The first major UK industry show of the calendar year, Southern Manufacturing & Electronics returns to Farnborough from 6 to 8 February, in a newly built permanent venue.

The £35 million Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre is the largest exhibition venue to be built in the UK for 20 years, and the 20,000m² Hall 1 complex offers world-class facilities, easy access and free parking for 3,000 cars.

The modern surroundings, together with a broad selection of machines on show from leading machine tool companies — including XYZ Machine Tools, Hurco Europe, Yamazaki Mazak, Bystronic, C Dugard, Axminster, Matsuura, Unison and Emco — help to make Southern Manufacturing one of the most popular industry events of the year.

Furthermore, a free-seminar programme will be running (in two lecture theatres) on all three days of the show.

This is one of the key features of the event, and it traditionally attracts hundreds of delegates each year; the seminars are billed as “a complementary blend of technical and business topics, covering a wide range of issues facing manufacturing businesses today”.

Tim Scurlock of Automotive Lean Consulting Ltd (ALC) will “guide delegates through the benefits of lean manufacturing”, including how to eliminate waste from existing processes — and the problems they are likely to face.

Ailsa Carson of Onsite Insights will highlight the best-practice methodologies and key activities that have made some of the world’s greatest manufacturers so successful.

She will also use ‘real world’ examples to show how top firms remain innovative and produce the best product — in terms of design, cost, performance, quality and delivery.

A session by Nick Aitken and Alex Martin will explain the benefits of lithium-ion batteries, as well as raising awareness of their potential failings and associated regulatory matters, while Colin Cater of Tri-Tech 3D will look at the benefits that 3-D printing can bring to all industry sectors.

John Loftus of HMK Automation and Drives will take a look at the future role of collaborative robots — robots that have been designed to physically interact with humans in a shared work-place.

The General Data Protection Regulations (commonly referred to as GDPR and affecting the storage of all personal data) come into force on 25 May, and Dave Smith of Corpdata will explain how companies can ensure they are both compliant and safe.

Meanwhile, in two separate sessions by Andrew Mackenzie of Cleveland Scott York and Kelda Style of Page White & Farrer, delegates will be given a comprehensive overview of Intellectual Property (IP) law — what can be protected and what tangible value IP protection adds to businesses.

A complete listing of all the seminars and a pre-registration form can be found at the Web site (www.seminars.industrysouth.co.uk).

Southern Manufacturing is also an important market-place for sub-contractors and service providers, and they have a strong presence again this year — including well-known firms such as Jenks & Cattell, Fife Fabrications, Smith & Jewell, Barlow Sheet Metal and MJ Allen.

Furthermore, the show’s Technology Trails have been designed to link firms with particular expertise in a variety of areas — including automotive engineering — to make it easier to locate suppliers with particular skill sets.

Categorised details of all exhibitors and a searchable database of products and services are available on-line; visitors registering on the Web site (www.industry south.co.uk) for free tickets will also receive a free 12-page preview magazine to help them plan their visit.

Machining technologies

Taking centre stage on the stand of XYZ Machine Tools Ltd (www.xyzmachinetools.co.uk) (J210) will be the UMC-5X simultaneous five-axis gantry-style machining centre.

As with all machines from XYZ, the UMC-5X is competitively priced yet comes with the latest technology, including ‘Traori’ kinematic functions for five-axis simultaneous machining, as well as integrated ‘Smart Machining Technology’ and thermal growth compensation. The standard control system is the Siemens 840DSL ShopMill, with the iTNC 640 HSCI Heidenhain system available as an option.

Other key features include: a front-loading 600mm-diameter trunnion/rotary table with a high-accuracy direct-drive high-torque motor that gives 90rev/min rotation of the table. The ±120deg tilting axis is ‘servo worm driven’ (a torque-motor drive can be specified as an option) and takes just 2.5sec to cover this rotation with a maximum table load of 600kg.

Furthermore, the design of the machine is such that when the table is tilted 90deg towards the rear (component facing forward), there remains 500mm of Y-axis travel forward of the table surface.

This is more than many competitor machines (including those that quote the same axis travels as the UMC-5X), and it allows larger workpieces to be machined.

