SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics

Two disciplines, one show

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2023 is taking place from 7th to 9th February and excitement is building now that it is so close. Many thousands of visitors will be heading to the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre to see what more than 600 companies have to offer in two distinct areas - mechanical engineering and electronics. The show is devoted roughly half and half to the two disciplines. Technology trails group together firms with similar expertise to guide visitors around the stands, making it the ideal place to source multiple products and services, identify business opportunities and discover new ideas, all under one roof.

One of the most important engineering shows in the UK calendar and the largest annual event in the sector, it started out 25 years ago as a gathering of local engineering companies, but now attracts exhibitors and visitors from throughout Britain, Ireland, continental Europe, the Americas and Asia. A large proportion of exhibitors have supported the show since the very beginning and the percentage of returning firms is high.

Visitors can expect to see a vast array of automated equipment for electronics production and assembly, PCBs, connectors, sensors, mechanical systems, hydraulic, pneumatic and other components, drives, encoders, fasteners, pressings, wireforms, springs, plastic and rubber mouldings, gaskets and more. There will be suppliers of machine tools and tooling, workholding equipment, automated handling solutions, metrology machines and software, test and inspection systems, finishing machines, laser cutting and marking equipment, additive manufacturing machines and consumables, industrial hardware, production and planning aids, and software for both engineering and business.

Industry 4.0 solutions will be promoted alongside controls, displays, HMIs, data acquisition systems, virtual reality, robot and cobot machine tending and other automation solutions. Other diverse and no less essential products and services

A large proportion of exhibitors have supported the show since the very beginning and the percentage of returning firms is high.

on offer will encompass oil and coolant supply, workshop equipment, dust and fume extraction, humidity control, workplace storage, bespoke case and foam manufacture, plastic packaging, injection moulding, hand tools, adhesives, industrial flooring, waste removal and recycling, training and finance.

Providers of subcontracting services specialising in the manufacture of sheet metal components, as well as metal and plastic rotational and prismatic parts produced either subtractively or additively, will be there to explain what they can offer. So too will firms providing electrical engineering services, electronics assembly, finishing, test and inspection. Experienced staff on the stands will explain how they can help industrial companies maintain momentum and profitability throughout 2023, despite the well-publicised headwinds they are encountering.

A stand that will be interesting to visit is Leybold UK, which designs and manufactures vacuum pumps, components and systems for use in the production of semiconductors, data carriers, displays and solar cells as well as across a vast range of processes in the refinement of steel and the production and packaging of food. Servo Components & Systems will exhibit a range of motion products including linear electric actuators and motors, servo drives, brushless motors and gearheads. They may be assembled into simple pick & place, XYZ gantry, push/pull or stacking systems for entry-level robotics and automation.

Top Hex produces electronic controls for process machinery, industrial applications, laboratories and retail environments. Canadian firm VKS offers work instruction software to digitalise, standardise and optimise processes, without the need for paper. Of interest also will be Process Parameters, a UK manufacturer of industrial temperature sensors including thermocouples and platinum resistance thermometers. It is also a distributor for infrared sensors and thermal cameras for non-contact temperature measurement. Eurotherm is known for its advanced control systems and high integrity data recording. It is a preferred partner for small to medium size automation projects that improve process efficiency, maximise availability and assure regulatory compliance.

Heidenhain will show its CNC systems, DROs, encoders, touch probes, camera systems, length gauges, signal converters and inspection devices, as well as software solutions for the shop floor that empower end users to digitalise their manufacturing. In the field of enterprise resource planning, E-MAX Systems, Medatech UK and MIE Solutions UK will all explain the merits of their different software solutions.

Alongside the exhibition and demonstration areas, over the three days there will be an extensive seminar programme. It will give visitors and exhibitors alike valuable learning opportunities, with a particular focus on the technical, managerial and environmental issues facing manufacturers today. Presentations will span lean continuous improvement, design for test, marketing, team motivation, additive manufacturing, business succession planning, management techniques, CE and UKCA marking, the role of IP in commerce, social media for lead generation and other marketing strategies, commercialisation of ideas, and testing.

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2023 will co-locate with AutoAero, a specialist theme within the exhibition devoted to aerospace and automotive engineering. There is a free, regular bus service between Farnborough’s train stations and the show. Admission and parking are also free. More information and tickets are available from www.industrysouth.co.uk