Euro PM2007 congress and exhibition

Abstract

Threatened with bureaucratic over-regulation under the EU's newly enacted REACH legislation, and other competitive challenges, the large tonnage section of the European PM industry did not seem to be facing a rosy future as it met in the Ville Rose city of Toulouse. Nevertheless, the EPMA was seen as having a key role in moving the industry forward and resisting the pressures from the large end users, low cost (Asian) producers, and competing technologies. Europe still leads the world in the manufacture of hard materials, but China is expected to overtake Europe in tungsten carbide and diamond tools production within the next 3–5 years. European sales of metal injection moulded parts continue to grow strongly, doubling in value to E140 million between 1997 and 2003. PM research in Europe is very active, with 40 universities and institutes and over 500 researchers involved. These provided the large majority of the European presentations at PM2007.