Outstanding success for Centaur’s leading manufacturing events

2013 was a record breaking year for Subcon and Advanced Manufacturing with a staggering 64 per cent increase in visitor numbers.

Subcon, the UK’s only cross-sector subcontract and contract manufacturing exhibition, alongside the new Advanced Manufacturing Show and The Engineer Conference brought in over 4,100 visitors across a busy three days of business at the NEC in Birmingham.

The opportunity to meet and compare the best suppliers from both the UK and around the world attracted top-level decision makers from right across British manufacturing.

With some of the latest technologies and services in the market on show, the cluster of events attracted senior buyers, production engineers, supply chain managers, strategic sourcing teams, designers and engineering directors from sectors that included aerospace, automotive, oil & gas, medical equipment, energy, electronics and machine building.

A significant number of orders have been placed and exhibitors report high levels of good-quality enquiries.  57% of space has already been rebooked for Subcon 2014 - the UK’s national subcontracting, advanced manufacturing and technology exhibition.

The feedback from visitors and exhibitors alike has been excellent.

In Subcon, the strong UK presence, combined with some of the world’s leading overseas suppliers provided a powerful draw for high level buyers.

David Moore, Strategic Technical Buyer at Spirax Sarco, confirmed this.

“The international pavilions were very good,” he said. “We are always looking for near and far sources and this time we've had the opportunity to meet one of our suppliers from India.

From the exhibitors’ perspective, Andrew Buckingham, Sales & Marketing Manager at Axis Precision Engineering Components said: “We had a very good show. The quality of the visitors was exceptionally good – I’ve got two good leads already.”

Rachel Garrett, Technical Sales and Marketing Manager for Metal Injection Moulding specialist Egide UK Ltd agreed. She said: “It was a brilliant event for us, we had a lot of interest on our stand and some very promising enquiries. We even had companies who had brought packs of drawings with them and came to see us wanting quotes. It was also a good opportunity to arrange to see some of our existing customers from around the country in one place, and to renew our relationship with companies we have worked with in the past.”

Visitors and exhibitors alike were also impressed with the new Advanced Manufacturing Show. The response was so positive that the organiser, Centaur Exhibitions, confirmed at the Show that it would return in 2015 on a biennial basis.

In its inaugural year the exhibition attracted world-leading suppliers including 1st Machine Tool Accessories, Aberlink, Cadventure, C Dugard, Delcam, FARO, Hexagon Metrology, Matsuura, Nikon Metrology, Renishaw, Seiki Systems, Sumitomi Electric Hardmetal, Trac Measurement Systems, TRUMPF, WNT, XYZ Machine Tools and Yamazaki Mazak, amongst others.

Grant Burgham, Business Development and Portfolio Director at Centaur Exhibitions, said: “The exhibitor profile at this year’s Advanced Manufacturing Show has been excellent and we believe that it has a great future.”

Visiting the exhibition, Gary Roberts, Product Development Manager at Rolec Services, agreed.
He said: “The variety of the machinery is very diverse.  If you're coming here for engineering opportunities this is the place to be.”

Speaking for the exhibitors, Ian Michie, Marketing Manager at Matsuura says his company was delighted at the unprecedented demand from visitors for live demonstrations.

He said: “The Matsuura stand and our MX-520 5-axis machine received what was at times overwhelming numbers of visitors to watch the live machining demonstrations. A finished component came off the machine every 21 minutes – with eager takers wanting a trophy to take home! So much so that a number of visitors booked their viewing to make sure they could acquire their own demonstration component.”

The conference and seminar programme was also a big success, with packed sessions hearing some truly remarkable stories of technological excellence and inspiring examples of UK innovation.

Speakers came from companies that ranged from large multinationals such as Airbus, Jaguar Land Rover and BAE Systems to cutting edge SMEs such as Bladon Jets which told the story behind its revolutionary micro-gas turbines.

Grant Burgham concluded: “When we launched these events last year, we said we wanted to bring a fresh approach to UK manufacturing exhibitions and create a critical destination for engineers, sourcing teams and manufacturing management across all sectors and disciplines. I believe that what we have seen over the three-day event clearly shows we have succeeded in our objective.

