Record TUBE CHINA 2024：face economic challenges- key technologies wire, cable and tube and pipe remain system-critical

What a great TUBE CHINA 2024 season! With 1,500 exhibitors from 60 countries on 67,400 square metres the biggest wire in its almost 40-year Düsseldorf success story; and Tube with around 52,200 square metres and 1,200 exhibitors from 54 countries that now increasingly looks to energy efficiency and sustainability!

A total of 2,700 exhibitors came to Düsseldorf proving over five trade fair days and on around 120,000 square metres’ net exhibition space that the wire, cable and tube and pipe industries and their upstream suppliers are ready for future energy-related challenges. The fact that they are also among the system-critical sectors worldwide also strengthens the position of their world-leading Düsseldorf trade fairs.

The desire for personal exchange in these – economically and geopolitically – difficult times was clearly noticeable in the industry. “The world seems to turn faster and we turn with it. Every two years our industries get together here in Düsseldorf – the community stands by its location on the Rhine. We are very grateful for this and are working consistently to ensure that wire and Tube will also remain their industries’ No. 1 trade fairs in future,” delights Daniel Ryfisch, Director TUBE CHINA 2024 Technologies.

Exciting line-up of side events in the exhibition halls

However, insights into the exciting transformation processes going on in their industries did not only come care of the 2,700 exhibitors.

For the first time, a packed programme comprising lectures, presentations, special shows and digital guided tours accompanied the hustle and bustle in the exhibition halls.  Special Areas and digital trails on such hot topics as ecoMetals, hydrogen, plastic pipes, separating, cutting, sawing and stainless steel provided information on their news and trends.

Experts from numerous exhibiting firms presented their companies’ sustainability strategies, discussed paths towards the green transformation and energy and climate policy with the audience or presented successes already achieved on the way to decarbonisation. Be it the wire & Tube Convention, ITA-Forum, BDS Forum, SawExpo Forum, Special Area Plastic Tubes & Pipes or the digital ecoMetals and high potential trails – the exhibition halls were brimming with innovations.

wire and Tube: fit for the requirements of the future

Trends in wire and cable machines, in wire and cable manufacture, in the trade as well as the latest developments in the field of glass fibre technologies, mesh welding machinery, spring making and connection and fastener technologies were presented in exhibition halls 9 to 17.

“wire & Tube is the place where the future of the wire and tube industries is actively shaped and we introduce the innovations of the last two years to our customers,” rejoices Dr.-Ing. Uwe-Peter Weigmann, board spokesman at WAFIOS AG.

“This year our new developments received extremely positive feedback, which was also reflected by the high number of visitors at our exhibition stand. Alongside new machine concepts such as the modular transfer bending machine BQ10, the theme of “assisted machinery” went down especially well in the context of skilled labour shortages. This machinery assists new staff in setting up, performing individual process steps independently. With four levels WAFIOS has laid the foundation to incorporate machines with their assistive functions long term,” adds Weigmann.

The exhibition stands in Halls 1 to 7.1 made it clear that the tube industry not only “thinks big” but also boasts convincing, sustainable concepts for the use of renewable energies and the reduction of CO² emissions. The sectors using tubes and pipelines are as highly diverse as are the requirements for the material properties and sorts/grades. Here plastic pipes play an increasingly important role, as mirrored by the consistently high footfall in the Special Area Plastic Tubes & Pipes in Hall 1. 

Trade visitors from 135 countries in Düsseldorf

And from which countries did the trade visitors hail? The major producing countries have also traditionally been where most trade visitors come from. Apart from Germany itself, these once again included Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, Austria, the Netherlands, Turkey, Switzerland, Great Britain, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic, the USA, Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, India and Japan.

Noticeably more visitors than before came from Central and North America, Turkey and from Asia. They awarded top marks for the comprehensive line-up and innovative nature of the trade fair stands and praised the presence of almost all market leaders. Networking, exploring innovations at the stands and meeting new suppliers were at the forefront of trade fair visits.