Also included in the machine specification are ‘in-line’ spindles offering 12,000/ 15,000rev/min (a high-speed 18,000/24,000rev/min motorised built-in spindle is an option), high-pressure through-spindle coolant, side-mounted ATC (with capacities of 24, 32, 48 or 60 tools), linear scales on the X, Y and Z axes, and high-precision encoders on the A- and C-axis pivot centres.

High Wycombe-based Hurco Europe Ltd (www.hurco.co.uk) will be showing two of its most popular entry-level machines on stand G200.

The VM5i three-axis machining centre offers “full machining-centre performance”, despite being able to fit into a space that is less than 2m in height, depth and width. A 7.5kW 8,000rev/min spindle and a 16-station automatic tool-changer are also featured.

The latest XP version of the TM8i lathe will also be exhibited. Already a Hurco best-seller, this new model offers a more compact footprint and a bigger spindle bore — plus some “innovative control system enhancements”.

Managing director David Waghorn says: “A modern-day sub-contract engineering business has to focus on its immediate order book, while at the same time keeping an eye on the future.

“It is essential to be as flexible as possible and to be able to advance seamlessly to the next level of technology,” adding that the Hurco machine range is designed specifically to meet this requirement — and that the same MAX5 control is fitted to the entry-level three-axis machining centre, the high specification five-axis machines and the firm’s entire lathe range.

Yamazaki Mazak (www.mazakeu.co.uk) will be showcasing the latest addition to its five-axis range of hybrid machining centres on stand J220.

The Variaxis j-600/5X AM, which made its European debut at EMO last year, employs a Wire-Arc AM (additive manufacturing) head on a five-axis vertical machining centre to enable high-speed additive and subtractive manufacturing on one combined platform.

The Wire-Arc AM torch is mounted on the machine’s headstock to deposit material layer by layer and grow near-net-shape 3-D forms. The system quickly deposits material due to the use of wire instead of metal powder.

The hybrid machining centre is capable of high accuracy and productivity from the 12,000rev/min main spindle and the wide range of B-axis rotation (+90° to -120deg); it has a highly rigid and accurate structure, roller linear guides on all linear axes and roller gear cams on both rotary axes.

Equipped with SmoothX CNC, the Variaxis is well-suited to a wide variety of machining applications, including both production and the repair of parts.

Alan Mucklow, managing director of the UK & Ireland sales division, said: “Hybrid machining has multiple advantages, including a considerable reduction in total machining process time, less waste material, and less time spent on material preparation, such as forging and casting.

vIn addition, one of the biggest advantages of Mazak’s AM technology is the capability to add different materials onto a substrate.

This gives machine tool users the opportunity to manufacture components that may not previously have been possible, by coating or adding different materials onto an original component.

“This will be the first time we have taken an additive-manufacturing machine to Southern Manufacturing.

“The UK’s general sub-contracting sector has shown an exceptional level of resilience in recent years, and many manufacturers are reaping the rewards of diversifying their sector portfolios.

“Additive manufacturing can open up an entirely new avenue of work, given the production efficiencies it can offer compared to a purely subtractive application, and Mazak is delighted to now be in a position to offer three different hybrid machining solutions to the UK sub-contractor market.”

Hove-based C Dugard Ltd (www.dugard.com) will highlight its XP range of vertical machining centres on stand J230. This consists of five models, with X-axis travels ranging from 762 to 2,060mm.

Options include Fanuc, Siemens or Heidenhain controls — as well as Renishaw probes for part measurement and tool setting. Smallest in the range, and on show at Southern Manufacturing 2018, the 760XP has a work envelope of 762
x 435 x 520mm, a 16.5kW 12,000rev/min spindle, and a 28-station side-mounted tool-changer. It is also a compact machine, with a footprint of just 2,696 x 2,200mm.

Next in the range is the 1000XP. This has a work envelope of 1,050 x 540 x 560mm, a 12,000rev/min spindle, 44m/min rapids in X and Y and 25m/min rapids in Z. It also comes with a 36-station BT40 tool-changer and swarf auger as standard.

The range also includes the 1350XP, 1600XP and 2000XP models for the manufacture of larger components.

Axminster Tools & Machinery (www.axminster.co.uk) will be on stand L175 and exhibiting for the second year in a row.

