Southern Manufacturing and Electronics returns to FIVE 21-23 March), and about 800 firms from around the world will be exhibiting at the 18,000m² purpose-built venue adjacent to Farnborough Airport in Hampshire (www.industrysouth.co.uk).

These firms offer a wide variety of components, industrial equipment and services, from high-tech machining centres to sub-contract manufacture, allowing visitors to solve a number of sourcing issues in a single day.

As the largest annual engineering show in the UK (it occupies an area greater than five halls of the NEC combined), Southern Manufacturing & Electronics attracts strong support from international machinery manufacturers who will be running live demonstrations throughout the event; these include Haas Automation, Yamazaki Mazak, Unison, CMZ and Bruderer.

Matsuura will launch its latest machining centre at the show, and Bystronic will highlight its newest automation solutions. Complementing these are hundreds of tooling and production equipment vendors, including 1st Machine Tool Accessories, Vargus, Roemheld, Nikon, Faro, Arno UK, Bowers Group and Dormer Pramet.

The components and OEM parts being shown at Southern 2017 cover a wide range of disciplines, including fluid power, drives and controls, connectors, automation, electromechanical components and wiring assemblies — to name a few.

Production hardware ranges from the latest 3-D printers to automated pick-and-place machines; there is also CAD/CAM and production management software, while the sub-contract services range from fabrication and electronics assembly to electroplating and heat treatment.

Southern 2017 also offers a seminar programme that looks at a wide variety of technical and topical commercial subjects. A total of 28 sessions over three days will include an overview of advanced manufacturing, 3-D printing, enclosure design, Industry 4.0 and the regulatory significance of Brexit.

All of the sessions are free, although pre-booking is recommended. A complete list of sessions and the on-line reservation form are available on the Web site (www.industrysouth.co.uk); this also provides a searchable database of products, services and exhibitors.

Entry to the exhibition is also free, as is the car parking. The venue is easily accessible by road (from the M3) or by rail. A free shuttle bus connects the exhibition with both of Farnborough’s railway stations.