The 24th International Forging Conference (IFC) held in Frankfurt, which I attended, began in 1953 and is the most authoritative conference in the global forging industry. At the meeting, nearly 500 representatives from enterprises, research institutions and universities around the world jointly discussed the most advanced processes, equipment, technologies and their development trends in the global forging industry, and also exchanged market development directions and common concerns of the industry.
This conference is the one with the largest number of participants since the 22nd International Forging Conference was held in China in 2017. Including those attending the small exhibition, about 60 people from China attended the meeting. During the conference, the ForgeNetInternational(International Forging Group) conference was held.
In addition to 6 industry reports from various countries and regions and 38 wonderful technical lectures, 44 enterprises also participated in the conference
Small display. The wonderful reports and small-scale exhibitions of Chinese enterprises also received high attention from the representatives attending the conference, allowing the world to feel China's progress and strength. Chinese forging is not only a major country but has also begun to profoundly influence the development of the global forging industry. Since 1996, except for the 23rd conference held in the United States in 2022 which was absent, the China Forging Association has organized participation in all conferences. The situation reflected in this conference is as follows:
Carbon footprint calculation became a key word at the conference. Many directions were proposed on how to achieve low-carbon emission reduction, such as using green electricity and attaching importance to carbon trading.
The production, storage and utilization of hydrogen energy have received attention. In terms of material preparation, particular attention is paid to the EAF smelting of DRI and pure scrap steel, as well as the use of hydrogen energy for heating in free forging, heat treatment, etc.
It has become a trend to transform traditional forging materials, processes and equipment with AI thinking, that is, to conduct research on how to utilize existing data and large model theories, as well as how to collect data, and some successful experiences have been achieved. Enterprises from various countries have shown great concern about the US tariff policy and regional political stability, and are all seeking solutions that suit them.
The forging industry in North America has made some progress, while that in Europe has remained relatively stable. India has developed slightly faster, and Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have all made some progress. The district performed poorly due to the impact of the development of the automotive industry. The ability of China's forging industry to integrate into the international market is still relatively weak, but it has a good development momentum.
Hot and cold warm precision forging and clean near-forming remain the eternal main directions of the forging industry. Enhancing labor productivity and, on the basis of considering cost and efficiency, extending the service life of molds remains the focus of the industry. The application of modern technologies, including digital and information systems such as ERP and MES that are in line with the actual situation of enterprises, as well as process simulation and digital twin technologies, remains an important means to enhance forging capabilities.