In late October, Creaform, the Québec, Canada–based technology company that offers 3D engineering services and innovative 3D scanners, completed the acquisition of Genicad, a company in Québec City that specializes in engineering, digital and mechanical design, project management and technical drawing.

“The acquisition is part of Creaform’s growth strategies to strengthen regional operations, secure its position as a major player in the industry and expand its range of 3D engineering services to better meet the needs of our clientele,” explains Chief Executive Officer Martin Lamontagne.

Adds Genicad president Michel Cyr: “This is a most significant move for the industry. The synergy between Genicad and Creaform will create the most important 3D engineering services firm in the Québec City area.”

Over the past 20 years, its expertise and quality services have made Genicad a leading player in Quebec’s mechanical design industry. And Creaform, as a 3D engineering partner known for its drive toward innovation and technological development, is expected to build on Genicad’s excellent reputation.

The acquisition of Genicad is the latest in a series of major steps taken by Creaform during the year. Others include the acquisition in January of InSpeck, a world-leading 3D human body digitizing company, the opening of three new offices overseas this summer, and the international launch in October of an all-new product, the MetraScan 3D scanner.

Genicad offices in Québec City will be closed and the existing employees relocated to Creaform’s offices in nearby Lévis. Creaform will keep the Sainte-Claire offices of Genicad open.

Thin, light, flexible, and inexpensive plastic electronics are the focus of the Plastic Electronics Conference & Showcase 2005, which will be held October 4 and 5 in Hall 4 at Messe Frankfurt. The international forum and marketplace should attract companies and research institutes active in the field of electrically conductive polymer research and application development.

The international conference programme offers more than 70 presentations by renowned speakers from industry and science who will be introducing the latest developments in organic electronics. Panel discussions with market analysts and representatives from venture capital companies will round out the programme.

Companies such as Bayer, Dai Nippon Printing, Dupont Teijin, MAN Roland, Merck, Nokia, Osram, Plastic Logic, PolyIC, Philips, Siemens, and Xerox will take part in the conference. Additionally, seven symposia will focus on specific aspects of organic electronics research areas, including flexible displays; lighting and signage; photovoltaics; sensors; printed electronics and smart packaging; hybrid systems; and smart textiles.

At the accompanying showcase, a place for information exchange between developers, manufacturers, and users, visitors will be able to receive information about the status of this young technology and rapidly growing new industry and to establish contacts with experts in this sector. The showcase will allow exhibitors to position themselves as first movers in this growth market, where the first products are expected to be introduced in 2006.

Billed as an event “where science and industry meet,” the “Plastic Electronics Conference & Showcase 2005” was initiated by the Plastic Electronics Foundation and is being organized by that group in cooperation with the Organic Electronics Association (OEA) of the German engineering federation VDMA.

The “Plastic Electronics Conference & Showcase” The foundation has set up a science board and an industry board to coordinate the conference programme and select topics. Members are from well-known research institutes, universities, and companies.

OEA, a working group within VDMA, is the information and communication platform for companies and research institutes active in organic electronics. Its goal is to create the basic conditions necessary for the establishment of a competitive infrastructure for organic electronics in Germany and Europe.

One of the highlights of EMO 2005 was its Special Youth Show, which was designed to attract new recruits to the mechanical engineering sector. This event was organized jointly by the VDW (Verein Deutscher Werkzeugmaschinenfabriken, the German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) and the DMG-Trainingsakademie in Bielefeld, Germany. Under the motto “Mechanical Engineering: a Power Profession,” the 400-m² show tried to entice prospective engineers with what the profession has to offer, both now and in the future.

Young visitors were able to find out about jobs, key areas of activity, and development prospects in the manufacturing sector. They had the opportunity to talk to exhibitors, trainees and young engineers, and to make useful contacts.

The Special Youth Show was not the only EMO activity with educational goals. On September 15, EMO’s “Teachers’ Day,” teaching staff from colleges of further education were shown the latest technology for use in day-to-day lessons. The German Minister for Education and Research, Edelgard Bulmahn, attended the stand to participate in this special event.

DEMAT GmbH of Frankfurt, Germany, and Wohlers Associates Inc. of Fort Collins, Colorado, are offering another international conference in conjunction with the EuroMold trade fair. This year’s conference, entitled Future Industrial Applications of Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing,will take place Friday, December 2, in the Exhibition Centre Frankfurt.

The theme of the conference is a forward look at additive fabrication technologies in mainstream and emerging industries. Nine speakers will consider which methods and systems are proving most beneficial now and will discuss what the future seems to hold.

Additive processes in applications such as rapid prototyping are becoming increasingly popular in a growing range of industries, according to Wohlers Associates, an industry and market analysis firm. Pioneered in the automotive and aerospace industry around 15 years ago, the technology next was put to work in handheld electronic, power tools, footwear, sporting goods, and other applications. Lately, medical and dental device, architectural, jewelry, and microsystem firms have benefited from previously unthinkable applications of additive techniques.

“This conference, now in its seventh year, is one of the most important events at EuroMold,” said Diana Schnabel and Dr. Eberhard Döring, chief executives at DEMAT, which organizes EuroMold, in a joint statement. The Global Alliance of Rapid Prototyping Associations, a nonprofit organization cofounded by Wohlers in 1998, has endorsed the conference and is participating in it.

World-class speakers addressing a variety of topics involving additive fabrication techniques in rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing will be Martin Augsburg of BMW Group (Germany), Andy Christensen of Medical Modeling LLC (USA), John Hammond of Airbus (UK), Charles Overy of LGM (USA), Dr. Stephen Schmitt of Dental Implant Technologies (USA), Roger Spielman of Solid Concepts (USA), Ms. Lena Thorsson of Particular AB (Sweden), Graham Tromans of Loughborough University (UK), and Terry Wohlers of Wohlers Associates.

SpecialChem S.A., an Internet-based consultancy focusing on specialty chemicals and plastics, has announced the launch of the new Omnexus on-line platform dedicated to innovation and solutions through plastics and elastomers. The portal provides a continuous feed of reports on industry trends, a “polymer selector” to help engineers pick the right material for their projects, and industrial design support from a network of experts.

“Today, manufacturing industries are under strong pressure from low-cost producers based in emerging countries,” says Christophe Cabarry, founder and COO of SpecialChem. “We have been talking to many industrials recently, and their best way to fight cost competition is to innovate and reduce time to market. With Omnexus, we will provide industrial designers and engineers working in plastics and elastomers with technical services to create innovative products and implement better solutions, much faster.”

SpecialChem acquired Omnexus in December 2003 and has been canvassing the industry since then in preparation for improving, expanding, and relaunching the portal. The services offered through Omnexus are open to all designers and engineers involved in material selection and product design.

SpecialChem says that Omnexus should be especially helpful to those involved in high-tech industries such as automotive, electronics, packaging, appliances, medical, telecom, and audio/video. Membership to the Omnexus community is free of charge and gives access to all innovations and services.

“The new Omnexus is also an excellent way for suppliers serving the plastics and elastomers industry to promote new products and technologies,” Cabarry says. He adds that the port can “accelerate the introduction of their innovations, push complex solutions instead of raw materials, find new customers, or detect emerging market trends.”

SpecialChem, headquartered in Paris, supports a global community of more than 75,000 already registered industry professionals with efficient e-tools such as on-line databases and Web seminars. Through its network of industry experts, the company provides suppliers with marketing and business development services that are based on speed, targeting, global reach, and low-intensity use of resources.