Show hits top gear

innovation is a key focus for manufacturing sites across the UK, as suppliers embrace reshoring.

Simon Albert, managing director of event organisers Messe Frankfurt UK, said: “We’re looking forward to opening our doors for 2023 and welcoming visitors to the new, refreshed Automotive Supply Chain Forum at Automechanika Birmingham 2023.

“Visitors will have access to key discussions on challenges and opportunities presented by electrification and battery technology, light weighting, sustainability and net-zero, supply chain logistics, industry 4.0 and digitalisation and, skills and talent retention with a panel of industry expert advisory board members and the SMMT.”

The Automotive Supply Chain Forum will also explore how UK manufacturing is bringing more global productions back to domestic sites to address supply chain challenges caused by the legacy of the Covid pandemic, logistic pain points, global disruption, and ongoing UK-EU regulation complexities following Brexit.

As powertrains shift to zero emission, and vehicle designs are constantly required to innovate, the Forum brings suppliers face to face with those at the forefront of developing new technologies, to explore opportunities and to win business.

The Forum will also see the return of the SMMT Meet the Buyer programme, which enables one-to-one meetings between aftermarket suppliers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and tier-one buyers.

The 2023 edition of the Automotive Supply Chain Forum will be the fifth time the event has run, previously being part of the Automechanika trade exhibition. However, the latest edition will have an all-new format to put the supply chain in the spotlight more than ever before.

Automechanika Birmingham is perhaps the most important event for the UK automotive industry, and the first event back on UK shores since 2019 comes at a vital time with so much disruption and change impacting the community.

Features aimed at the aftermarket sector include a Workshop Training Hub delivering technical seminars on engine fault diagnostics, MOT, diesel, Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) and much more.

A new EV Training Hub, sponsored by Alliance Automotive Group, will highlight the requirements and opportunities available to the aftermarket to adapt to hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) service and repair. This must-attend programme covers topics such as how to prepare your garage to offer repair services, health and safety requirements, tools and equipment for high voltage operations, battery technology, plus, exciting discussions on the hydrogen internal combustion.

Better together

Four show organisers have joined forces to collocate 12 manufacturing shows at the NEC – including Automechanika, Subcon and the Automotive Supply Chain Forum.

The collaboration will see Automechanika Birmingham, Design & Engineering Expo, Smart Factory Expo, Med-Tech Innovation Expo, TCT 3Sixty, Drives and Controls, Maintec, Subcon, The Engineer Live, Manufacturing Management Live, Machinery Live and Automotive

Supply Chain Forum come together for the first time at the NEC in Birmingham.

All 12 events will take place alongside each other bringing huge added value to attendees and exhibitors, with a visitor registering for one event gaining access across all shows, providing a united approach to encourage market innovation and trade.

Simon Albert, Managing Director at Messe Frankfurt UK who organises Automechanika the UK's leading trade exhibition for the automotive aftermarket and supply chain sector comments: “We have an exciting proposition for the UK automotive supply chain and this partnership in June 2023 strengthens this opportunity further.

“These events naturally complement each other and by working together we can deliver the strongest platform for our customers to do business. Collocating gives the market the best possible reason to take time out of their busy schedules to visit for the duration of the shows.”

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Ongoing supply chain disruption has forced organisations to seek new ways to navigate through a challenging climate. This has placed technologies such as additive manufacturing (3D printing), artificial intelligence, and robotics under the spotlight to help shorten supply lines and revolutionise global business operations, explains Luke

Smoothy, Founder and Director of Get It Made.

With ongoing delays in logistics hindering organisations’ ability to deliver products and services in a timely manner, one way to streamline these activities is the ability to manufacture all critical components at the point of assembly. This is why AM is increasingly playing a critical role in transforming manufacturing workflows and supply chains.

Adoption of 3DP

Such is the flexibility of 3D printing, its technology is rapidly accelerating to address a much wider range of applications. As more businesses look to AM to offer very specific applications, they are also wanting to collaborate with an AM partner who is not just able to integrate the entire solution as well as make it function seamlessly in their existing production workflow but also work together on developing a bespoke solution for their requirements.

While we’re seeing AM “take off” in demanding environments such as rocketry, aerospace, military and defence, its use is also