Signs of optimism in the outlook of the plastics and rubber industries were found as exhibitors began making their stand reservations for Chinaplas 2015, leading to a record-breaking show scale. Over 3,100 companies from over 39 countries and regions are expected to participate in Chinaplas, Asia’s largest and the world’s second-largest plastics and rubber trade fair.

Occupying 25 exhibition halls, Chinaplas 2015’s gross exhibition area will exceed 230,000 m². Thirteen international pavilions have confirmed their participation, including Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, the UK, the USA, China, and Taiwan.

“The booth booking for Chinaplas 2015 is overwhelming,” says Ada Leung, assistant general manager of Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., the organizer of Chinaplas. “We have already recorded over-booking of certain theme zones such as Film Technology and Packaging. Increased booking is also seen in the Extrusion Machinery and Auxiliary Equipment zones.

“Besides several hundreds of new exhibitors, many past exhibitors have requested… booth expansion. The reservation status somewhat reflects the market trends in the plastics and rubber industries.”

Packaging’s Momentum

According to a study from the Freedonia Group, packaging will remain the largest single market for plastics processing machinery. Equipment utilized in the production of plastic packaging products will expand at the fastest pace through 2017, accounting for one-third of total sales revenue of plastics processing machinery. This is thanks to the growing demand for packaging products and increasing food and beverage manufacturing activities due to rising living standards in developing countries.

Film and sheet technology is another evolving area, as domestic players are rallying their R&D efforts to develop their proprietary technology which was dominated by developed countries. For example, Jinming Machinery, a Chinese extruder maker, has partnered with BASF to jointly develop solutions for co-extrusion film for the local market.

“Greenovation” and Healthcare

At the same time, the auxiliary equipment market is gaining momentum, with the world’s regulations in place to promote a “circular economy” and a “zero waste” policy for the end-of-life of products. At Chinaplas 2015, expect to see more recycling solutions at the fairground provided by global leaders and Chinese companies.

With the great success of last year’s concurrent activities, namely “The City of Tomorrow” and the “Green Conference,” the 2015 edition will carry forward the same theme with “Greenovation—Solution to Sustainability,” through a variety of activities organized at the fairground covering the hottest topics, such as processing line automation, applications of medical plastics, and design for sustainability.

Industrial automation will be an area worth the industry’s attention. According to the latest findings released by the International Federation of Robotics, China was the largest destination for industrial robots in 2013, purchasing 36,560 units, a fifth of the world’s total robots, with an annual growth rate of 60%. Many big corporations in China have already benefited.

Medical plastics will be another area to experience exponential growth, thanks to the aging population and the high demands of low-cost access to the medical system in Asian countries and the developing world. Healthcare spending in the Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.5% over the next five years, reaching $2.21 trillion in 2018, according to a healthcare report by Frost & Sullivan.

In the Zones

“We are hoping [Chinaplas] visitors can benefit not only from meeting the international exhibitors and their latest products in our show, but also [from] the variety of concurrent events and activities that embrace the latest development and visions of plastics and the rubber industry we bring into the fair,” says Leung. BASF will join hands with Chinaplas to showcase a range of innovations by highlighting how plastics enable good product designs and innovation to improve our life.

“Apart from the expanded Machinery Zone, the Chemical Zone will also house around 800 chemical exhibitors, making it the world’s biggest of its kind. There are some new joiners from Middle East countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia to exhibit in the Zone for the first time,” adds Leung.

Chinaplas will be held May 20-23, 2015, at the China Import & Export Fair Complex, in Pazhou, Guangzhou, China. It’s being organized by Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., and the show website is www.chinaplasonline.com.