On 5, 6 and 7 October 2020, the European Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) organised its first virtual congress, due to the health crisis!
Even if the number of presentations was lower than in previous years, the quality of the exhibits was there! These three days allowed us, thanks to social networks, to reconnect with the world of powder metallurgy and 3D printing researchers and to get back in touch with the actors of these fields which are constantly in progress.
It was an opportunity to take stock of powder metallurgy in a few figures: Unsurprisingly, the European production of metallic powders for the manufacture of parts, which represented 233,000 tons in 2019, drop by -14% compared to 2018! And we do not yet have the data for 2020!
The declining sectors concern the processes for manufacturing ferrous (-12.7%) and non-ferrous (-7.3%) grades by pressing and sintering, large series processes (>10,000 parts).
Despite this gloomy climate, sectors such as 3D printing (+11.3%), metal powder injection (+3.5%) and hot isostatic sintering (+3.9%) are showing positive growth, thanks in particular to major developments such as the electrification of motor vehicles, the aerospace and aeronautic sector, battery manufacturing, etc., which are all opportunities for the future.
