India Essen Welding & Cutting expo gets underway at Mumbai; also Tube International 2012 and Metallurgy 2012

The India Essen Welding & Cutting International Trade Fair got underway in Mumbai. Held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre between 30th October and 1st November 2012, the fair had the Tube International 2012 and Metallurgy India 2012 keeping company. Three fairs were thus held concurrently, and across three adjacent halls. The fairs, interconnected in a manner where visitors found it easy to access either of the fair/s they were looking at, the events, organised by Messe Essen and Messe Dusseldorf India jointly, saw the participation of leading players in the field of wires and tubes, welding and cutting technology, and metallurgy. Spread across three halls, and held under the Indo-German (Urban-Mela) initiative that encompasses as well as celebrates the sharing of culture, trade and various other activities between India and Germany, the event witnessed the participation of exhibitors and visitors from many markets of the world.

With German companies putting up a good presence, second only to Indian companies, the Welding & Cutting show saw the participation of companies like Ador Frontech, Anand Arc, Beilum Futuo, Bevel, Bohler India, Capilla Schweissmaterialien, Carl Cloos Schweissmaterialien, Carbo-Weld GmbH, Changzhou Longren Mechanical & Electrical, D & H India, Dinse GmbH, Egyptian Swedish Welding Electrodes, ESTA Apparatebau GmbH & Co KG, Ewac Alloys (By L&T), Fabmax, Formdrill India, Future Automation Technologies, GCE India, Hoganas India, igm Roboticsystems India, ITW India, Jai Gopal Engg, Jayesh Group, Jinan Xinlian Welding Equipment, Jiwanram Sheoduttrai Industries, Kemper GmbH, Kunshan Gintune, Klinweld, Kobelco, Kimberly-Clark, Koike Cutting & Welding (India), Malu Electrodes, MEL Mikroeletronik GmbH, Nevatia Steel & Alloys, Novel Surface Treatments, Panchmahal Steel, Pema Welding Automation, Prasum Metals, Regent Biochem India, Safra A, Enor Metals, Serimax, Shenzhen Jasic, Stanvac Superon India, Tianjin Leigong Welding Alloys, Unique Welding, Venus Wire Industries, Warpp Engineers, Weldcraft, Weldwell Speciality, Wuxi Hualian Precision Machinery, and Zhenzhou Chuanwang Welding Consumables. With country pavilions of Germany, Italy, China, etc., the exhibitors employed innovative and attractive ways to display their products and capabilities. The focus areas were welding technology, welding equipment, cutting tools, soldering apparatus, tools, measuring equipment, analysis technology and measuring instruments, and industrial health and safety.

In his remarks about the India Essen Welding & Cutting Fair 2012, which saw the participation of over 140 exhibitors across 12 countries, Udo Schuertzmann, Managing Director, Messe Dusseldorf, said, "This fair, in its fifth edition, marks ten years of successful run in India". "This show from its inception has grown from strength to strength and now stands as a premier event for the welding industry in India," he added. The 5th Tube International 2012 and the 4th Metallurgy 2012 show saw the participation of over 170 exhibitors from 16 countries according to Mr Schuertzmann. Werner M Dornscheidt, President & CEO of Messe Dusseldorf, said, "India is the second largest growth market in the world. The steadily rising quality of life, emergence of young population, which enjoys growing purchasing power, is benefiting various industries including the building sector, power, vehicle and aircraft industries. This makes India a desirable and promising partner for investments."

The two shows witnessed the participation of 172 exhibitors from sixteen countries. With the support of International Tube Association, the concurrent shows had international companies put up displays under their respective country pavilions, some of these being Germany, Italy, Austria, China, USA, Taiwan and China. Some of the prominent exhibitors at the biennial Tube International fair were Ajax Tocco, Anand Seamless Tubes, Asian Tubes, Ampco Metal S. A., AWS Schafer, BLM Group, Blue Star, DEE TEE Group, Divy Rollform, EFD Induction India, Eisenbau Kramer GmbH, Euromaquina S.L, Foshan Yuan Xing Hong, Framag Industriean lagenbau, Grind Master India, Harve Teniq, Hubei Xinyegang Steel, H Folke Sandelin AB, Inductotherm (India), Jiangyin Cuntai Thermal Equipment, Kanefusa India, Khanna Industrial Pipes, Le Guellec Tubes SAS, Linsinger Maschinenbau GmbH, Mahalaxmi Seamless, Mahavir Tube Corporation, Maier+Vidorno GmbH, Manhar Seamless Tubes, Mair Research S.p.A, Mingheng Pipe Fittings, NBG Systems GmbH, NDTS India, Officine MTM SpA, Patels Airflow (Tube Div.), PMC-Colinet, Raajratna Ventures, Rajendra Stainless, Ravik Engineers, Remi Metals Gujarat, Rosendahl Maschinen GmbH, Schuler Pressen GmbH, SGGT Hydraulik GmbH, SMS Meer GmbH, Supergold Pipes, Surya Roshni, Shandong Huitong Steel Pipe, Shijazhuang Zhongtai Pipe Techology, Stalatube Oy, Supergold Pipes, Taiyuan Heavy Industries, Tata Steel - Tubes Technofour, Tianjin Pipe, Timcal, Wirtschaftskammer Osterreich AW-Auslandsveranstaltung, Yangzhou Lontrin Steel Tube, Zelezarny Veseli A.S., and Zibo Wel-Fit Metal Products. With innovative and attractive ways of displaying products and highlighting capabilities the common theme across stalls, exhibitors at Tube International 2012 and Metallurgy India 2012 aimed at the wire industry, cable industry, automotive supply industry, electrical industry, aerospace supply industry, electrical engineering and electronics industry, telecommunications Industry, computer manufacturing, chemical industry, and building and construction Industry.

Drawing people from the above mentioned industries, and new emerging industry segments as well, the concurrent shows attracted a good number of visitors from the wire and cable application industries. Emphasis by some companies on the products they offer, or already supply to the auto industry (Kobelco highlighted application of welding consumables in autos, and Cotmac, which represents Indalco in India, highlighted the use of aluminium wires in the manufacture of aluminium vehicle structures) was a marked departure in the manner they are targeting their audience! Some brilliant displays from companies, in a manner similar to those that aimed at the auto industry, targeted visitors from the building and construction, transportation, electronics and machinery manufacturing.

With a good number of visitors from the advisory level, and at a level where they can take a decision as far as procurement goes, visiting the event, the show floor across the three halls saw good activity. Some exhibitors reported concluding sales during the show and receiving potential sales for the near future. Highlighting once again the intention of many global companies to penetrate India, and be a part of the high growth the country is witnessing, many exhibitors expressed that they continue to be bullish about India, no matter what the current situation is like.