Subcon returns to the NEC in 2014 from 3-5 June with high expectations of another great show – while the Advanced Manufacturing Show is set to be held alongside Subcon again in 2015 from 2-4 June.

Centaur confirms Advanced Manufacturing Show to return in 2015

Following an extremely positive response from visitors and exhibitors alike, Centaur Exhibitions is delighted to announce that the new Advanced Manufacturing Show will return to the NEC, Birmingham from 2 to 4 June 2015 on a biennial basis.

The exhibition draws on the strengths of three of Centaur's leading brands – Subcon, MWP Advanced Manufacturing and The Engineer.

This year’s inaugural exhibition attracted some of the world’s leading manufacturing technology companies including Yamazaki Mazak, TRUMPF, Matsuura, Renishaw, Hexagon Metrology, XYZ Machine Tools, Delcam and Sumitomi Electric Hardmetal amongst others.

Commenting on the announcement, Grant Burgham, Business Development and Portfolio Director at Centaur Exhibitions, said: “The Advanced Manufacturing Show was developed in response to the requirements of modern engineering and manufacturing professionals. The exhibitor profile at this year’s Advanced Manufacturing Show has been excellent, and many of the companies taking part used the Show as the ideal forum to launch new machines and technologies.

“The combination of this leading edge technology with the pick of the world’s contract manufacturers on show at Subcon, and an excellent conference programme, led by The Engineer, added up to a compelling proposition for visitors from across UK manufacturing.”

Subcon, the UK’s only national cross-sector contract and subcontract manufacturing exhibition, which ran alongside the Advanced Manufacturing Show this year, returns to the NEC on its annual cycle in 2014.

Mr Burgham concluded, “We believe that there is a great future for the Advanced Manufacturing Show and the NEC's location in the heart of the manufacturing industry is the ideal venue for us to grow the scope of the exhibition. Subcon continues to go from strength to strength and in 2014 Subcon will attract subcontracting, advanced manufacturing and technology exhibitors with an audience who will reflect that. We look forward to welcoming you in 2014.”

igus Exhibits Reliable and Maintenance-free Plastic Bearings at Subcon 2013

Leading polymer specialist, igus UK, its exhibiting is high performance bearings at Subcon 2013 for the first time, on stand G20, Hall 3. Visitors to the stand will be able to see live demonstrations of its industry-leading maintenance-free plain, spherical and linear bearings as well meet industry experts to discuss the latest innovations and learn about igus’ full service offering.

igus’ iglidur plastic bearings are reliable, maintenance-free and cost-effective.  Featuring high wear resistance and a low coefficient of friction they can replace more costly alternatives in a variety of applications.  The plastic bearings are also chemical and corrosion resistant and do not require any lubrication, therefore enabling engineers to improve the uptime of equipment, reduce maintenance or lubrications costs.

Power of MAN to drive E-Containerlock launch at Subcon 2013

A Birmingham company has agreed a deal with the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN) to bring a new solution to market that could potentially prevent $80bn of cargo going missing every year.

The collective, which is made up of ten world class sub-contractors offering technical excellence in mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering processes, will provide pre-production, manufacture and assembly of the E-Containerlock for Guardfreight International.

The new locking mechanism can be fitted to shipping containers and provides an in-built GRPS tracking system that provides location updates and immediate alerts if entry is forced.

Subcontracting drives UK success

More and more UK manufacturers are turning to subcontracting to build their business and expand their markets, says a leading Subcon exhibitor.

Tony Hague, chairman of the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), says: “MAN has been exhibiting at Subcon since 2010 and, in that time, we have seen a trend for people to subcontract more of their activities.

“This has been key for UK manufacturers to compete globally, allowing them to invest in core competencies and sub out none-core activities and skills.”

This is good news for MAN, says Mr Hague: “Our business model is one of collaborative and complementary engineering and production skills and therefore is suited to this trend.”

UK excellence in innovation and technology

An exciting new conference will feature some of the biggest names in UK manufacturing and highlight excellence in innovation and technology.

