Confident return of Southern showcase

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Southern Manufacturing & Electronics makes its long-awaited return to Farnborough from February 8th to 10th 2022.

Southern Manufacturing 2020 was one of the last trade shows to occur before the pandemic and lockdown hit. Despite all the harm wrought on the industrial community over the subsequent 20 months, the speed with which the show has recovered is surely an encouraging sign that the manufacturing sector is dusting itself off and beginning the long, hard slog towards recovery. The show’s organisers report strong interest in reservations from firms eager to get back to face-to-face business. In particular, the show’s many long-standing exhibitors – a good proportion of whom have been with the show throughout its 24 year history – lost no time in securing their place at the UK’s largest and longest running annual industrial exhibition.

As a result of this remarkable response, Southern Manufacturing 2022 will return in its customary format as arguably the most comprehensive engineering show in the country. The three-day event is where the worlds of electronics and industrial production hardware converge with component distributors and subcontract engineering services, creating an event with almost universal appeal across the entire engineering spectrum. Whether it’s seeing the latest machine tools in action, sourcing components or specialist engineering services, Southern Manufacturing & Electronics is the place to find it. And this is particularly pertinent in the current situation where travel remains difficult. Being able to solve multiple procurement issues at a single show is surely a very compelling motivation to consider a visit in February.

The cavernous 20,000m² main hall of the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre is expected to be fully booked by the time the doors open, with only a few stands remaining at the time of writing. Vendors from all around the UK take part, together with a significant number of international exhibitors from Europe and beyond. The event is divided roughly equally between electronics and manufacturing, and further subdivided into specific areas for components, production hardware and so on. There is also a specific feature area within the show, AutoAero, for firms operating within the aerospace and automotive sectors.

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics is a key international marketplace for subcontract services. The show offers an incredibly diverse range of specialist skills, from electronics to precision engineering. The scope is truly international and brings together firms from around the UK, from continental Europe and the Far East.

Exhibitors include CNC machined parts manufacturers such as DKW, Precision Products (Brighton), GW Martin and Sub-CNC Precision, moulders including Nordell and Rutland Plastics, castings suppliers including MRT Castings and Alucast as well as sourcing specialist Qimtek and industrial PR and Marketing company ARO.

Engineering Capacity is an official media partner of Southern Manufacturing and is exhibiting on Stand M260.

Not surprisingly, given its location in the birthplace of the UK’s aviation industry, many of the subcontract engineering firms taking part are AS9100 accredited with substantial aerospace experience in a wide variety of disciplines from precision engineering, composites and advanced plastics to wiring, electronics and testing. Certified to AS9100 REV D, Hertfordshire-based Elder Engineering offers a precision CNC machining and an extensive range of products in plastic and metal machined to exacting requirements. Its

“Start to Finish” sub-contracting machining service goes from initial CAD drawings to a broad range of finishing options. The machine shop includes five-axis milling, twin spindle lathes and a router. The firm’s security division offers and maintains a range of bespoke products for dual view x-ray machines as required by the Department of Transport and ECAC.

Precision casting, machining and fabrication businesses in the Expromet Technologies Group, deliver engineering solutions for performance-critical applications. The group’s businesses draw upon UK manufacturing capabilities and global supply chain for customers across the defence, aviation, marine, medical, energy and industrial automation sectors. Investacast supplies investment castings, pressure die castings and forgings from a manufacturing base in Ilfracombe, Devon. Haworth Castings is a specialist in manufacturing fully-tested, machined and finished sand and gravity die castings with manufacturing sites in Romsey and Basingstoke, Hampshire. Metaltech Precision manufactures precision components based in Chard, Somerset, and has extensive capabilities in CNC turning, milling, fabrication and welding.

Specialist manufacturer of high purity stainless steel manifolds and control systems, Orbital Fabrications will showcase its latest developments and innovations in TIG welding techniques for fabricating complex assemblies in stainless and high nickel content alloys. The company uses automated orbital welding techniques alongside lathe and turntable TIG welding and has recently invested to expand its in-house CNC machine shop, giving greater control and management of the entire fabrication process. Its products typically are for use in the semiconductor, pharmaceutical, chemical and process industries. Services available in-house range from design services, through to test and qualification processes including in-house helium mass spectrometry for leak detection, alongside high pressure testing capabilities up to 400 bar. For high purity applications, all fabrication, assembly and test are conducted within Class 5 and Class 6 cleanroom facilities.

