Welcome to the engineering event of 2010
13 May 2010
The NEC in June 2010 is set to be the focus of the largest manufacturing and engineering event of 2010. Drives and Controls, Plant and Works Exhibition, Air-Tech, and the International Fluid Power Exhibition (IFPEX) taking place between the 8-10 June at the NEC, Birmingham will form part of the manufacturing and engineering series of shows alongside MACH 10, Subcon, and Electrex.
Show organiser DFA Media believes its series of events ensures industry professionals will be able to gain the broadest insight concerning what industry solutions are currently available on the market.
Drives and Controls 2010
Many of the UK’s leading automation and motion engineering companies have shown their confidence in the future of the industry by booking substantial stands for the 2010 Drives & Controls show. With only weeks to go, the number of exhibitors that have booked “space-only” showcase stands is already at least 50% up on the total number at the previous show in 2008. And many returning exhibitors – including Danfoss, Leuze Electronic, Phoenix Contact, Rockwell Automation and SEW Eurodrive – have booked larger stands than they had at the 2008 event.
According to the exhibition’s sales director, Doug Devlin, the number of companies bringing their own stands to the show demonstrates their confidence in the future and their commitment to the event. He describes the level of interest so far as “extremely encouraging” and predicts that “we are heading for a bumper show”.
Many of the companies attending the show are either first-timers (including Alldrives, Kroy, Micro-Epsilon and SITI/Alphadrive) or have not taken part in Drives & Controls exhibitions for many years. Examples of returning exhibitors include Baldor, HMS Industrial Networks, Motovario, Schmersal, Sick, Synatel, Trio Motion Control and SS White.
The Austrian automation supplier B&R will be returning to the show after a long absence and will be pushing the boat out with one of the largest stands booked so far, covering an area of 112m2.
All sectors of the industry will be represented at the exhibition, including automation (with names such as Horner, ILME, Lamonde and Schneider Electric), drives (including Gefran and Lenze), motors (Lafert, Marelli, Motor Technology and WEG), safety (Pilz, Schmersal and Steute), mechanical and actuation (Centa, CRD Devices, Habasit Rossi, Linak, Moore International, Motovario, Olsen Engineering, Reliance Precision and Wittenstein) and electrical (Block, HVR and Rittal).
Other technologies represented at the show will include communications (Harting and HMS), sensors and measurement (Heidenhain, Micro-Epsilon and Red Lion) and software (Aceri, Auctotec, Don Tyne and Thinking Space).
Many of the sector’s major players will take part in the show via their distributors and partners. For example, Siemens and Schaeffler will be represented on the HMK Automation & Drives stand. Items from ABB’s portfolio will be found on Quantum Controls’ stand, while products from the German automation supplier Beckhoff will be demonstrated on the stand of its UK distributor, Hayes Controls.
At the 2008 Drives & Controls Show, several Chinese exhibitors had stands for the first time. There will be another Chinese delegation at the 2010 event, with at least twice as many exhibitors.
Independent seminar programme
At a time when engineers are under increasing pressure, and time out of the office for attending exhibitions needs to be balanced against heavy workloads, one growing justification is attending a well balanced and focused seminar programme where gaining further industry knowledge is at the core.
A comprehensive and focused seminar programme with speakers representing some of industry’s most pre-eminent organisations, has been confirmed by DFA Media for its series of exhibitions - Plant and Works Exhibition Drives and Controls, Air-Tech, and IFPEX.
DFA Media’s 2010 events will feature two seminar theatres - one for the Drives and Controls (http://www.drives2010.com/) /Plant and Works Exhibition (http://www.pwe2010.com/) and the other for the International Fluid Power Exhibition (IFPEX) (http://www.ifpex2010.com/) /Air-Tech (http://www.airtech2010.com/) Exhibitions. Each theatre will have its own relevant and distinctive programme.
The free industry focused seminar programme, run across the three days of the shows (8-10 June 2010), will include a variety of presentations ranging from energy management and plant safety to manual handling, Ethernet communications and gearbox maintenance. The seminar programme will cover a broad range of subjects specifically chosen for their topicality and relevance to today’s increasingly multi-tasking engineers. These highly focused series seminars will also give delegates the opportunity to pick up best practice tips and valuable advice from a variety of speakers, representing a cross section of the engineering and manufacturing sector.
Issues such as marketing strategy and even an insight into the financial world to help visitors understand the often misunderstood concept of lending criteria and what banks are looking for in manufacturers in today’s financial world, will also be presented. Graeme Allinson, head of manufacturing, transport and logistics at Barclays Commercial Bank, has confirmed he will be presenting at the Drives and Controls, Plant and Works Exhibition, IFPEX and Air-Tech shows, to talk about what banks look for when they lend money. Commenting on his presence at the show he said: “I am delighted to be presenting at the 2010 exhibitions. Visitors to these shows are confronting a difficult economic situation and this is a fantastic opportunity to give them a comprehensive insight into what banks look for when they lend money. Barclays Commercial Bank remains dedicated to increasing lending so that our clients are able to pursue their business agendas, indeed our lending was up 10 per cent in the first half of 2009 compared with the same period last year and we are focused on getting closer to our clients than ever before.”
