With more exhibitors than ever before, LOPEC 2023 came to an end: 168 exhibitors from 25 countries and over 2,300 visitors from 43 countries came to the ICM at Messe München from 28th February to 2nd March. At the booth of the Research Association 3-D MID, demonstrators from current research projects and innovations from members, in particular Ensinger, were on display, arousing keen interest among visitors. Robert Süß-Wolf and Prof. Jörg Franke from the Research Association explained the tasks and organization of the Research Association for Mechatronic Integrated Devices and pointed out the advantages for companies that can be used with a membership. Markus Ankenbrand and Felix Häußler presented their research projects using posters.
A striking feature among the visitors was the large number of international contacts with company representatives from the printed electronics sector and with staff from international research institutions.
The focus in the field of printed electronics is on development, materials, process chains, quality assurance, business models and sustainability. Here, a large number of overlaps with the topics of mechatronic integration can be seen, as substrates such as films are often functionalized in two-dimensional space and then shaped to suit the application. The additive manufacturing of assemblies in multimedia printing systems is trend-setting. Here, diverse materials can be processed in adequate print heads to generate assemblies in one machine.
Participation in LOPEC was a complete success for the Research Association in terms of its goals, namely the promotion of technology for the manufacture of mechatronic devices, international networking and joint industrial research.