The Engineer Conference will include high-level speakers from blue chip engineering organisations – including Jaguar Land Rover, Astrium, BAE Systems and Airbus – and pioneers and innovators in fields ranging from additive manufacturing and plastic electronics to manufacturing in space and the creation of Team GB’s Olympic-medal-winning carbon fibre bikes.

The Conference runs alongside the Subcon and Advanced Manufacturing Shows on 4 & 5 June at the NEC, Birmingham. It will provide a unique snapshot of the diversity of UK industry and give visitors valuable insight into the manufacturing and innovation strategies of some of the UK’s most exciting engineering organisations.
Each day starts with a keynote address setting the scene for the following sessions.

Award winning exhibitors

SJC Hutchinson Engineering have been awarded the Most Dynamic Sub-contractor at the Manufacturing Technology Association 2013 Manufacturing Industry Awards.

The company was 1971 and have been at the forefront of the laser cutting subcontracting market for nearly 15 years, ensuring its leading position by implementing strategies such as intense personnel training, both in-house and externally, Lean manufacturing and investing in the latest equipment available to the sector. This has lead to a 51% growth in the last 2 years despite the challenging economic conditions.

Coming back for more business

WLR returns to Subcon having developed two new customers a direct result of last year’s show – and is still in discussion with several more contacts who visited its stand.

One of the new accounts is specifically related to WLR’s ± 1 micron capable machine, the KERN Pyramid Nano 5 Axis, with 75 Tools, 42,000 rpm spindle, which was installed prior to Subcon and is now very busy with ultra-precision work.

Cleaner, better parts

Turned Part specialist Wealdpark Ltd will showcase its new solvent cleaning capability that allows it to provide customers with higher quality components.

The £60,000 Firbimatic system ensures a high degree of cleanliness and complements an aqueous cleaning system that was installed last year.

Large scale silver plating

Exhibiting at Subcon for the first time, Silchrome Plating will be showing off its new semi-automatic silver plating capabilities.

Offering a comprehensive range of metal finishing services from chrome, nickel and zinc to specialist silver and gold finishes, Silchrome is often called upon by oil and gas companies to apply silver plating to seal rings.
These can be quite large and were sometimes beyond the capacity of its existing plating lines.  With demand increasing, Silchrome decided to install a new state-of-the-art silver line with the capacity to handle much larger components and meet all the requirements of the major oil and gas companies.

Precision cabling from SIC

A new state-of-the-art cable machine at SIC can produce cables down to 30 awg – vital for products and builds that need precision cabling.

The introduction of this machine will give customers a number of benefits. As well as increasing SIC’s production capabilities it will also give greater flexibility to meet our customers’ needs whilst maintaining the levels of quality production that they have come to expect from SIC.

UK and offshore sourcing

Shakespeare Engineering has expanded its UK manufacturing to over 100 CNC machines, set up a fast-track service and made major savings for a UK luxury car maker through its offshore sourcing division.

Latest additions to its UK facility include more 5-axis capability and more EDM wire erosion machines. To cope with these it has expanded its factory space – adding a further 20,000 sq ft in the last 18 months. Growth areas include assembly, in-house heat treatment and vacuum brazing.

3D printing builds on moulding success

At last year’s Subcon Phoenix Dynamics launched its low pressure moulding service for complex ruggedised cable assemblies. Now it is looking to build on that by adding 3D printing.

The low pressure moulding technology allowed Phoenix to produce bespoke moulded shapes that complement the electrical cable assemblies it designs and manufactures and proved to be a great success. Its uses include the ruggedisation of cables, ensuring precise control of cable routing, encapsulating electronic components, bespoke connector systems and moulding in mounting features.

Coating installation in just 12 weeks

Finishing specialist Junair has just completed a £2.5 million installation at Magna Exteriors & Interiors that was up and running within just 12 weeks.

Magna Exteriors & Interiors is a world leader in the design and manufacture of products for the automotive, commercial transportation, renewable energy and industrial markets and the new facility, designed, supplied and project managed by Junair, is largely dedicated to producing high quality ‘technical finishes’, with basecoats as little as 4 microns thick. 