Ian Atkinson, managing director of DFA Media, enthuses: “We are delighted commerce and industry have been so keen to participate in these important series of seminars at a crucial time. With such a variety of themes, high-calibre speakers, and a truly independent approach without commercial influences, we are offering visitors added value for their time at this important series of events in June – there will be something for everyone.”
Industry gathering
Many speakers will be emphasising the need for energy savings, highlighted by the fact that electric motors use 65% of electrical energy in industry. This is a topic that can no longer be ignored with soaring energy costs for most businesses. Looking at ways to reduce this bill is now paramount.
Therefore one area of potential savings is with Variable Speed Drives. Stephen Barker of Siemens and representative of the Gambica Trade Association will use his seminar to look at maximising cost reductions & improving competitive advantage.
Barker explains: “Reducing costs and improving productivity are key goals for most organisations in these economically challenging times. Some clear thinking supported by a systematic approach can provide substantial benefits - therefore my presentation will explain the benefits of a "value based" approach, clarify how to develop a "best practice" energy, cost & carbon reduction strategy and also demonstrate how to lever success from innovative financing models.”
He also highlighted: "The good news is that even in today's challenging environment, most organisations have considerable scope for business improvement and I am therefore pleased to have this opportunity to highlight some of the most important techniques that clients can deploy to improve profitability, enhance corporate image and simultaneously reduce cost and carbon"
The Carbon Trust’s head of financial services Paul Higgins will also be presenting at the event. He will be focusing on practical advice on how to obtain money from the organisation. While Chris Dee, executive director of the British Compressed Air Society will be looking at the importance of leak detection to help save end user energy cost.
Other leading seminar contributors include Ian Morris of the British Fluid Power Association; Professor Len Gelman, director of Centre of Vibro-Acoustics and Fatigue at Cranfield University; Stephen Barker representing Gambica Trade Association, Matt Gallagher CEO of The British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (Bindt), Geoff Walker representing the Institution of Diagnostic Engineers, and Professor Andrew Plummer, director of the University of Bath’s Centre for Power Transmission and Motion Control, plus many more.
For the most up to date information on the seminar programme and to register your interest for attending a particular presentation at the Plant and Works Exhibition or Drives and Controls show please visit: http://www.pwe2010.com/ or http://www.airtech2010.com/ for the Air-Tech IFPEX seminar programme.
Health and Safety focus
Focus on Health and Safety across all industry sectors will also be emphasised at the co-located events and at the free seminar programme.
To highlight this, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has confirmed its presence at the Drives and Controls Exhibition and is now working in association with all the DFA Media co-located shows.
RoSPA’s decision to attend the events is seen as an opportunity by the organisation to increase its message to the manufacturing and engineering sectors.
More than 13,500 people die as a result of accidents across the UK each year. There are millions of other injuries. RoSPA’s key aim is to promote safety and the prevention of accidents at work, at leisure, on the road, in the home and through safety education. It is a registered charity and has been at the heart of accident prevention in the UK and around the world for more than 90 years.
Visitors to the show will be able to talk to RoSPA about all aspects of health and safety management.
From the shop floor to the boardroom, every member of a firm’s workforce has an important role to play in reducing injuries and ill health. RoSPA staff will be on hand to offer guidance about engaging everyone in the management of health and safety, no matter what the size or type of firm.
There will be details of the full range of RoSPA’s services and products, including options for safety professionals and reps, directors and senior managers and the wider workforce.
Of particular interest to smaller firms will be RoSPA’s “core criteria” services (including training courses, workshops, e-learning packages, guidance books, mentoring, health and safety reviews and training needs analyses) which are based on the findings of a far-reaching inquiry into the health and safety assistance needed by small and medium-sized enterprises.
Tom Mullarkey, chief executive of RoSPA, said: “Having a robust health and safety management system is good for business no matter what industry you’re in. We look forward to meeting as many visitors to these major exhibitions as possible and hope the links between good health and safety, efficiency and investment will come through loud and clear.”
IOSH has also confirmed its place among exhibitors at the Plant & Works Exhibition, further emphasising the Health & Safety credentials of the event.
Pre- registration
As in 2008, the DFA Media shows will be co-locating with Subcon and MACH 2010.
Visitors to the events can take full advantage of all co-located exhibitions to assess and fulfil all their manufacturing strategy needs.
For online registration to attend the free comprehensive series of independent seminars or to register to attend the shows please visit: The Plant and Works Exhibition (http://www.pwe2010.com/), Drives and Control 2010 Exhibition (http://www.drives2010.com/), Air-Tech (http://www.airtech2010.com/), and The International Fluid Power Exhibition (http://www.ifpex2010.com/).
Visitor information:
Dates and opening times:
Tuesday 8th June 2010 09.30 – 16.30
Wednesday 9th June 2010 09.30 – 16.30
Thursday 10th June 2010 09.30 – 16.00
Venue
The NEC Halls 2 & 3
Birmingham, England, B40 1NT
Drives and Controls Exhibition online pre-registration is available at: http://www.drives2010.com/
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