Southern Manufacturing exhibitor preview

In the first of two features,

Gaining momentum

Sheetmetal fabrication specialist Alpha Manufacturing will be using Southern Manufacturing to continue the momentum from a busy and proactive 2016 which culminated in a £1 million investment in the latest manufacturing technology at the end of the year.

The Staffordshire-based manufacturer embarked on an ambitious five-year growth plan at the beginning of 2016 which saw it attend its first trade exhibition in over 10 years at the NEC Subcon show. Alpha is keen to connect with potential buyers and demonstrate its forward thinking and innovative approach at Southern.

Specialising in large volume, precision sheetmetal fabrications, Alpha service a wide range of industries including electronics, automotive, agricultural, security, healthcare and power generation offering a comprehensive service encompassing product design, right through to full integration and assembly of complex components. A particular talking point at the show is sure to be the benefits of the new state-of-the-art machinery which was recently installed.

The latest investment from Alpha includes a Stopa storage system and brand new integrated Trumpf TruLaser 3030 machine. Representatives of Alpha at the show will be keen to discuss what this latest investment will mean to potential customers in terms of capacity, quality and reliability.

Established in 1989 and based in Hixon, Staffordshire, Alpha Manufacturing offers full service comprising laser cutting, CNC metal folding, metal punching, turning, MIG and TIG welding and a full powder coating plant, all from a single site.

Alpha Manufacturing www.alphamanufacturing.co.uk

Metrology matters

Bowers Group will be exhibiting a range of newly developed products and its existing range of quality metrology instruments at Southern Manufacturing in March.

On display will be new special metrology application products, as well as a new vertical optical measuring machine from Sylvac, with full details available in due course.

As a leading supplier of metrology instruments, Bowers Group will be showcasing a selection of products from Bowers, Baty, Trimos, Sylvac, Gagemaker, Innovatest, Wyler and Accretech. In addition to a range of newly developed products created at its premises in Bradford, a selection of existing portfolio products will also be shown including calibration tools, height gauges, hand tools, material testing equipment, vision and optical systems and surface finish contour and roundness measurement devices.

Sales director at Bowers Group Stuart Millington says: “We are delighted to once again be exhibiting at Southern Manufacturing. The event gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our skills and capabilities and to speak directly to the customer where we continue to find inspiration. As well as our own manufactured products, we will also be demonstrating products developed by our partners which complement our entire service offering.”

Bowers understands that some measurements have become more complex but still need to be assessed, and have therefore created a team of product specialists whose remit is to find a measurement solution for the most difficult of applications. This team of specialists continually find solutions for the more challenging measurements utilising the resource from key suppliers such as Trimos, Sylvac, Wyler, Innovatest Gagemaker and Accretech.

Bowers Group www.bowersgroup.co.uk
Stand R139

Clear the air

Clean workshop air specialist Filtermist will be highlighting the importance of both fitting and maintaining effective extraction and filtration systems to protect people from harmful airborne contaminants.

Filtermist’s director of sales, Stuart Plimmer comments: “As well as our world-renowned oil mist filters, in the UK we offer a comprehensive range of products and services that all have the same aim – to protect people by ensuring cleaner, safer, more productive workshops.

“Fitting effective extraction is key, but under CoSHH regulations, employers are also responsible for ensuring control measures work as intended and employees are required to report any defects ‘forthwith’. We work closely with many of the UK’s leading manufacturers to ensure their facilities are safe. Routine servicing, LEV testing and air monitoring are just as important as having an extraction system in place.”

Maintaining coolant cleanliness can also contribute to the overall quality of the air – a fact which product manager Grant Tyrer from Direct Filtration, an operating division of Filtermist, will be discussing with show visitors.

“Using the wrong type of media to filter process fluid can lead to a build-up of tramp oil which can be a key factor in contaminated air,” he says. “Simple changes such as switching the type of filter media used can sometimes result in significant improvements.”

Mr Plimmer continues: “Despite market uncertainty around Brexit, Filtermist experienced a phenomenal 12 months. Export trade was a significant factor, but we also performed exceptionally well in the UK across all of our divisions.

