Many AM technologies at first SPEXA space industry expo

June 3, 2024

The Space Business Expo (SPEXA), an exhibition for the space industry, was held for the first time at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo from April 24-26. About 60 companies exhibited, including not only major manufacturers and space ventures that develop rockets and satellites, but also small and medium-sized manufacturers that process their parts. About 12,000 people visited the exhibition over the three days.

Among the booths of companies specializing in parts processing, exhibits of additive manufacturing (AM) technology stood out. Shimoda Iron Works (commonly known as “Shimoda Flange”; Hyogo, Japan; President: Shinji Shimoda) exhibited AM products made with a 3D printer that melts metal wire for welding and performs additive manufacturing (=photo). The person in charge of the project cited the advantages of this method: “Compared with layered metal powder molding, internal voids are less likely to form, making it easier to ensure quality.

Tokyo Titanium (Saitama, Japan; President: Ryota Ozawa), a company that handles everything from wholesaling to processing of titanium materials, displayed a large number of work samples, including AM products. President Ozawa said, “Our company can provide support from the design and development stage. We want to show our high level of responsiveness by displaying a wide variety of samples”.