Show preview: Northern Manufacturing & Electronics 2019

Manufacturing is woven inextricably into the DNA of the North West, contributing more to the overall economic output of the region than any other in the UK. Alongside a thriving aerospace and automotive sector, process industries such as food and beverage and pharmabio make a major contribution to this activity and, in turn, support a rich ecosystem of suppliers, all playing their part to keep production lines rolling.

With 'Cost Down' being so important to remaining competitive in the current economic and political climate, enthusiasm for overhead-reducing automation, advanced manufacturing and Industry 4.0 remains as strong as ever, despite the uncertainties of Brexit and shifting global market trends. Against this backdrop, Northern Manufacturing & Electronics provides a useful marketplace for process engineers, automation specialists and machine builders looking to keep on top of their game through the latest ideas and technologies.

Close to 250 firms are expected to take part in the 2019 event, underlining the event's well-deserved reputation as an exceptionally vibrant marketplace for components and sub-assemblies. A good assortment of popular vendors provides visitors an opportunity to explore a wide range of products in a short space of time. Machine builders will find plenty to engage their interest at Northern 2019.

Exhibitors

Global polymer specialist, igus, will showcase its popular energy chains, bearings, linear guides, flexible cables, stock bar and stock plate materials. The company's maintenance- and lubrication-free products are designed to cut costs and increase the service life of modern machinery, offering corrosion-, wear-, environmental- and debris-resistance advantages over traditional materials.

HMI specialist Calman Technology highlights its capabilities as a custom manufacturer of membrane keypads, graphic overlays, label products and associated electronics. Crystal-Tech Electronics will show an extensive range of TFT LCD display modules suitable for numerous applications from consumer to medical. TFT displays are available in sizes from 1.3inch to 15.6inch, standard or fully customised touchscreens and IPS technology for exceptional wide viewing angles and high contrast.

Specialist components

More specialist components on show include pressure transducers and transmitters from ESI Technology. The firm pioneered silicon-on-sapphire sensor technology in a wide range of industrial sectors, including oil and gas, subsea, aerospace, defence, hydraulics, depth/level, hazardous area, automotive, process and industrial, test, calibration and OEM markets. Fischer Connectors exhibits examples from its range of rugged connectors and cable assemblies designed for applications where signals, high-speed data and power need to be delivered with 100 per cent reliability even in extreme conditions. Flux Rose, a designer and maker of bespoke electronic control units, will be demonstrating its access platform controller, a microprocessor-controlled I/O module designed for automotive platforms with 32 inputs, 16 LED outputs, CAN, eight relay outputs and six high-side solid state drivers.

One of the major new exhibitors for 2019 is industrial power transmission specialist Ringspann UK - part of the global Ringspann GmbH group. Ringspann provides a wide range of power transmission components for industry, plus associated hardware such as brakes, overload clutches and condition monitoring. Also presenting for the first time is Eurotherm - part of the Schneider Electric group - a world-class specialist in process control, recording and automation. Another well-respected name in automation and process control exhibiting this year is Tritec Systems Ltd, a UK-based systems integrator providing industrial automation and control systems, software, support and maintenance services to a variety of industries including automotive, renewable energy, food and drink, manufacturing, paper, pharmaceutical, process, water and utilities.

Engineering services are also a major part of the event, with a wide range of specialists from across the engineering spectrum present again this year. Precision engineering and large-scale fabrication is represented by Jenks & Cattell and Universal Fabrications amongst others. Electronics assembly, PCB manufacture and wiring service providers taking part include LCL Electronics, European Circuits, HTK Europe and Wireco. There are also specialists such as Darian Global Sourcing and Sourceways that can help find offshore suppliers.

Production equipment

Production hardware being showcased at Northern 2019 includes marking, printing and traceability systems from Brady and Dakota Integrated Solutions, workspace storage from Bott, metrology systems from FARO, Zeiss and Nikon Metrology, and manufacturing software from CIM Software, ANSY Spaceclaim, 123-Insight and Redthorn. And, current concerns over manufacturing notwithstanding, Northern Manufacturing still remains one of the best places to see the latest machinery being demonstrated live, from five-axis machining to 3D printing. Major national vendors returning for 2019 include XYZ Machine Tools, Haas Automation, Laser Lines, Tri-tech 3D and HPC Laser. Numerous other dealers include Middlesbrough-based Dynamic Machine Tools and EDM specialist Makrep EDM Solutions.

National and regional partnerships

For the first time the show is teaming up with a number of national and regional business bodies, making use of their know-how and local intelligence to profile the show to the requirements of the manufacturing supply chain throughout the region. The event is backed by the two main regional aerospace and automotive trade organisations, the North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA) and the Northern Automotive Alliance (NAA). The aerospace sector in the North West is responsible for approximately 25 per cent of the UK's 32bn aerospace sector, employs roughly 25,000 specialist personnel and supports an abundant eco-system of suppliers all over the country. The North West automotive cluster provides employment to roughly 16,200 people and directly yields around 9bn of earnings, or 12 per cent, of the whole British automotive manufacturing output, placing it as the second biggest area for automotive manufacture in the United Kingdom.

Combined with industry-specific event partners, the exhibition is backed by a number of other prestigious national bodies, which include Composites UK, the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT), the Gear & Toolmakers Association (GTMA), the British Gear Association (BGA) and the Confederation of British Metalforming (CBM). Each of these provides an abundance of technical expertise to the exhibition, offering both a readily available business resource and learning opportunities through the show's in-depth free technical seminar programme.

Entry to Northern Manufacturing & Electronics 2019 and on-site parking is free with easy accessibility by road. EventCity is likewise easily accessible by public transport from central Manchester. To register online for complimentary tickets simply go to www.industrynorth.co.uk.