The supporting programme for POWTECH 2023, the international processing trade fair for powder, bulk solids, fluids and liquids on 26–28 September 2023, is more diverse than ever. A VDMA Special Show, which focuses among other things on resource-conserving solutions, will make its debut at the event. This time around, there are even two versions of the expert forum “stagetalks”: stagetalks I will address all POWTECH visitor segments, while at stagetalks II, vendors of pharmaceutical processing technology will for the first time use separate streams to show the solutions they have to offer. Start-ups will be given a separate platform, and there will also be special highlights for students at this year’s event. In addition, anyone wanting to experience a live explosion in a safe environment will have the opportunity to do so twice a day.
POWTECH 2023 promises to be especially interesting. As always, numerous German and international companies will showcase their latest solutions for processing technology. The trade fair will also explicitly cover the integrated processing of solids, semi-solid products and liquids. The trade visitors in attendance come from numerous sectors, primarily chemicals and cosmetics, food and feed, pharmaceuticals and the battery segment. In combination with the PARTEC Congress, the trade fair delivers sound scientific expertise in particle technology.
3 days of concentrated expert knowledge
But it is not just the exhibition and congress that draw the crowds. The wide-ranging supporting programme on all three days of the fair also provides a powerful impetus for innovations in the diverse segments involved in processing bulk solids. The programme also includes some brand-new features:
The VDMA Special Show in Hall 2, Stand 2-204, offers insights into the process chain of the bulk solids industry, from mechanical and thermal processes to air technology. Alongside a wide range of exhibits that facilitate efficient and resource-conserving solutions, the Special Show also addresses current challenges like the amendment to the German air quality control regulations (TA Luft) and the shortage of skilled personnel. Visitors can discuss these and other issues like the trend towards the “biologisation of industry” with VDMA representatives.
At the “Innovation made in Germany” Pavilion in Hall 4, Stand 4-453, German start-ups and young companies will use the platform to promote their innovations and chat with interested visitors. The range on display includes heat pumps and creative sealing and mixing systems, coating technology for micro powders and dust protection systems, and digital solutions like process analysis, live dashboards, process simulation and digital twins.
The POWTECH Campus Pavilion in Hall 1 is the first port of call for information from prestigious universities and other tertiary establishments. It provides a direct point of contact for students who want to experience the world of process engineering in practice and get to know potential employers. They can also get advice on finding topics for bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral theses. The Student’s Day on Thursday takes centre stage and offers students the opportunity to experience POWTECH as part of a digital guided tour. All participants who successfully complete the tour have the chance to win an EVENTIM voucher.
The live explosion protection demonstrations are a crowd puller at every POWTECH. The demonstration of explosions on real industrial equipment by the REMBE Research + Technology Center is a long-standing tradition at POWTECH. Twice a day at 12:00 and 16:00 (as early as 15:00 on Thursday), spectators can feel the effects of explosions and find out how protective systems work.
Knowledge-to-go in the expert forum “stagetalks”
Every day from 9:30 to 17:30, the two expert forums “stagetalks” in Hall 4 will offer high-calibre presentations on a wide range of POWTECH topics at 30-minute intervals.
On Tuesday morning, the expert forum “stagetalks I” at Stand 4-100 focuses on practical solutions for food and “new food” production. In the afternoon, experts from exhibiting companies will explain how they support process optimisation and in doing so pave the way to Industry 4.0.
Under the banner “Food goes Powder”, the Wednesday morning sessions are devoted to issues affecting the food industry. From 13:00, speakers will highlight topics from the POWTECH theme “Fluids meet Solids”, show how effective battery materials are produced in the “Future Energies” stream, and provide insights into “Perfection in the Supply Chain”.
The topics “Sustainability, Safety and Security” are the common thread running through the talks on Thursday morning. Then from 14:00, there will be a presentation of the results of a survey on the shortage of skilled personnel and other labour.
In the expert forum stagetalks II at Stand 4-325, a major thread focusing on pharmaceutical production will run every day from 10:00 to 14:00. As one of POWTECH’s institutional sponsors, the APV ((International Association for Pharmaceutical Technology) played a substantial role in putting the programme together. On Tuesday, the programme focuses on “Development and Manufacturing”, on Wednesday on “Fill & Finish and Lyophilisation (freeze drying)”, and on Thursday on “Analytics and Characterization”. In the afternoons from 14:00, the stage is then free for discussion of all other POWTECH topics, with even more input on “Fluids meet Solids”, particle technology for the battery and pharmaceutical industry, and the possibilities for process optimisation and Industry 4.0.