offering a digital service – as we have discovered during the pandemic. We are proactively planning the GrindingHub with a hybrid concept,” confirms Göbel. Starting on March 29, the “Web Sessions” will offer a platform in the run-up to GrindingHub where exhibitors can give potential customers an online foretaste of their highlights – which visitors can then experience live in Stuttgart roughly six weeks later. A digital forum will allow professional recordings of 20-minute presentations to be streamed during the fair. Exhibitors will be offered a video production service for the first time. The companies will be able to present video showcases of their products and services in 60 to 90 second clips.

Favorable economic climate offers ideal conditions for new trade fair

The first GrindingHub will be launched in May under optimum economic conditions.  “The general economic climate is better than it has been for a long time,” states Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, Executive Director of the VDW. After the slump in 2020 caused by the pandemic, the international machine tool industry recorded growth of 18 percent last year. According to VDW estimates, this corresponds to global production to the value of 69 billion euros. Grinding is one of the top manufacturing processes here. Accounting for a 7 percent share of global machine tool production, the sector sold goods to the value of 4.3 billion euros in 2020. The list of top global markets is led by China, the USA and Germany, with shares of 33, 15 and 9 percent respectively.

The markets are slowly recovering after the substantial slump in 2020. Schäfer is therefore optimistic: “GrindingHub will help restore momentum to international business after the 2020 slump and help strengthen links between old and new partners,” he says.

A powerful location at the heart of the market

The Stuttgart location is ideal for the event. The exhibition center scores above all with its central location in the heart of the German market and its many years of experience in organizing capital goods events. The VDW and Messe Stuttgart have already collaborated successfully on a number of other projects. Gunnar Mey, Director of Trade Fairs & Events, Messe Stuttgart, emphasizes: “We in Stuttgart are passionate hosts, as we will be as the VDW’s cooperation partner for GrindingHub. Our goal is to help all those involved achieve success, be it with Europe’s most modern exhibition center, our services and partners, or our trade show and industry know-how.”

You can find the press releases on the GrindingHub website and VDW website.