Over 300 of the world’s leading sub-contractors will be highlighting their capabilities at Subcon — the UK’s foremost showcase of companies offering contract and sub-contract manufacturing services.

Moreover, this event runs alongside the Advanced Manufacturing Show and a new event focused on design and product development — the Engineer Design & Innovation Show. Together, the three shows will provide a focal point for engineering-based manufacturing in the UK across all sectors and disciplines.

Subcon reflects the increasingly buoyant manufacturing sector and this year features many new exhibitors to complement those that are returning. Indeed, the event is the only UK one that is completely focused on contract and sub-contract manufacturing, including machining, moulding, fabrication, electronics assembly, finishing and treatments.

The core of the Subcon show is its UK participants, which make up over three-quarters of the exhibitors. Subcon also has 15 overseas countries represented this year; there are pavilions for Denmark, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, China, India, Spain, Ukraine, Latvia and Taiwan, as well as individual exhibitors from Belgium, the USA, Greece, Slovenia and the Republic of Ireland.

Exhibitors at Subcon include the Midlands Assembly Network, Lipco, WEC Group, Tata Steel, Gee Graphite, Tridan, Muller England and Mini Gears.

Co-located shows

Following its successful launch in 2013, the Advanced Manufacturing Show returns to the NEC alongside Subcon. Featuring over 50 manufacturers and suppliers of production engineering equipment, the show highlights the machines and technologies that UK companies need to invest in to ‘stay ahead of the game’ in international markets.

These include machining centres and turning centres, sheet-metal working, metrology, tooling, work-holding and CAD/CAM software. Exhibitors include XYZ Machine Tools, Matsuura, Delcam, Renishaw, Hexagon Metrology, Faro, Kasto and Trumpf.

Nigel Atherton, managing director of XYZ Machine Tools, said: “We had a very positive response at the last Advanced Manufacturing Show in 2013, and that encouraged us to re-book for 2015, when we will have new products to exhibit, such as the innovative XYZ 2-OP portable vertical machining centre. This has been very well received, and the audience at the Advanced Manufacturing Show should recognise the potential that it brings in terms of reduced manufacturing costs through efficient use of labour.”

Meanwhile, the Engineer Design & Innovation Show focuses on everything that engineering designers need to do their job, from high-end products and services used to realise their concepts — such as new design software and ‘3-D printing’ — to the components, materials and innovative technologies that go into these next-generation products.

Exhibitors at the Engineer Design & Innovation Show include Warwick Manufacturing Group, Proto Labs, JMP (a division of SAS software), Panasonic Electric Works, Laser Lines, Spaceclaim Corporation and Tharsus.

Pam Robson, head of Marketing at Tharsus, says: “The co-location of the Engineer Design & Innovation Show with Subcon is particularly relevant to us, as our capability covers all aspects of the product development process — from design through to manufacture.”

Advice Centre for SMEs

A new service for visitors to this year’s three events will give SMEs direct access to expert advice on some of the critical areas that drive business success, including skills, innovation, access to finance and building business in export markets.

The Advisory Drop-in Centre will be easily accessed from the Subcon, Advanced Manufacturing and Engineer Design & Innovation shows. Visitors and exhibitors alike will be able to tap into expertise from organisations that include Lloyds Bank, the Business Growth Service, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, the EIA and export-focused trade bodies. Entry to the Advisory Drop-in Centre is complimentary, and no appointments are necessary.

Visitors will be able to meet Warwick Manufacturing Group-accredited relationship managers from Lloyds Bank, who are dedicated to supporting the needs of manufacturing business owners and can offer a full range of financial solutions.

This could be funding for plant, machinery and vehicles, working capital for trading in the UK or overseas — or even advice on how to make cash deposits work more effectively for you.

Advisors from the High Value Manufacturing Catapult will help SMEs explore the potential for collaboration, explaining how innovative companies can benefit from access to the world-class equipment and expertise on offer at the Catapult Centres.

Meanwhile, the Business Growth Service will help visitors identify barriers to growth and provide tailored advice on how businesses can be improved via coaching, consultancy, mentoring, training, access to
finance and export advice.

Also available for one-to-one meetings will be international trade advisors with a manufacturing background, who can give impartial advice and guidance. The EIA — an accredited trade organisation that works with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) — assists UK SMEs in their participation at overseas engineering trade shows.

Visitors can find out how to access financial support to take part in overseas exhibitions; they can also discuss key issues that they believe the EIA should be raising in its lobbying activities.

Free conference

Visitors to these three engineering events will have the chance to attend a free conference designed to give them an insight into the new technologies, materials and ways of working that are shaping the future of manufacturing.

They will also have the chance to get the inside story on the construction of our biggest ever naval vessels, as well as learn more about a range of topics from graphene and ‘3-D printing’ to Industry 4.0, re-shoring and lightweight components.

Advanced Manufacturing speakers include: Dick Elsy, chief executive of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC), on how SMEs can plug into the HVMC to drive innovation in small-scale manufacturing; and David Downs, engineering director of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, on meeting the challenge of manufacturing the UK’s latest aircraft carrier.

Design & Innovation speakers include: Professor Richard Hague on exploring the design freedoms enabled by additive manufacturing and the move to multi-functional design; and Simon Black, senior manager (body structures) at Jaguar Land Rover, who will look at innovation in the design and manufacture of lightweight structures.

In the area of business partnership and optimisation, Phil Curnock of ADS will be discussing OEMs’ criteria for selecting supply chain partners, while Andy Bowyer of Magna Parva will look at how SMEs can boost their appeal.

The conference also includes special showcase sessions featuring impressive and inspiring engineering projects. These include the Rosetta mission to land a spacecraft on a comet and the inspiring tale of the plan to recreate an iconic Bugatti aeroplane from the 1930s.

Visitors can register for the three shows at:
➤ www.subconshow.co.uk/subconregister
➤ www.advancedmanufacturingshow.co.uk/amsregister
➤ www.theengineer-designinnovationshow.co.uk/tedisregister