General sales manager Mark O’Halloran said: “Our team will demonstrate the CNC iKX3 mill and iKC6 lathe; they will be milling an aluminium component and turning a brass component respectively. Pillar drills and a bandsaw from the Axminster Engineer Series brand will be on display.”

The iKX3 CNC mill features a cast-iron structure (to ensure stable machining) and a transparent enclosure that allows the workpiece and the cutting tools to be viewed at all times and at all angles.

This machine has a 12-station ATC, and it comes with an easy-to-use Windows-based operating system; this has a built-in ‘tuition program’ and accepts all G-code inputs.

A full range of accessories is available, including a fourth axis and hand-wheel control. The iKX3 has a 16mm drilling capacity, a 1kW ISO20 spindle with a speed range of 100-5,000rev/min, a 550 x 160mm table and a positional accuracy of 0.01mm.

Meanwhile, the iKC6 CNC slant-bed lathe is a high-precision machine with its own cabinet/ floor stand. Designed for education and training — as well as small-component production — it has an eight-station ATC, a maximum centre distance of 400mm, strokes of 240 and 320mm in X and Y respectively, a spindle speed range of 100-3,000rev/min, and a positional accuracy of 0.005mm.

It is supplied with operating-system software and can be connected by an Ethernet (LAN) cable to any Windows-based computer (the software has a built-in help and tuition program and accepts G-code inputs). Options include a hand-wheel controller and a coolant system.

Manual and CNC mills and lathes, routers, 3-D printers (from Stratasys) and laser cutting /marking machines are supplied by Hayling Island-based EMCO UK (www.emco.co.uk) to the industrial and education sectors.

At this year’s Southern Manufacturing show, the company will be showing three machines on stand F240: the Emcoturn E25 high precision lathe with C axis and Siemens control; a Maxxmill 350 five-sided milling centre (with Siemens Operate control); and the Emcoturn S65 — a 65mm bar-capacity lathe with Fanuc control.

Kidderminster-based Nukon UK Ltd (www.nukon.co.uk) will be on stand L220 promoting its comprehensive range of fibre lasers which are synonymous in Europe and the USA with speed, flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

Mark Lewis, managing director, says: “If you are looking for a new fibre laser, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss the Nukon range at Southern Manufacturing.”

CAD/CAM systems

Highlighting its expertise in the area of Industry 4.0, Burgess Hill-based Heidenhain (GB) Ltd (www.heidenhaingb.com) will present its Connected Machining production system on stand H190; with this, all work steps — from the design to the finished component — are interlinked via one of the company’s TNC controls.

The manufacturer’s premise is that a workpiece is produced on a machine tool, so information should be consolidated there, with data on the status and quality of the workpiece flowing back into the production IT system.

The machinist, who is responsible for the quality of components and for staying on schedule, needs to have access to all this data.

Two-way communication with a CAM system is facilitated by Remote Desktop Manager software, while using Batch Process Manager, the operator can monitor the NC program and tools and schedule the execution of several production orders simultaneously.

StateMonitor software captures data from machines, while sending messages to computers and mobile devices throughout the company. Automatic workpiece measurement on the machine delivers data for quality assurance, which can be archived or evaluated.

In other news, Heidenhain is offering an optional variant of its TNC 620 control, whereby instead of having soft keys at the side of the screen, plus function keys and a numeric keypad below, operation is via graphics on a large touch-screen.

This gives users the choice of a smartphone/tablet-style interface when operating this mid-range four/five-axis CNC system for prismatic machining and probing.

Its familiar look and functionality have been combined with ‘modern operation’, using tapping, swiping and dragging motions on the screen. An operator can zoom in or out and move or rotate graphics directly on screen, dynamically and smoothly.

Cheltenham-based Vero Software (www.verosoftware.com) will be demonstrating the 2018 R1 releases of Edgecam, Radan and VISI, on stand G190 at Southern Manufacturing 2018.

Edgecam includes updates to roughing cycles for milling, turning and mill-turn machining; it also addresses the prevention of unnecessary CAM regeneration.

For example, when editing a tool command, the remaining instructions will no longer be automatically regenerated if the alteration does not affect the corresponding cycles with aspects such as coolant or high speed.

Meanwhile, sheet metal software Radan takes the increasing popularity of automatic bending into consideration, making finger-stops safer by allowing for improved part alignment inthe press brake — and reducing the number of finger-stop movements required between bends.