Spray coating versatility

New at fluoropolymer, polyurethane, plasma coating and zinc thermal diffusion specialist Impreglon is a tiltable turntable for arc spray work.

The company offers a comprehensive range of sprayed metals and ceramics, including Teflon and Xylan. Its products are used wherever there is a need for low friction, non-stick, traction, high friction, easy clean, chemical resistance, corrosion resistance, solvent resistance, impact resistance, sound deadening or insulation. Food and medically safe coatings are available for all of these applications.

Engineered structures up to 200t

Fives Industries has added to its capabilities for heavy engineering with
 the installation this year of a TOS 20t CNC boring machine with automatic tool changing.

It has also carried out a major rebuild of its 120t Innocenti boring machine.

Mumbai express for next day parts

If you need next day service on a machined and anodized one-off part DNL Exports (India) Pvt Ltd can help, with the parts made in Mumbai and delivered by courier to London by noon.

As well as one-offs and prototypes, where DNL’s fast turnarounds speed the development process, it also offers batch manufacturing capacity.

Tap into a global market

From castings to machined components, Darian Global Sourcing UK helps manufacturers tap into a global supplier base.

At this year’s show Darian will be showcasing machined castings, pressure diecastings, precision machined items, pressings and stampings.

With almost 30 years’ experience, Darian is a leading supplier to the UK and German markets. It has a proven track record for delivering quality components to both large and medium sized manufacturing companies, at the right price and on time.

Global Connections winner heads for Subcon

Birmingham-based precision presswork and stamping company Brandauer is heading to Subcon 2013 on a high after being announced as the winner of HSBC’s Midlands Regional Global Connections Award.

It marks the culmination of a successful twelve months that has seen it celebrate 150 years in business, host a Royal visit and increase sales in export markets including the US, China and South Africa.

The company, which employs 52 people, has also invested nearly £1m into state-of-the-art facilities, including a new laser marking capability and two new high-speed Bruderer presses.

Metal Injection Moulding for advanced materials

Sheffield-based William Beckett Plastics is launching a new Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) company, Beckett MIM, at Subcon.

MIM technology allows customers to use designs that are difficult or even impossible to create with traditional metalworking technologies. What is more, 100% of the material is utilised, with no waste, a key strength of the process that significantly reduces the cost of metal parts – especially when using titanium or other high-value alloys.

Higher quality etched parts

At Subcon ACE (Advanced Chemical Etching) is launching its new ACmE and TiME etching processes that give new levels of quality, smoother edge profiles and smoother surfaces.

The ACmE (Aluminium Compliant Molecular Etching) process is kinder to the environment; it produces considerably less waste product, compared to etchants currently being used.  The TiME (Titanium Molecular Etching) process has been developed without resorting to the traditional and potentially hazardous Hydrofluoric acid chemistry.

UK launch at Subcon

Stainless steel Fabrication specialist AB Term is launching its subcontract manufacturing service to the UK market at Subcon.

The family-run Bulgarian manufacturer,  has undertaken a massive investment programme to increase its subcontracting manufacturing capability.  With new state of the art machinery and increased factory capacity it is are now ready for a major launch across the UK using Blue workshop Ltd, a Livepool based company,  as its UK agent to ensure that its capability matches UK requirements.

£3m fabrication facility

With its new £3m purpose-build manufacturing facility A&J Fabtech can build fabrications up to 4m in diameter and 10m in length.
A major current project is for Picow Farm in Cheshire, which is set to become the UK’s largest energy-from-waste plant, where A & J is supplying feed hoppers and chutes worth in the region of £750,000. The plant will potentially generate 100MW of power and 360MW of heat energy by burning municipal waste from Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

The project work covers the supply of materials, manufacture to customer design, non-destructive testing, hydro testing, painting, trial assembly and delivery to site in accordance with customer Keppel Seghers’ manufacturing specifications and construction schedule.

