Composite innovations march onwards!

Jeremy Whittingham, show organiser Easyfairs’ head of marketing talks to Ed Hill about what visitors can expect to see this year.

For more than a decade the composites zone at Advanced Engineering has grown in parallel with the adoption of these materials for more and more engineering applications. From October 30-31, around 15,000 people will visit the show claimed to be the UK’s largest annual exhibition for manufacturers and supply chain professionals.

Held in Halls 2, 3 and 3a of the NEC, Birmingham, it features small and large enterprises from the UK’s advanced engineering industry who will present their latest innovations and business developments to influential stakeholders.

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 eleven 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.

Speaking up for engineering

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 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.”

Showcase for innovation

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 entrants include 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,” says Whittingham. “We are excited to welcome the companies to the event this year and look forward to announcing the winner.”

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 the IBM Academy of Technology. Other confirmed speakers include the Ford Motor Company, GKN, Lotus, Williams Advanced Engineering and Prodrive. Each forum includes a schedule that offers insight on important industry topics and will count towards Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for attendees.

Let’s talk composites

The Composites Engineering show zone, supported by Composites UK, is the largest composite raw material, design, processing and applications event in the UK. This year it 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 Composites Open forum to discuss topics, such as the future of the industry, next generation materials, NDE and repair and fire performance.

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.

Airborne advances

For stakeholders in aerospace manufacturing, the Aerospace Engineering Zone is dedicated to R&D, 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,” Whittingham explains. “Our Aero Engineering show zone gives engineers the opportunity to gather and work together with associations such as ADS Group and international companies to improve processes, innovation and supply chain competitiveness.”

At this year’s 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 30 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.

Another highlight will be the Space Engineering and Technology Transfer session of the Aero Engineering Open Forum. On October 30th from 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 and what this means for industry in both opportunities and material and manufacturing development needs.

“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,” Whittingham concludes. “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.”

www.advancedengineeringuk.com