Furthermore, the introduction of a new batch-nesting system could improve material usage by around 9% over a year with an approach to optimising a range of nests that looks at the entire nest run and reduces the number of overall sheets, instead of focusing on how full each individual sheet is.

For the mould-and-die market, VISI now provides even greater flexibility when constructing supplier and non-standard tool configurations. Customisable templates, including the management of blank and pre-drilled plates, allow for the easy development of tool layouts and enhanced editing throughout the design process.

Open Mind Technologies UK Ltd (www.openmind-tech.com will be demonstrating its NC code-based HyperMill Virtual Machining Centre simulation for the first time at Southern Manufacturing on stand D225.

The developer of CAD/CAM software and post-processors will also be showing HyperMill version 2018.1 and the HyperMill MAXX machining-performance package.

Milling tasks that use powerful five-axis machining centres are making reliable machine simulation more important than ever.

With its HyperMill Virtual Machining Centre, Open Mind has developed a solution that uses the NC code after the post-processor run as the basis for the simulation, thereby ensuring that the virtual machine movements correspond exactly to the real machine movements.

Meanwhile, the company says its HyperMill MAXX machining-performance package, with its three modules for roughing, finishing and drilling, offers a major boost in efficiency — with time savings up to 90% during finishing and up to 75% during roughing.

Visitors will also see the savings that can be achieved with strategies such as five-axis tangent-plane machining. Other enhancements include 2-D contour milling on the 3-D model strategy, which makes it easier to program vertical surfaces (the milling contour is generated automatically by selecting the perpendicular surfaces).

HyperMill 2018.1 also offers Autodesk Inventor users new functions for five-axis swarf cutting with one curve. Users can create perfect surfaces and curves for swarf cutting quickly and easily, using a simple surface selection that is based on the selected geometries.

Quality and measurement

Gloucestershire-based Renishaw plc (www.renishaw.com), a global engineering technologies company, will be exhibiting a range of metrology and additive-manufacturing products on stand G210. It will be showing a new and improved surface-finish measurement probe (SFP2) for use on its REVO-2 five-axis measurement system.

Combining surface finish measurement and dimensional inspection on a CMM offers marked advantages over traditional inspection methods requiring separate processes.

Powered by five-axis measurement technology, the SFP2’s automated surface finish inspection offers significant time savings, reduced part handling and greater return on CMM investment.

Renishaw’s Equator flexible gauge will also be demonstrated, and it is now offered with IPC (intelligent process control) software; this provides the functionality to fully automate tool offset updates in CNC manufacturing processes.

Improved capability in precision part machining, reduced setting and process adjustment time, and integration with automation systems are some of the benefits that users can now expect.

The company will also show a range of fully dense complex parts that have been built using its additive manufacturing (3-D printing) process and a range of metal powders — including aluminium, titanium and Inconel.

The laser melting technology involves fusing the metal powder in layer thicknesses ranging from 20 to 100µm, using a high-powered yterrbium fibre laser.

Visitors will also be able to see the XM-60, a laser measurement system capable of measuring errors in six degrees of freedom along a axis, simultaneously from a single set-up. It provides a powerful diagnostic tool to measure all geometric errors in the axis from a single capture.

For users of volumetric compensation, XM-60 provides a quick and accurate method of data population.

All measurements are made optically, allowing use in any orientation, with linear, pitch, yaw, roll, horizontal and vertical straightness measurements taken in the same time as a single measurement with conventional laser techniques.

Burton on Trent-based Blum-Novotest Ltd (www.blum-novotest.com), a leading manufacturer of measuring and testing technology, will be introducing its latest advances in on-machine measurement on stand E230.

On display for the first time in the UK will be the new range of Digilog probing technology, offering CNC machine users access to higher levels of productivity and process control.

Automated measurement of the workpiece and tooling within the machine is now the standard for high-end manufacturing companies, and the Blum Digilog family of products allows users to take this principle even further.

Gloucestershire-based Aberlink Ltd (www.aberlink.com) — the largest UK-owned manufacturer of co-ordinate measuring machines, vision measuring systems and measurement software — will be on stand L230.

Among the products on display will be the Axiom Too CMM — said to be the UK’s best-selling complete inspection system — and the Xtreme CNC CMM.

