More than 100 exhibitors were on hand to present products and services of interest to forgers, with presentations that covered heating, tooling, equipment, testing, automation, conservation of resources, and process and technology improvements for all types of forging operations.
Forge Fair 2006 was held at the Cincinnati Convention Center April 4 through 6. The technology trade show and symposium was organized by the Forging Industry Assn., the trade group for North America's forging industry.
The three-day program also included technical sessions with 54 presentations. These sessions were programmed to alternate with show hours throughout the event.
Forge Fair 2006 offered the following attractions:
• Exposition Hall - Exhibitors offered presentations of working equipment, operating models, A-V demonstrations, and product and literature samples, as well as one-to-one question-and-answer opportunities with vendor representatives. The exhibit hall was closed to general customer traffic when presentations were in session. Food and beverages on the show floor were included in the registration fee, which helped attendees maximize their time for visiting exhibits.
• Exhibitor Sessions - A total of 54 technical presentations were made to generally good attendance during the three days, with many sessions drawing standing-room only crowds. Notable this year were a number of presentations that included video sequences of new forging operations.
• Session Papers - Papers were distributed to attendees at the time of most presentations, and on the exhibit floor once talks had been delivered. Some presenters made their presentations available on CD, too.
• Video Theater - Attendees took advantage of the Video Theater, a separate meeting room provided for exhibitors to show their latest videos to highlight product specifications and operating applications. The video theater operated on a continuous basis concurrent with exhibitor presentations. To assist attendees in organizing their daily schedules, show times for the various videos were posted on-site.