The 17th Blechexpo, international trade fair for sheet metal working, was successfully held together with the 10th Schweisstec, international trade fair for joining technology. 1,190 exhibitors from 41 countries showed where the journey is heading: process improvement and even greater overall efficiency through functional integration and holistic engineering. The 43 percent share of foreign exhibitors once again demonstrated the international significance of the trade fair double.
International experts in sheet metal processing and joining technology presented their latest developments and highlights in nine packed halls. 1,190 exhibitors from a total of 41 countries – 747 exhibitors from the DACH region, 145 from Italy, 28 from Spain, 20 from France, 53 from Turkey, 87 from China and 37 exhibitors from the Benelux countries – met with 40,072 visitors, great interest and a very good atmosphere.
“We look forward to being here every time. Because Blechexpo is one of the big highlights for us,” said Bruderer CEO Reto Bruderer with great satisfaction. “The world of stamping technology meets here in Stuttgart, and the response is extremely positive.” The company’s high-performance punching machines focus on quality, productivity and future-proofing; customer discussions at the trade fair stand focused primarily on precision, speed, digital networking and integrated system solutions.
Trade fair is central platform for personal customer communication
“Blechexpo is a central platform for us to make personal contact with our customers,” confirmed Domenico Iacovelli, CEO of Bystronic Laser. Thyssenkrupp Steel is also concerned with the further development of solutions together with customers to meet their respective requirements: “Blechexpo is a central meeting point for the industry. Especially in times when requirements are becoming more complex, the personal exchange with customers and partners is of great importance,” emphasized Anatol Frantzen, Head of Brand and Marketing Communications at Thyssenkrupp Steel.
Trumpf is also very close to its customers – bending was at the top of the agenda for the company from Ditzingen this year; trade fair visitors were invited to bend their own component and interact with the machine, which met with great interest and an enthusiastic response.
“Schweisstec is the ideal place for us at Cloos to create strong connections,” said Stefanie Nüchtern-Baumhoff, Head of Marketing and Communication at Carl Cloos Schweißtechnik. The company exhibited both intelligent automation solutions and modern systems for manual welding in Stuttgart.
Impressive innovations and enthusiastic winners at the “Best Award 2025”
“Blechexpo/Schweisstec was also an ideal communication and innovation platform in 2025,” said Bettina Schall, Managing Director of trade fair organizer P. E. Schall. This was also demonstrated by the remarkable response to the “Best Award 2025”. “Many companies once again competed for this innovation award and submitted work with impressive developments. I would like to thank all the companies, teams and developers for their efforts,” said Bettina Schall. “With your creative solutions, you are all providing the industry with valuable impetus for process efficiency, future viability and sustainability. This special commitment deserves the highest recognition and many thanks!”
The Best Award recognizes technological excellence, innovative strength and team performance within the sheet metal working and joining industry. In five categories – based on the thematic hall structure of the trade fair – the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places were awarded. The winners were presented with their awards at a ceremony on the afternoon of the first day of the fair.
The winners in the sheet metal, tube and profile processing category were Prima Power, Figure it and InspecVision Limited. In the Punching Technologies category, the solutions from Nidec SYS, Meusburger Georg and REA Elektronik were convincing. First, second and third place went to Carl Cloos Schweißtechnik, CNC Europe BV-Lasermach and Rivit in the cutting, joining and bonding technologies category. In the Pressing and Forming Technologies category, the winners were Dreistern, Genkinger and Werner Schmid. Last but not least, the companies SHL, SurFunction and Kaltenbach Cutting Systems were honored in the steel, metal service and surface technology category.
Forward-looking career campaign and bundled industry power
The specialist presentations in the lecture forum were once again very well attended this year. The “open format invites trade fair visitors to take a seat and explore a topic in greater depth,” explains Georg Knauer, project manager of the trade fair double. “For example, it was about future prospects for production, relieving workloads at the workplace with exoskeletons and automated quality controls through the integration of AI vision,” says Knauer, summing up the program.
“But automated grinding and holistic engineering, inspired by the human body, were also popular presentation topics. We welcomed many trade visitors from everyday operations at the trade fair, as well as prominent visitors including a jubilee forklift truck from Ireland,” reports the project manager.
Another highlight was the “Career Friday” on the last day of the trade fair, where pupils, teachers, students, university representatives and career starters were able to make personal contact with the sheet metal processing industry. “This careers campaign was a first for Blechexpo/Schweisstec and immediately met with a huge response,” confirms Georg Knauer.
Results and successes will hopefully materialize in the coming weeks and months when the newly established contacts lead to real deals between the interested parties and the companies. “We will be delighted if this campaign bears fruit,” explained Knauer. “And we are also pleased that Blechexpo/Schweisstec was once again able to showcase the combined power of the industry. We are already inviting everyone involved to the next industry event in Stuttgart in October 2027!”