Featuring a non-cartesian structure and using linear motors and mechanical bearings, this CMM provides a robust solution for providing precision inspection results.

Moreover, its configuration ensures that it maintains high levels of accuracy at very fast measurement rates; also, it does not suffer from the cumulative inaccuracies that occur in conventional three-axis cartesian designs.

The Xtreme is a self-contained inspection unit with no air bearings, so it is just ‘plug and go’; and with built-in temperature control and a compact footprint, the machine can be placed wherever it is needed.

Tooling technology

The Corsham-based tool-holding specialist Gewefa UK Ltd (www.gewefa.co.uk) will be debuting four new products on stand D10 — the Gewefa-Plus face-and-taper tool-holder, the Hydropin hydraulic chuck with a fixed stop pin, the ‘Easy-Fix’ boring bar tool-holder, and the Induterm M96 — a new heat-shrink collet system for securely clamping milling cutters into tool-holders.

Gewefa UK managing director Keith Warner said: “We met a lot of sub-contractors at our first appearance last year and it was clear they are always on the look-out for tool-holding and metal-cutting solutions that give them a lead in productivity, precision and repeatability.”

Benfleet-based Wilson Tool International (www.wilsontool.eu.com will be introducing several new products at the show, including: the new Smart-X Storage 4.0 addition to its Industry 4.0 manufacturing environment, which integrates tool storage with management software; a new QuickTap tapping tool for thick-turret punching machines (it can accurately tap up to 200 holes per min); and its new Express Rail 2000 and Express Air press brake clamping systems, which have been designed to reduce set-up times and increase productivity.

Chesterfield-based Dormer Pramet (www.dormerpramet.com), a global manufacturer and supplier of tools for the metal-cutting industry, will be exhibiting its versatile range of tools for general engineering and multi-application environments on stand E210.

Visitors can view the company’s full range, which includes indexable and rotary drilling tools, as well as milling, threading, parting and grooving, and turning tools. It also supplies numerous training packages, a range of smartphone apps and printed technical material to simplify tool selection, ordering and application.

Specialist machinery and products

Southern Manufacturing 2018 will also be a good place to see some of the more specialist types of production machinery.

For example, Bristol-based IPG Photonics (www.ipgphotonics.com) will be demonstrating a multi-axis workstation on stand C170. This is a Class One laser system that is fully compatible with welding laser sources rated from 150 to 8,000W. The standard work envelope is 500 x 300 x 300mm, rotation about the X axis is standard, with additional axes optional. G/M code programming and a full look-ahead contouring capability are available, as are standard options such as vision and power measurement.

Rösler UK (www.rosler.com) is a leading supplier of surface finishing and preparation equipment, based in Merseyside. Visitors to its stand will see a centrifugal (high-energy disc) mass finishing machine in operation. This technology allows rapid finishing of smaller robust parts. Metal removal rates can be between eight- and 10-times higher than in vibratory machines with correspondingly shorter process times, lending the process to applications where fast high-volume component finishing is required.

Ripon-based GoPrint3D (www.goprint3d.co.uk) will be exhibiting a range of 3-D printers from a number of manufacturers, including Formlabs, Markforged, Ultimaker — and more.

On the stand will also be metal parts printed on a Markforged Metal X, which uses a novel technique to produce functional pure-metal parts at a fraction of the cost of traditional machining methods. This technique also allows for much greater freedom in design, and it allows engineers to print geometries that are too complex
to be machined in other ways.

Other well-known companies at the show specialising in 3-D printing include: Laser Lines Ltd (Stand E150), CREAT3D Ltd (Stand C165) and TriTech 3D (Stand G205).

Meanwhile, Industrial Plastic Fabrications will be highlighting its portfolio of advanced 3-D printing and plastics manufacturing services, including the use of the “revolutionary” Agilius30 3-D print polymer, which can be used to create 3-D printed parts with rubber-like qualities of flexibility and durability.

Leeds-based Q8 Oils (www.q8oil.co.uk), one of the world’s leading lubricant manufacturers, is showcasing its full range of soluble and neat metal-working fluids on stand M200. These include Q8 Brunel, a range of high-performance fluids that have been developed to meet the needs of advanced engineering applications. Q8 Oils supports customers with its QCare service, which offers a wide range of technical services to ensure safe working and maximise the benefit of its products.