From the smallest bench fabrications to single pieces and full turnkey packages in excess of 30 tonnes and multi-part on-site assemblies, A&J Fabtech provides a complete concept to commissioning service. Projects can be fabricated to customer drawings or designed by A & J’s own engineering team.
The company’s tube bending and welding skills come to the fore with specialised fabrications and pressure parts. A & J can carry out radiography on site – which helps cut lead times – as well as ultrasonic and hydrostatic testing.


You can see A & J Fabtech on Stand K35

Three cutting-edge manufacturing events in one this June

Three unrivalled brands come together to create the most anticipated manufacturing event of the year when leading industry exhibition Subcon returns to the NEC on 4 to 6 June alongside the Advanced Manufacturing Show, a new event from the UK’s leading production magazine MWP, and The Engineer Conference, highlighting new ideas and ground breaking technologies.

Grant Burgham, Business Development and Portfolio Director at Centaur Exhibitions, said: “These events will provide a clear focus for excellence in manufacturing technology and services. They will be a critical destination for engineers, sourcing teams and manufacturing management across all sectors and disciplines.”

The Engineer Conference will showcase some of the most compelling and inspiring examples of manufacturing technology from both the UK's established and emerging engineering sectors.

Outlook positive say senior engineering buyers

2013 is set to be a good year for UK manufacturers and subcontractors according to new research taken amongst attendees at the 2012 Subcon Show, organised by Centaur Exhibitions.

51% of Subcon visitors expect prospects for their business to improve over the next 12 months, 41% expect current business levels to be maintained and just 8% expect them to decline. 86% plan to increase or maintain the proportion of work they placed with British suppliers. 86% also expect to maintain or increase the total amount of work they place with all subcontractors.

Subcon 2013 takes place at the NEC, Birmingham from 4 to 6 June and is the UK’s only dedicated national exhibition for contract and subcontract manufacturing. It covers every aspect of outsourced manufacturing services, from design and prototyping, machining, moulding, 3D printing, fabrication, composites and electronics assembly to finishing and testing.

Leading industry names confirmed for new show

The new Advanced Manufacturing Show has got off to a flying start, with some of the industry’s leading names already confirmed.

The event, which provides a showcase for the latest developments in machine tools, tooling, production software and metrology, runs at the NEC from 4 to 6 June 2013.

Some of the key exhibitors lined up so far include machine tool manufacturers Yamazaki Mazak and XYZ, software experts Delcam and Seiki Systems, tooling manufacturers Sumitomo Electric Hardmetal, ITC and WNT, and an impressive roster of metrology companies, including Renishaw, Hexagon Metrology, Faro and Nikon.

WNT (UK) Highlights Latest Tooling Developments

Exhibitions are a key marketing tool for WNT (UK) and the advent of Advanced Manufacturing (4-6 June – National Exhibition Centre), with its co-location next to the Subcon Show, provides a further opportunity for the Sheffield-based cutting tool specialist.

Subcon 2013 supports BTMA

The Subcon exhibition, which takes place at the NEC Birmingham from 4 to 6 June 2013, is extending its support for UK manufacturers by sponsoring the participation of the British Turned Parts Association (BTMA) and its members.

This support includes preferential rates on stands for member companies, a branded BTMA village within the exhibition, and a stand for the BTMA to promote its activities and the capabilities of the UK turned parts sector.

BTMA President Martin Lane said: “The British Turned Parts Manufacturers Association is pleased to announce that on the back of a very successful attendance at Subcon 2012 it will be taking a stand at Subcon 2013, along with a growing number of Association member companies.

A fresh approach to UK manufacturing events

Subcon, The Engineer and MWP advanced manufacturing magazine are joining together to create a unique set of events at the NEC, Birmingham, from 4 to 6 June 2013.

Subcon, the UK’s only dedicated national exhibition for contract and subcontract manufacturing, will be joined by a new event, The Advanced Manufacturing Show, which will be supported by MWP, and a two-day summit organised by The Engineer.

Driven by the marketing power of The Engineer and MWP, Subcon’s extensive database and the support of key industry partners, this group of events will deliver a critical mass of leading suppliers and motivated visitors.