“2016 saw a number of changes at Filtermist. The acquisition of Filtertech and a deal with Plasteel in the first half of the year has enabled Filtermist to significantly strengthen its service and LEV testing offering, whilst the recent acquisition of Multi Fan Systems means we are now able to offer a range of additional services including VOC abatement, cooling and ventilation and production waste extraction.”

Representatives from Multi Fan Systems will also be available on Filtermist’s Southern stand to discuss the range of services it offers. Multi Fan Systems specialises in customised air movement systems and has extensive experience of designing, installing and commissioning centralised extraction systems.

Filtermist www.filtermist.co.uk
Stand Q128

Data driven

Heidenhain will demonstrate the ease with which digital data can be transferred to and from its most recent CNC system, the high-performance TNC 640, which is capable of controlling all 3-, 4-, and 5-axis machining centres including those with turning tables.

Consistent with the aims of Industry 4.0, the communication functionality enables all participants in a paperless order handling environment, including design, programming, simulation and production planning staff as well as machinists on the shopfloor, to communicate and exchange data seamlessly.

The control uses plain language programming and has an optimised interface that gives users excellent insight into system operation. Functionality for mill-turn centres includes simple program-controlled switchover between milling and turning, comprehensive canned turning cycles for frequently repeated operations such as roughing, finishing, recessing and thread cutting, constant surface speed, and tool-tip radius compensation.

The company’s latest range of touch probe systems will be a key feature of the stand. Intended for aligning and measuring workpieces, tool setting and detecting cutter wear and breakage, they are ideally suited for use with Heidenhain’s TNC controls. Innovative features like mechanical collision protection, combined infrared and radio data transmission, and smart battery management ensure low cost of ownership.

Representative examples will be on show from Heidenhain’s extensive programme of high precision linear and rotary encoders, an area of technology in which the German manufacturer is a world leader. Incremental and absolute linear encoders are supplied either sealed to resist contamination or exposed to provide higher speed and precision. Applications range from manual and CNC machine tools to semiconductor manufacturing requiring nanometre resolution.

Also exhibited will be contamination resistant encoders from Heidenhain subsidiary AMO, Austria, which produces inductive tape scale linear and angle measuring systems that combine the accuracy of optical encoders with the robustness of magnetic types.

Heidenhain will additionally showcase linear and rotary encoders manufactured by the German company, Numerik Jena. They include vacuum compatible products for positioning tasks in such sectors as electronics, medicine, thin-film deposition and analytical technology. The company is also known for miniature encoders with ultra-small dimensions and a low weight scanning head.

Finally, from Swiss company Etel, part of the Heidenhain group, the full torque motor range will be promoted. With more than 100 models to choose from, almost any requirement can be met. All Etel motors benefit from very low cogging. The patented construction enables an exceptional peak force density in the magnetic gap, as well as thermal efficiency, which is a significant advantage for high precision machines sensitive to thermal drift.

Heidenhain www.heidenhaingb.com Stand R79

Cutting crew

Making its exhibition debut at Southern Manufacturing 2017, Kerf Developments will be demonstrating why it is a leading manufacturer and supplier of plasma, oxy-fuel and waterjet cutting machines. At the FIVE Farnborough venue from the 21-23 March, the Rochdale manufacturer will be showcasing a host of new products and technologies on Stand J85.

Commenting upon why Kerf will be taking its technology to the showpiece manufacturing event in the South, Kerf Developments’ sales director Craig Walsh says: "As a company, Kerf has grown significantly in recent years and our reputation for delivering cost-effective solutions that encompass quality and service is firmly established. We see the Southern show as a great opportunity to meet with potential users of our advanced cutting technologies."

The profiling and sheetmetal specialist also has a message that it wants to present to any business that is in the marketplace for profiling machinery at Southern Manufacturing: “Many manufacturers in the sheetmetal and profiling industries appear to be moving away from established CO₂ laser systems due in part to the high operational costs,” Mr Walsh observes.

“Increasingly fashionable is the uptake of the latest fibre laser technology, however, the cost of such technology is expensive and can be prohibitive for many businesses. At Kerf, our latest UltraSharp Plasma system is so powerful, precise and fast, it can compete with fibre laser systems in many instances. This is particularly so where manufacturers are processing plates from 10mm thick and beyond where the Kerf UltraSharp is a cost-effective alternative."

Kerf Developments www.kerfdevelopments.com Stand J85