SteelFab 2023 fair confirms the event’s growing importance at regional and international levels.

Staff Reporter, Gulf Today

Expo Center Sharjah (ECS) has revealed that the 18th edition of the SteelFab 2023, the largest event of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region, will see the participation of more than 200 local and international exhibitors from 33 countries representing eminent international manufacturers, suppliers and 400 major global brands of metalwork industry.

The event, which is organized by ECS with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) in the period January 9 to 12, brings together steel industry leaders, experts and stakeholders, and a number of the most important leading countries in this field in national pavilions that include major commercial and industrial companies in the world – particularly from Britain, China, Italy, India, Germany and Turkey, as well as a host of local and regional industry-leading companies.

The exhibition provides visitors, professionals and pioneers with a regional and international platform, enabling them to have a closer look at the latest equipment, steelwork machines, modern metal forming technologies and laser cutting systems, as well as metal welding and cutting systems, machine tools, spare parts, pipes and anti-damage techniques.

Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, stressed that the large participation at the SteelFab 2023 fair confirms the event’s growing importance at regional and international levels – be it for the giant metal work manufacturers and suppliers or for companies and factories in the region and worldwide. He noted that manufacturers and suppliers always wait for this trade fair to reveal their cutting-edge technologies and systems and enhance their presence in local and regional markets, which have huge investment opportunities.

 Midfa added that ECS, through its continuous support of SteelFab trade fair, has always been keen to play an effective role in supporting the iron and steel sector and promoting its sustainability by providing it with the latest technological developments and the state-of-the-art international practices.

Meanwhile, the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) is increasing the investment in 3D printing with the goal of promoting innovation in a number of sectors and industries, including the crucial manufacturing sector.

With the UAE becoming a global competitor in the field of 3D printing, Sharjah is steadily moving toward taking a frontline position in this field. SRTI Park, as part of its ambition to be the hub for 3D printing technology, has built a unique structure on its premises using 3D- technology, which is one of the prominent technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution related to construction.

 Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of SRTIP, said: “3D printing is a priority area in our investment plan for 2023, because we see great potential for transforming the manufacturing sector through this technology. Integrating 3D printing into production processes reduces costs and eases logistical challenges related to shipping and product scarcity as the required parts can be printed immediately. It also provides unlimited freedom in designing any piece or geometric shape, and allows it to be produced with various materials such as metal powders, plastics, ceramics, and others.”

As part of SRTIP’s vision to be one of the largest and most advanced 3D printing technology platforms in the region, it has collaborated with global companies to establish a unit specialized in additive manufacturing.

The complex has attracted a number of leading international companies in this field, among them General Electric (GE), the American industrial and technology giant, which operates within SRTI’s additive manufacturing unit through a number of advanced devices; and 3DTIV Tech, a division of Modest Company Group, which has been providing a range of products and services to companies in the MENA region, including clients in the oil, gas and construction industry for several years.

Driving the forward-looking companies is SRTI Park’s Sharjah Open Innovation Lab (SOILAB), the first applied incubator for start-ups and innovative companies to create prototypes, in addition to the Middle East Center for Additive Manufacturing, which was launched to advance the UAE’s goal of becoming a global hub for 3D printing.

According to an international survey conducted in February 2022, the overall 3D printing market will grow by 24% to reach $44.5 billion by 2026, and 68% of engineering businesses surveyed said they used 3D printing more in 2021 than in 2020.

There is also a phenomenal growth in the demand for 3D printing in the automotive industry as it continues to innovate in creating components and patterns for metal castings, parts and other vehicle components.