Meanwhile, Kent-based Wyse Oil Ltd (www.wyseoil.co.uk) will be highlighting its recently launched range of cutting fluids that are both boron- and formaldehyde-free. The Wysecut EnV5000 series of products has been developed for ‘high end’ industries such as aerospace and automotive, as well as general engineering applications where HSE requirements and operator exposure limits are important — areas where there have been complex changes in legislation over the last year.

Hemel Hempstead-based Henkel (www.henkel.com) will be exhibiting its newly introduced range of Loctite ‘universal structural bonders’ on stand H165. The use of Henkel’s patented ‘hybrid technology’ allows these products to achieve bond strength, speedy cure and durability — performance qualities the company says have historically not been available from a single product. From a manufacturer’s perspective, the Loctite universal structural bonders are proving capable of solving a broad variety of design and assembly challenges. Structural bonding allows materials to be selected for their respective performance qualities, rather than their compatibility with the joining method — allowing plastics, metals and composites to be freely combined. The adhesive also creates uniform stress distribution across the entire bond face; and as the join is ‘relatively invisible’, the aesthetics of the product are considerably enhanced.

Manufacturers

The Birmingham-based precision-stamping specialist Brandauer (www.brandauer.co.uk) has just launched a new video — ‘What is a Micron?’ — that it will be showcasing on stand H200 (below).



The 60-employee company produced more than 1.5 billion components last year — all to an accuracy of 20µm. Brandauer has invested heavily in high-speed press technology, a wire-cut EDM cell and the skills of its workforce, to help increase the number of parts it produces by over 10% — equating to more than £1 million in sales. Customers are typically looking to buy electrical steel laminations that are used in motors for electric cars, in aerospace projects and ‘renewables technology’.

Technical sales manager Graham Allison said: “A human hair is 50µm thick, so that gives an idea of the tolerances we are working to. Increasingly, our customers are taking on more technical projects and these necessitate us making small parts, often in very difficult materials such as 316, 304 and 301 stainless steel, as well as many non-ferrous materials like brass and a variety of copper alloys.”

The four-minute video ‘What is a Micron?’ is set in the heart of Brandauer’s 45,000ft² facility, and uses machining engineer Steve Clorley to put this dimension into context against a backdrop of processes, machinery and manufacturing skills. It also features digital animation of the tooling process. Brandauer will also be showing EloPin press-fit technology, which allows the solder-less connection of terminal pins to a PCB.

Rustington-based Precision Products (Brighton) Ltd (www.precisionproducts.co.uk), a leading sub-contract manufacturer of precision turned parts, is exhibiting on stand D70.

The company is one of the first contract machinists in the UK to be accredited to AS9100 Rev D, the latest revision of the quality management system standard for the aviation, space, and defence industries. It is is a long-established, second-tier supplier to the aerospace sector, which accounts for around 20% of the the company’s turnover.

Chairman Brian Owen said: “The parts we make for aircraft tend to be relatively simple but are safety-critical and have to be of extremely high quality, so the aerospace supply chain — right up to the primes — want to know that we have the right quality procedures in place.”

Production is carried out exclusively on 22 Citizen and Miyano CNC automatic lathes for sliding- and fixed-head turn-milling respectively, the latter accommodating diameters up to 64mm diameter.

They are supported by a hermetically sealed, ultrasonic, solvent cleaning system, an aqueous cleaning station and high-precision inspection equipment, plus a tool-vending system supplied and managed by Turner Tools (based in the South East).

Recent new business won by Precision Products includes machining 5,000 sets of a family of 15 stainless-steel components — plus two plastic variants for a new design of hot-water dispenser. Another new contract is turn-milling components from brass bar that go into high-end light switches used in listed buildings, including stately homes and museums.

The work was previously undertaken in China based on die-castings, but the polished finish was not good enough. The parts are now produced for a similar price and to the required standard in Rustington — without the lead-time associated with supply from the Far East.

