For more information:

DEMAT GmbH

49 69 27 40 03 0

Fax 49 69 27 40 0340

www.euromold.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EuroMold to Feature Conference on Worldwide Advances 
in Rapid and High-Performance Tooling 

FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, USA, August 27, 2002—DEMAT GmbH and Wohlers Associates, Inc. announced today an industry conference titled Worldwide Advances in Rapid and High-Performance Tooling. This special and intriguing one-day conference will focus on some of the most important methods, applications, and technologies for rapid tooling, and on tooling systems that offer superior performance. The event features world-class speakers that will share secrets and advice on the new methods of tooling that work well and those that do not. The conference will be held on Friday, December 6, 2002, in Frankfurt, Germany.

The international conference is a part of EuroMold 2002, a trade fair that is expected to draw more than 50,000 engineers, toolmakers, managers, and executives from around the world. The trade fair is December 4-7, 2002, at the Frankfurt Exhibition Center in Frankfurt, Germany. “This year, 1,600 exhibitors from 45 countries are expected to participate in EuroMold,” said Diana Schnabel, an executive at DEMAT, the organizer of the annual event. “In years past, rapid tooling has ranked as one of the top topics of interest among those who attend,” Schnabel explained. The conference targets manufacturers of consumer electronics, sporting goods, medical supplies and instruments, industrial machinery, business machines, aircraft, and automobiles.

The conference will provide updates on several advanced methods of tooling, such as Direct Metal Deposition (DMD) from The POM Group, Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) from EOS, Electron Beam Melting (EBM) from Arcam, Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) from Optomec, M3 Linear from Concept Laser GmbH, ProMetal from Extrude Hone, RSP Tooling from RSP Tooling LLC, Sprayform from Ford, SLS tooling from 3D Systems, and Ultrasonic Consolidation from Solidica.

“In recent years, some methods of rapid and high-performance tooling have improved to the point where they now provide vital strategic benefits to organizations,” explained Dr. Eberhard Döring, another executive at DEMAT. Some of these methods enable users to embed cooling channels that conform to the shape of mold or die cavities, thus improving production cycle time. Other methods reduce or eliminate the need for EDM (spark erosion), saving significant time and expense. The conference will also discuss software and hardware for high-speed cutting using CNC machining centers, and how this class of technology compares to the growing range of alternative solutions.

Ten speakers from around the world will participate in the conference. The Global Alliance of Rapid Prototyping Associations (GARPA), a non-profit organization, has endorsed and is participating in the event. In 1998, GARPA was co-founded by industry consultant Terry Wohlers, president of Wohlers Associates, Inc. Wohlers is organizing and chairing the conference.

DEMAT GmbH (Frankfurt, Germany) organizes some of the most successful trade fairs in Europe. For more information on EuroMold and the tooling conference, phone 49 69 27 40 03 0, fax 49 69 27 40 03 40, or visit http://www.euromold.com.

Wohlers Associates, Inc. (Fort Collins, Colorado, USA) provides technical, marketing, and strategic consulting on the new developments and trends in product development, prototyping, tooling, and manufacturing. For more information, visit http://wohlersassociates.com. 

GARPA was formed to encourage the exchange of information on rapid prototyping and tooling across international borders. Members include groups and associations in Australia, Canada, mainland China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden, the UK, and the USA. More information on GARPA is available at http://www.garpa.org.

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