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Exhibition Program Update

2024 Japan International Welding Show

Largest ever to be held in Osaka

April 24-27, INTEX Osaka

The biggest event in the welding industry to be held in Osaka for the first time in eight years

　The 2024 International Welding Show, sponsored by the Japan Welding Engineering Society and Sanpo Publications, Inc. will be held at INTEX Osaka in Suminoe-ku, Osaka City, in Halls 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 over the four-day period from April 24 to 27.

　This will be the first time in eight years that the International Welding Show will be held in Osaka, since the 2020 show was unfortunately cancelled due to the Corona pandemic, despite being the largest welding show ever held in Osaka in terms of the number of exhibitors. The number of exhibiting companies was also expected to be the largest ever for a show held in Osaka, with approximately 340 companies.

　In the past, the show has focused on different historical themes to clarify the progress of welding, joining, and cutting technologies, but this year’s theme is “New Trends in Welding, Joining, and Cutting Technologies Linking People, Culture, and Technology”. This theme is meant to convey the concept of welding as a culture, the intersection of technology and people, the creation of better welding technology, manufacturing methods, and new value, and the global dissemination of these concepts.

　As you know, this is the 27th show since the first one was held in 1969. The show has a 55-year history of being held alternately in Tokyo and Osaka every other year, and will once again bring together all kinds of welding-related technologies, products, and information in a wide range of fields, from welding, joining, and cutting to automation and robotization, laser processing, non-destructive inspection, surface modification, thermal spraying, and the much talked about 3D printing, DX, IOT, and AI.

  In addition to the traditional welding, joining, and cutting-related exhibitors, laser processing-related exhibitors will account for 21% of all exhibitors, and new exhibitors will account for 27% of all exhibitors, making this an extremely active show. In addition, 3D printing-related topics will be actively covered with all major Japanese manufacturers being represented.

The show is characterized by the fact that the majority of visitors are end-user engineers, manufacturers, dealers, universities/research institutes. The industries represented range from the mobility industry, including automobiles and other vehicles, ships, and aircraft, to the construction, machinery, steel, chemical, and petroleum industries.

Opening and Special Lectures

　Keynote speech I, “The Role of Welding and Joining in Building a Society that Fosters Sustainable Development,” will be delivered by Dr. Manabu Tanaka, Executive Vice President of Osaka University, and will be based on the show theme, “Weld Being,” a term coined in connection with “Well-Being”.

　Keynote speech II, “If it’s not fun, it’s not work! — An Insane Management Approach Changes Companies and People”, HITOP Advisor Shosaku Yamamoto will introduce the successful production system of Mr. Yamamoto, who is called the “Dream Factory” by his employees.

　＊Simultaneous interpretation available for keynote speeches

　In addition, Mr. Hiroshi Fukushima, Director and Executive Officer of Iwatani Corporation, will give a special lecture titled “Challenges toward a Hydrogen Energy Society,” in which he will introduce the company’s efforts toward the realization of a hydrogen energy society.

　

Attractive Events to be Held in Conjunction with the Japan International Welding Show

　The Japan International Welding Show is attractive not only because of the variety of related programs and events that are expected to be highly effective at drawing visitors to the show.

　In addition to the traditional forum, we have also planned new events featuring exhibitions and lectures.

　First, “AM World” will be held in Hall 1 for four days during the show, featuring an exhibition of the latest additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, including 3D printing, which have revolutionized manufacturing, and lectures by experts and major manufacturers.

　The “Laser Processing Forum” will feature the latest laser processing technologies and products, as well as two days of lectures on the latest developments.

　In addition, there will be technical seminars covering the latest technical developments and trends in the automotive, shipbuilding, and steel-frame industries, which are representative industries in the Kansai region, as well as non-destructive inspection and coating techniques, which are expected to attract a great deal of interest from visitors.

Events addressing current problems in the welding industry

　While much attention will be paid to the exhibition of new technologies and products designed to solve problems faced by manufacturing plants, such as labor shortages and changes in work styles, the show will also serve as a place to communicate the appeal of welding to the younger generation who will be responsible for the future direction of the welding industry. Therefore, we are planning a variety of high-profile events to enhance the content of exhibits and respond to the labor shortage, with the following policies in mind: to make the show rich in local color unique to Osaka, to attract visitors from a wide range of backgrounds and expand the base of welding, to actively attract young people such as technical high school and university students, and to address the labor shortage.

　In particular, for the first time, we are planning a new event for young people: a welding simulator competition for high school students called “High School Student VR/AR Welding King!”. The International Welding Show has always staged the “Kansai Region High School Welding Contest” (held on April 27) with the cooperation of welding associations in the host region, but this new event uses a VR/AR simulator to allow even welding novices to participate, and aims to get them interested in welding through competing in a simulated contact experience.

