AVK, European Alliance SMC BMC announce SMCCreate 2022 conference

Havenhuis Antwerpen in Antwerp, Belgium. Photo Credit: Lieven Van de Vel, goodfreephotos.com

The European Alliance for SMC BMC, a European association operating under the umbrella of EuCIA (Brussels, Belgium), and the AVK German Federation of Reinforced Plastics (Frankfurt) expert task force SMC/BMC have joined forces to put together SMCCreate 2022, a conference about design in sheet molding compound (SMC) and bulk molding compound (BMC) composite materials.

This conference will provide valuable insights in the entire product design process from idea to part manufacturing, targeted both at experienced designers and at designers that are new in applying these materials to aid in broadening the horizon for new part developments. “We would like to reinforce that SMC and BMC materials are innovative, cost effective and sustainable, bringing major benefits for consumers and end-users,” says Joan Montobbio, chairman of the Alliance Board. “This conference will provide valuable insights on how to take care of every aspect of the design process.”

The 1 ½-day conference, occurring April 6-7, 2022 at the Hilton Hotel in Antwerp, Belgium, is said will cover a wide range of subjects, all relevant for designers regarding materials selection solutions that provide performance, cost efficiency, manufacturability and sustainability. Questions and topics to be answered include:

How can SMC BMC help you to design great parts, bringing a combination of unique shapes and functional performance?
How can SMC BMC help you to improve sustainability?
What are the key steps in the design process, starting from initial idea to full production series manufacturing?
What are the typical design challenges and solutions?
How to best design for optimal manufacturing?
Which are the tools available for designing in SMC BMC: design software, material data, tooling considerations?
Practical examples of designs and components made in SMC BMC
What’s new in the world of SMC BMC?

Program details and registration link will be provided soon.

“These two European organizations have already been involved in SMC and BMC for many years, truly combining through their members a lot of industry experience,” adds Elmar Witten, managing director of AVK. “Learning from the experts first-hand will help designers to develop unique products that bring value and can be manufactured cost effectively in larger series [production].”