Returning to Southern Manufacturing for 2022, Twickenham Plating Group will highlight its specialist technical plating services for electronics, telecommunication, aerospace, automotive and military applications. It delivers a range of plating services for customers throughout the world, including selective gold plating, reel to reel plating, and barrel/vat/rack plating. Finishes available include gold (pure and hard), silver, palladium, palladium/nickel, electroless nickel, nickel, black zinc nickel, tin, zinc cobalt (olive drab and black). The company can plate to a design specification or develop a specification or process to cost effectively deliver the desired finish. The technical team is able to carry out materials investigations and material specialists can advise about the different characteristics of finishes. The company specialises in plating on different substrates from copper, copper alloys, such as brass and phosphor bronze, and ferrous metals, including stainless and carbon steel, to aluminium alloys and tellurium copper.

Off-shore manufacturing is also an option explored at the show through companies such as China Outsourcing. Established in 2002, the firm offers options for low cost, low risk manufacturing for customers wishing to reduce production and supply costs. The company specialises in the supply of machined parts, castings, forgings, fabrications and assembly work. In 2019 the firm announced the expansion of its manufacturing base into Vietnam, allowing customers, particularly US customers, to avoid import tariffs on Chinese-manufactured parts.

Representatives from the plastics and advanced materials sector include Precision Engineering Plastics, a specialist in close tolerance injection moulded components and added value assemblies. Its London facility is equipped with 30 injection moulding machines ranging from 12 to 650 tonnes, and its own fully-equipped toolroom, enabling it to deliver a comprehensive service from initial design evaluation through to new tool manufacture with in-house tool maintenance and service. Servicing customers in the automotive, aerospace, medical, electronics and defence sectors, the company delivers a wide range of injection moulding, insert moulding, two-shot moulding and secondary / post-processing operations. Part sizes range from small medical devices and micro mouldings for electronics to large parts for automotive trim and ULEV parts.

Returning for 2022, IPFL utilises 3D printing and CNC technologies to produce plastic parts for medical, defence, product development, motorsport and scientific components. This year, the company is showing innovations in diffusion bonding and laser welding for microfluidics. The processes fuse together layers of precisely machined panels at a molecular level without chemicals or adhesives, resulting in highly accurate and complex components. Investment in the process provides microfluidic plates and medical manifolds, which are used for scientific analysis and chemical mixing. Such parts require complex internal track features which cannot be achieved using conventional methods. Alongside machining and fabrication services, it will exhibit its versatile range of additive manufacturing technologies, using high resolution clear materials to tough polyamide production.

Additive manufacturing will also feature on the Röchling Industrial (UK) stand, The firm was an early adopter of additive layer manufacturing technology and will be exhibiting many examples of its additive manufacturing capabilities and competences. Printing technologies available include powder bed fusion – multi jet fusion (MJF), selective laser sintering (SLS) and selective laser melting (SLM). For material extrusion, there is fusion deposition moulding (FDM), Arburg plastic freeforming (APF) and for material jetting, the company offers poly jetting technology. Materials options include PA12, ABS, PP, PC, ASA, PEEK and aluminium (SLM).

The electronics manufacturing aspect of the show is similarly broad, and ranges from design through to PCB manufacture, assembly and full box build, both on-shore and off-shore. Electronics design and software development consultancy Ignys will be offering specialist advice on designing-around the global chip shortage. Highlighting the different centres of excellence in the Vanilla Group, Bela EMS and new-joined group members Interconics and Vanilla Electronics will highlight its combined services and offerings. The three brands are from three different regions within the UK and are all experts in their respective fields. Bela offers PCB design, rapid prototyping and low-mid volume PCB assembly, Wiltshire-based Interconics is the group production centre, offering automated volume and high complexity PCB assembly and in Norfolk, the group supply chain centre, Vanilla Electronics, offers value add supply chain services.

PCB fabrication and assembly from a single location is offered by Glasgow-based European Circuits, along with other services including cable assemblies, test and product build. Its customers include medical, security, broadcast and automotive, throughout the UK, Europe and beyond.

Over the last 18 months, the company has installed new equipment in both manufacturing and assembly areas. The investment in excess of £350,000 includes new CNC drill / routing machine, additional ATE tester, solder paste inspection systems, new pick and place machines and a 3D AOI system.

Another leading name in PCB assembly services exhibiting this year is Corintech. Headquartered in Hampshire, the firm offers a complete range of services from initial concept design support through to component procurement, production mixed assembly and functional testing. All products are manufactured and delivered in accordance with AS9100 and ISO9001 accreditations. The firm’s UK base provides electronics manufacturing for fast turnaround of low and high volume PCB assemblies, while its Hong Kong site allows customers to take advantage of Far Eastern high volume and low source-cost production without compromising on quality.

Offshore manufacturing services highlighted at the show include those sited closer to the UK. Once such firm, Lithuania-based CEMS, Volburg, has been providing services to the UK market since 1996. Its facility is well-equipped with the latest technologies, like EOL test, ICT flying probe and a recently added SMT line equipped with the latest machines. The firm operates to ISO9001 and ISO14001 and holds automotive IATF16949 certification to ensure a high level of quality.

