A pinnacle of engineering innovation

Show floor 2018-w
Show floor 2018-w

Advanced Engineering 2019 features the complete breadth of the UK’s latest manufacturing technology and services. Ed Hill hears from organiser Easyfairs about what visitors can expect to see at this year’s show held at the NEC in Birmingham.

From October 30-31 around 15,000 people will visit Advanced Engineering, the UK’s largest annual exhibition for manufacturers and supply chain professionals. At the NEC, Birmingham, small and large enterprises from the UK’s advanced engineering industry will present their latest innovations and business developments to influential stakeholders.

This year thousands of visitors including engineers, procurement managers and senior decision makers will attend looking to explore the latest industry innovations, source new suppliers, and invest in the most up-to-date manufacturing technology, systems and services.

The show has grown over the last 11 years to incorporate all aspects of manufacturing, such as composites, aerospace and automotive engineering. This year the show will also have new dedicated zones to medical device engineering and an Enabling Innovation Zone to showcase ground-breaking technologies to the engineering community.

The voice of the industry

How engineering businesses can succeed in times of uncertainty is one of the main themes that will be explored at the show this year. Advanced Engineering will celebrate the launch of its Voice of Industry report during the show. It documents the experiences of leading manufacturers on topics currently impacting engineering, such as Brexit, the skills shortage and product innovation.

The report features interviews with senior figures in leading companies such as Renishaw, Atlas Copco and Novotek. It also has an opening foreword from Mike Wilson, chairman of the British Automation and Robot Association (BARA) and a spokesperson from the company will also join the programme of speakers at the Open Forum.

“In times of uncertainty, whether that’s in the marketplace, innovation or the choice of technologies available to you, industry leaders suggest that those who strive to invest will overcome doubt and make profit,” explains Jeremy Whittingham, head of marketing at Advanced Engineering.

“That’s why we believe in supporting and demonstrating the UK’s flourishing engineering markets here at Advanced Engineering. To do this, we’re expanding the show’s offering to keep pace with the burgeoning growth of the UK’s industry.”

Supporting engineering advances

This year Advanced Engineering has revamped its Enabling Innovation Zone to provide small enterprises with a platform to showcase their ideas to leading manufacturing companies.

The ten finalists, decided by judges from Innovate UK/KTN, the Institute for Manufacturing and Innovation DB will showcase their technologies on dedicated plinths in the zone. The Enabling Innovation Zone has proven extremely successful in previous years, with one past exhibitor, Aceleron even being listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2017. This year’s winner will be announced during the show.

Nominees include Fluid Maintenance Solutions, which offers a coolant fluid management solution, iCOMAT, which enables the automated placement of carbon fibre tapes on curved paths, and Texture Jet, which has developed Surface Texture Adjustment Technology (STAT), a tooling platform that enables users to rapidly produce a variety of surface textures on components.

Other finalists include Intra Drive, an Edinburgh-based start-up that has developed drivetrain technology for the electrical pedal assist bicycle market, Holoxica, which specialises in holographic 3D imagery and motion video and Acoustic Camera UK, which has produced the world’s first portable, splash-proof, battery-powered acoustic camera that captures the equivalent of thermal imaging for sound sources.

ES Precision, which has developed lasers to perforate the inner liners of prosthetic limbs, making them more comfortable for users, has also been shortlisted, alongside Optima3D Technology, which designs and manufactures equipment that enables 3D weaving of composite materials, as well as a team from the University of Nottingham that has developed a handheld, touchscreen device incorporating machine vision and artificial intelligence (AI) learning platform.

“The companies that have been shortlisted for the 2019 Enabling Innovation Zone truly demonstrate the breadth of innovation and skill from the UK engineering industry,” Mr Whittingham says.

Medical matters

After receiving visitor feedback about the rapid growth of the medical device industry and its impact on the UK engineering industry, Advanced Engineering has announced the launch of its Medical Device Engineering Zone. The zone is supported by Medilink, GTMA, Gambica and other UK trade bodies to showcase researchers, medical parts and component manufacturers, software specialists and more.

The zone will help to accelerate the development of ground-breaking technology and business transfer in the medical technology sector while giving exhibitors the opportunity to expand their reach to aerospace, automotive, and civil sectors.

At the Medical Device Engineering open forum, visitors will also hear from industry experts, such as Xi Engineering and DePuy Synthes (part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies) about medical device regulations and how 3D printing and wearable technologies will disrupt the industry.

Getting into the zone

Advanced Engineering has also planned an extensive programme for five of the six dedicated zones at the Open Forum, including speakers from Siemens Digital Industries, BAE Systems and IBM Academy of Technology. Other confirmed speakers include the Ford Motor Company, GKN, Lotus, Williams Advanced Engineering and Prodrive.

The Composites Engineering show zone supported by Composites UK is the largest composite raw material, design, processing and applications event in the UK. The exhibition area will showcase how next generation materials can impact the industry.

Companies such as McLaren Automotive, Cevotec, Safetec Europe and Composites UK will speak at the open forum to discuss topics such as the future of the industry, next generation materials, NDE and repair and fire performance.

The Aerospace Engineering Zone is dedicated to research and development, design, test, inspection, production and assembly, bringing together global OEMs and top tier manufacturers to see the latest innovations in the sector.

‘The aerospace sector directly employs 120,000 people in the UK and supports another 118,000 indirectly’, Mr Whittingham comments. “Our Aero Engineering show zone gives engineers the opportunity to gather and work together with associations such as ADS and international companies to improve processes, innovation and supply chain competitiveness.”

At this years’ Aero Engineering Open Forum, speakers will cover topics such as additive manufacturing applications hybrid propulsion systems and aerospace 4.0. Visitors will also hear from the National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP) on the morning of October 30th about developments in the programme.

Prof. John Kennedy, head of the School of Engineering at Trinity College London will also be exploring how new technologies such as additive manufacturing will impact the development of noise reduction technologies.

The Space Engineering and Technology Transfer session will be one of the highlights of the Aero Engineering Open Forum. On October 30th at 3pm, visitors can hear from the European Space Agency and Toray Advanced Composites. Each talk will look at the future trends in the rapidly evolving space industry.

Advanced Engineering started over a decade ago with only 80 exhibitors and has continuously grown to an event featuring six shows under one roof. This gives engineers the opportunity to access any business solution in one place and interact with industries and businesses that they might not have connected with otherwise.

“Last year, the show enjoyed a 10% rise in OEM and tier one manufacturer attendance compared to its previous year, leading exhibitors to book at a record rate for 2019’s show,” Mr Whittingham adds. “With companies keener than ever to attend and exhibit at the show, Advanced Engineering is certainly positioned as one of the must-visit events of the year.”

Advanced Engineering has also developed its AE Connect matchmaking service to ensure that the growing number of visitors and exhibitors can make the most of business opportunities available to them on the show floor. This tool can be used by any registered visitor or exhibitor to find contacts based on their sector, job title or product range and enable them to set-up meetings prior to the show.

Advanced Engineering 2019 www.advancedengineeringuk.com

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