The Advanced Engineering UK show has become one of the most widely anticipated annual engineering trade fairs in the manufacturing sector. Held this year at the NEC, Birmingham on November 4-5 it will feature more than 700 exhibitors with an anticipated 13,000 attendees expected to attend. Now in its seventh year, the Aero Engineering Show zone is the founding cornerstone of the event from which the rest of the show has flourished. The event focuses on companies and organisations involved in the design and manufacture of aerostructures, wings, engines and system engineering. “The UK aerospace industry is often seen as the jewel in the crown of our engineering sector,” says event founder and former managing director, Ian Stone. “This show gives the industry the opportunity to address the core technologies and processes and the supply chain efficiencies which keep it at the forefront of aero technology. “The show is supported by industry organisations including ADS Group, the Royal Aeronautical Society, North West Aerospace Alliance and WEAF among others and continues to be a crucial component of the show. It provides an opportunity for stakeholders at all levels to network, showcase the very latest sector-specific engineering materials, processes, technologies and supply chain partner capabilities and explore new business opportunities as well as the chance to obtain vital industry intelligence.” Broad spectrum The sorts of exhibitors at the event include those involved in supplying aerostructures, power plants, aero systems and engineering consumables alongside those involved in material processing, testing, inspection and evaluation services, raw material suppliers, jigs and tooling supply, electronics, assembly, standard parts and subcontract engineering. Three other major show streams make up this year's Advanced Engineering UK show, all of them with crossover technologies also found in aerospace manufacturing. They include the Composites Engineering Show, Automotive Engineering Show and Performance Metals Engineering. Stone continues: “The Composites Engineering Show is still the UK's only dedicated show specifically for the composite industry featuring materials, processing equipment, tooling technologies, related design and simulation technologies and a plethora of specialist composite fabrication, processing service companies. It's supported by leading industry associations and institutions such as Composites UK, Netcomposites and the NCC.” The Performance Metals Engineering Show is a response to increasing demands from designers and manufacturers for higher performance metal materials in terms of strength, functionality, lightweighting, corrosion resistance, temperature capability and sustainability. Stone explains: “It provides a dedicated programme of sessions and presentations specifically focused on performance metals materials, applications and processing innovations, supported by a visitor trail throughout the overall group of events showfloor.” Industry insight A key feature of Advanced Engineering UK is its Open Conference Programme. At presentation areas around the show, hall attendees can hear some of the latest technology developments from top industry experts. This year more than 180 presentations are expected to take place from key industry speakers. In the aerospace forum alone there will be more than 20 presentations on such diverse topics as the wing of the future from Airbus, metal reduction in aerospace components from The Rubber & Plastics Research Association (RAPRA), non-destructive testing from The British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BiNDT) and new technologies for the aerospace supply chain from National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP). “The Open Conference Programme has proved popular because speakers get access to enthusiastic industry audiences that go beyond their particular field of specialism,” Stone affirms. “For attendees they get the chance to get expert levels of technology and industry insight that normally would only be afforded to a paying delegate. They can pick and choose content to attend while they are spending their day at the show. It is a stakeholder led conference of willing and well placed industrial partners who want to contribute session content in their field of expertise.” Presentation material is also available to registered attendees who miss the sessions after the show through a follow up personal log-in facility. Katie Crocombe, this year's Advanced Engineering UK event director, explains: “Advanced Engineering UK is all about providing opportunities to commercialise innovation, as well as networking up and down the engineering supply chain. Our ambition is to provide the perfect opportunity for new concepts to be shared, and OEM engineers and innovators to meet.” Two industry bodies have also decided to co-locate annual events with the Advanced Engineering Show this year. SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers) will hold its ‘Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) Technology Symposium' which will look at how some of the latest digital and virtual technologies can be implemented into manufacturing. SAE will also give presentations as part of the aerospace Open Conference programme. Additionally, the aluminium industry body, ALFED will be holding its annual conference in the Toute Suite adjoining Hall 5. Key developments include the increasing use of lightweight aluminium in road vehicles, construction, aerospace and packaging. Located among the busy aisles again will be a whole series of special feature attractions zones. These provide an annual mix of examples of innovation in action encompassing aerospace, automotive, composites and metallics. “Engineers love this aspect of the show because it offers a visual interactive snapshot of where advanced engineering is currently and where it is aspiring to be in the future,” says Stone. “This will be our most exciting special feature exhibition programme yet and we expect it will make a connection with everyone who will be attending.” As part of a focus on young engineers and apprentices SAFRAN (Messier-Bugatti-Dowty) will be doing a live landing gear demonstration. Change at the top This will be the first year Advanced Engineering UK will be run under the management of global trade show operator Artexis Easyfairs, who acquired the show organisers UK Tech Events in July. Stone is confident with the acquisition the show will go from strength to strength. “Artexis Easyfairs has superb access to global markets around the world. The Group has the perfect blend of big company resources and financial backing combined with small company-style hunger to take the Advanced Engineering UK event to the next level.” Matt Benyon, managing director, Easyfairs UK & Global concludes: “We are tremendously excited to be part of the future of Advanced Engineering. With such a vital event sitting at the heart of UK engineering, our key aim is to support the growth of the show and develop a showcase for UK engineering to reach both national and international audiences. “At Artexis Easyfairs we believe in face-to-face business and only want to use our expertise to enhance the exhibition experience for the exhibiting companies and the engineers that attend the show. We feel privileged to be serving the UK engineering community and look forward to building longstanding relationships with everyone involved.” www.advancedengineeringuk.com