　In addition, as a new event unique to Osaka, a manufacturing seminar “Gather 100 companies, the fundamental power of Kansai welding manufacturing” will be held to introduce the activities of local metalworking associations and consortiums, and their member companies!

Furthermore, a “Welding and Joining Fun Pavilion” will be set up to promote the fun of welding to the general public, introducing cutting-edge welding research in the Kansai region and the appeal of welding through experiments and hands-on experience.

High School Student VR/AR Welding King!

　The high school welding simulator competition “High School Student VR/AR Welding King! is designed to encourage interest in welding and promote welding skills that support manufacturing in Japan by having high school students compete in simulated welding experiences using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) welding simulators.

　The competition levels are “Weld King!” for experienced welders and “Rookie King!” for inexperienced welders, involving manual welding and semi-automatic welding, respectively.

　The welding simulators are the VR welding simulator “VRTEX360 COMPACT” manufactured by Lean Kern of the United States, which allows users to experience welding in an artificially created virtual space as if it were reality, and the AR welding simulator “Soldamatic” manufactured by Seabury of Spain, which allows users to experience welding in an augmented space that overlays digital information on the actual visible world. Both products have already been adopted by many educational institutions and companies and are highly acclaimed.

　The welding simulator will score the skills of the participants in the competition, and the participant with the highest score will be the winner. The top finishers will also receive commemorative gifts and other prizes after the competition is over.

　Participants must be enrolled in a high school as stipulated in the School Education Law, and their high school must have applied to participate in advance. The teachers of the high schools at which the students are enrolled must be able to accompany the students to the event.

Welding and Joining Fun Pavilion

　The theme of this exhibition is “Inheritance of Welding Culture,” and its purpose is to make welding accessible not only to researchers and engineers involved in welding, but also to the general public as a culture that should be passed on to future generations. In addition to exhibits that allow visitors to experience cutting-edge welding and joining technologies, talk shows and hands-on corners will be held to emphasize both the importance and fun of welding. A network of welding and joining technology researchers “National Welding and Joining – Stations on the Road” will be introduced during the exhibition period.

　Panel displays and sample exhibits of research results from universities and research institutes on welding and joining technologies from all over Japan will be introduced, along with appearances by researchers and the results of research unique to each region. The purpose is to familiarize visitors with welding research and the researchers involved in it.

Welding and Joining Café (April 25 and 26)

　Talk shows will bring to the stage various welding and joining technologies that are hidden from our daily lives and introduce their roles and importance to students and the general public. The café master and the speakers will emphasize the appeal of welding and joining technologies.

Hands-on corner “Let’s make stained glass” (April 27)

　Under the guidance of experts, students and parents and children will be able to try their hand at making stained glass windows by soldering. Of course, visitors will be able to take home the finished stained glass as a souvenir of their visit.

Kansai Region Welding Contest for High School Students

　On April 27, the final day of the contest, high school students from the Kansai region will gather at the venue to try their hand at making a small pressure vessel using shielded metal arc welding. A welding competition will be held for future welders. After the vessel is fabricated, it will be evaluated using a water injection pressure test.

Trend Seminar

　Exhibitors will present not only the latest welding technologies, but also cutting-edge technologies and new processes such as DX applications, IoT, systems, and robotics.

＊Lectures will be given in Japanese only.

Welding DIY workshops: DIY welding challenge

　Workshops will be held to produce stands, side tables, etc. by welding.

Welding Art Exhibition

　Artwork produced by welding will be exhibited.

Manufacturing seminar “Gather 100 companies! The fundamental power of welding manufacturing in the Kansai region”

　This is a corner where excellent small and medium-sized enterprises in Kansai engaged in welding, cutting, and metalworking in general will present their appeal through panels.  Mini presentations will also be held, providing a new venue for business matching.

Advance Matching Service

　This is a service that allows visitors to make advance reservations to visit exhibitors on the official website of the 2024 International Welding Show. This service enables visitors interested in exhibited products, new technologies, and services to efficiently conduct technical consultations, business negotiations, and transactions with exhibitors at the venue.

Kansai Uimono Hiroba

　Gourmet foods representing the Kansai region will be available for purchase at the Sky Plaza of INTEX Osaka, the venue of the 2024 International Welding Show.

Other events

　The 10th Welding Union Lecture Meeting, the Asian Welding Federation (AWF) General Assembly, and other events are scheduled.

We are pleased to provide you with information on the exhibition program to be held at the venue from April 24 to 27. *Some events and seminars are in Japanese only.

We look forward to seeing you in Osaka!