Formnext Asia Shenzhen to highlight AM for AI thermal management
Formnext Asia Shenzhen 2026, organised by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd, will take place at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center in China from August 26–28.
A focus of this year’s event will be looking at how Additive Manufacturing is supporting the AI sector. One of the sectors fastest-growing engineering demands is in thermal management. With high-density AI server chips exceeding the thermal limits of traditional air cooling, manufacturers are turning to AM to produce liquid cooling components that are too complex for standard machining.
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Once a specialist solution, liquid cooling is now moving quickly into the mainstream of AI infrastructure. Goldman Sachs expects liquid-cooled AI servers to climb from 15% market penetration in 2024 to 76% in 2026, while Reuters, citing a JPMorgan report, projects the global market for AI server liquid cooling systems will exceed $17 billion this year, up from only $8.9 billion last year.
To support this fast-growing area of demand, Formnext Asia Shenzhen 2026 will focus on the global AM supply chain, bringing together suppliers of the AM machines, metal powders and batch production services required for liquid cooling at scale.
Among them, AM equipment suppliers Addireen, AmPro, BCX Laser, Farsoon Technologies, FastForm3D, Han’s Laser, HP Additive, Southern Additive and UNILASER will present laser and Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) machines capable of processing pure copper and copper alloys, materials valued in cooling applications for their ability to dissipate heat but historically difficult to manufacture using metal AM. Grinm Additive and Zhongyuan Advanced Materials will showcase aluminium and copper powders developed for additively manufactured cooling components.
Binder Jetting and powder extrusion will also be represented on the floor. HP 3D Printing will demonstrate Binder Jetting for the batch production of copper cooling components, while Uprise 3D will exhibit powder extrusion systems for technical ceramics used in thermal insulation and management.
Thermal management and liquid cooling AM forum
Complementing the exhibition, AM applications in thermal management will be further examined through the new Thermal Management and Liquid Cooling AM Forum. The forum will feature industry experts and representatives from exhibiting companies presenting application cases for additively manufactured components in AI server environments, with the wider fringe programme extending to AM applications in other emerging industrial areas including low-altitude aviation and drones, new energy vehicles and robotics.
The 2026 edition will also be held concurrently with PCIM Asia Shenzhen, the region’s leading exhibition and conference for power electronics, intelligent motion, renewable energy and energy management, which in 2026 will similarly expand its focus on AI and data centre applications. For Formnext Asia Shenzhen participants, the co-location places them in the same venue as the engineers, component suppliers and system specialists working on the power requirements of high-density computing, and in closer contact with the end-use requirements, procurement activity and business relationships shaping demand in this area.
formnext-sz.hk.messefrankfurt.com