The show’s Machinery area is one of the most popular, allowing visitors the chance to see that latest machine tools in action from many of the UK’s leading vendors. Most of the show’s traditional big-name vendors return for 2022, including Haas Automation, Hurco, Unison and C.Dugard. Mills CNC will showcasing its latest automation solutions, including a SYNERGi Premier automated manufacturing cell comprising a Lynx 2600SY lathe integrated with an industrial robot and featuring a large-capacity part loading/unloading station, a part inspection conveyor and a 17” touchscreen HMI powered by SYNERGi software. A high-productivity Doosan cobot will also be demonstrating the significant operational efficiencies that can be achieved through automation. MACH Machine Tools returns to Farnborough, showing, for the first time, a selection of both new and previously owned machines. Highlights include the MACH VS2-SP manual turret milling machine and its Wi-Fi enabled DynaPath controlled CNC/Manual lathes & bed mills.

XYZ Machine Tools will provide UK exhibition visitors with the first sight of the brand new XYZ SS 65 twin/sub-spindle turning centre, which was recently added to XYZ Machine Tools’ range. The XYZ SS 65 breaks new ground, says the firm, being its first foray into multi-spindle turning centres, a move driven by demand from customers looking for increased productivity and reduced spindle downtime. The ability to machine parts in one-hit, thereby reducing part handling and idle time, its says, will enable machine shops to maximise productivity and spindle up-time while making use of available labour.

Other machines on show on the XYZ stand include the XYZ 750 LR vertical machining centre and the latest versions of the popular ProtoTRAK controlled mills and lathes including the RMX 3500 bed mill and RLX 355 ProTURN lathe. The latest generation ProtoTRAK control adds a host of new features and benefits, not least of which is its 15.6” touchscreen that puts machining information at the users’ fingertips. Combining the touchscreen with DXF capability removes any requirement for a mouse to interact with editing of programs.

AMOB UK will unveil the latest version of the eMOB Super Heavy Duty electric tube bending machines that have the ability to bend tubes up to 225mm in diameter. 1st Machine Tool Accessories exhibits a comprehensive range of automation solutions to speed-up loading and unloading of machining centres, and there are workholding systems from Thame Workholding amongst others.

Advanced manufacturing is represented by leading proponents such as Laser Lines, which returns to Southern 2022 with live demonstrations of three new additive manufacturing technologies, namely saturated absorption fabrication (SAF), stereolithography (SLA) and P3 polymerisation, together with DyeMansion post processing technology to create a full end-to-end manufacturing solution. Bowyer Engineering will launch its in-house designed 3D printer, Orochi. The system is designed to overcome the limitations of existing 3D printers in the manufacture of components and assemblies used in applications such as on-wing inspection equipment manipulators. Boxford  will highlight its range of professional, affordable and reliable laser cutting, engraving and CNC machines, while advanced manufacturing specialists IPFL will be displaying its outstanding work in 3D print and engineering plastics.

On the electronics production side, hardware exhibitors include Mycronic, showing its adaptable PCB manufacturing solutions designed to help reduce operational overhead and enhance yield. Components showcased includes the MY300 compact placing machine, MY700 stenciless solder paste jet printing, K series 3D AOI system and the MYTower flexible storage units. Together with its regular exhibits, this year Blundell Production Equipment is launching the i-Pulse Yamaha M20 auto-placement machines, with specialists present to guide visitors through set-up and functionality. Cupio returns to highlight its range of leading-edge inspection technologies, such as X-ray and Confocal Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (CSAM). X-Ray inspection is used to find faults such as BGA ball voids, while CSAM reveals air gaps, voids, and de-lamination in materials that X-Ray cannot see.

Away from the busy show floor, the ever-popular free seminar programme also makes a welcome return for 2022 in a socially-distanced format. Among the topics discussed this year are HMRC R&D Tax Credits, developing strategies to drive continuous improvement in your business, practical tips on energy usage reduction in manufacturing and advice on how to handle a product safety incident. Sessions run over all three days and a full list is available on the show’s website at www.industrysouth.co.uk

Extensive anti-infection measures will be in place throughout the event, including the requirement to submit a negative test result and/or evidence of vaccination prior to entry. Farnborough International Exhibition Centre is one of Europe’s most modern event venues, equipped with state-of-the-art filtered fresh air ventilation. Access to the show by private vehicle is easy, with 3,500 free onsite parking spaces. A dedicated free shuttle bus runs from the railways stations direct to the show. Once on site, visitors can benefit from a high standard of facilities which includes a selection of catering options and free WiFi service in the foyer.

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2022 opens from February 8th to 10th. Admission to the exhibition is free of charge.

Come and see Engineering Capacity on Stand M260.

www.industrysouth.co.uk

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