Chard-based NC Precision Ltd (www.ncprecision.com), a leading CNC sub-contract machining company that uses the latest CNC sliding-head technology, will be exhibiting on stand C200. It manufactures miniature high-precision components and complex parts from a wide range of materials for many different industries, including aerospace and motor-sport. The company also provides additional services such as heat treatment, electroplating and anodising. Recent investments include a magnetic deburring machine, which ensures that parts are supplied with a perfect finish, and a Citizen L20-XII — a top-of-the-range machine featuring B- and Y-axis control on both the main spindle and sub-spindle. Driven tools on the B axis allow the machining of angled features — and contouring with simultaneous four-axis control. The L20-XII can also switch between guide-bush and guide-bushless operation on parts up to 25.4mm in diameter. Its speed of operation accommodates longer batch runs, where cycle time is critical.

Suffolk-based CamdenBoss Ltd (www.camdenboss.com), a provider of high-performance engineered interconnects and enclosures, is showing its latest products on stand N120. New products will include IP68 flat-sheet plastic technology (FSPT — a registered trademark) custom enclosures, a comprehensive range of circular connectors, an extensive range of electrical enclosures, new 2.54mm and screwless CamBlock Plus terminal blocks — plus enclosures from the Takachi range. The popular FSPT custom enclosures are designed for use in harsh environments, thanks to a joining technique developed by the company to ensure that they are completely watertight. This allows customers to use them in many more applications than before, including outside.

Kent-based Convert Ltd, (www.convertltd.co.uk), a leading manufacturer of cable looms and harnesses, is showcasing its capabilities on stand A155. The company specialises in the automotive, public-transport and scientific/medical sectors, manufacturing cable harnesses for car headlights and rear lights, passenger gates at railway stations and a range of scientific equipment. Using highly trained staff and continual investment in ‘state of the art’ equipment — including a Komax Gamma 255 fully automatic crimping machine and an Artos MTX-5 crimping machine — Convert’s complex cable looms and harnesses are manufactured to the highest quality, delivered on-time and at competitive prices. Convert will be sharing its stand with its partner SK Electronics, a Manchester-based PCB assembler.

Dorset-based Optimas (www.optimas.com) — a global supplier of C-class components (defined as high-volume low-cost materials) — will be exhibiting on stand C120, highlighting its standard and specialised component solutions for a wide range of applications. Its components division supplies an extensive range of over 14,000 standard parts, with many specialised for electro-mechanical applications. The range includes cable management solutions, wiring hardware, enclosures, cable glands, conduits and fittings, threaded and non-threaded fasteners, finishing products and access hardware. Visitors to the stand will have an opportunity to pick from a huge selection of component samples, allowing for a first-hand appraisal of the range.

Romanian company Cicor (www.cicor.com), an electronics service provider, will be exhibiting at this year’s show for the first time (stand G90) to promote its new facility in Arad. The new ‘state of the art’ facility has been designed to provide optimum EMS (environmental management systems), additional capacity and new technologies that consolidate its position in the Romanian and European markets. The company offers a range of capabilities in PCB assembly, system assembly and box building, control cabinet construction and cable assembly — as well as out-sourcing for the development and manufacture of electronic-component assemblies and complete devices and systems. Integrated management software allows the firm to ensure that all relevant quality data is recorded during the manufacture and maintenance of electronic products and trace — for example — all component batch numbers.

Visitors to Southern Springs and Pressings Ltd (www.southernsprings.co.uk)on stand M170, will be able to learn about the bespoke springs and components the company can manufacture at its factory in the New Forest. It has recently increased its in-house press facilities and now has nine machines, including two new CNC power presses; the company has also installed a new IT system, allowing it to keep track of all customer orders and stock levels.

Visitors to Liberty Speciality Steels (www.libertyhousegroup.com) (on stand L195) will be able to meet representatives from its Aerospace Service Centre and the Advanced Machining Centre (AMC) to discuss their material and machined-component requirements. The Aerospace Service Centre in Bolton offers a fully accredited (AS9100, AS9120, IS0 14001) mill-backed supply chain that covers stocking material through to sawing and packaging for just-in-time delivery requirements or the servicing of long-term agreements. Long bar or cut-to-length requirements of high-integrity aerospace steel can be manufactured for local or global delivery. Meanwhile, the AMC in Sheffield offers an integrated supply chain that reduces the complexity of component manufacture by delivering from concept to finished component. On display will be examples of components machined at the AMC for industries including aerospace, automotive and general engineering.

Machinery Market (www.machinery-market.co.uk) will be distributing free copies of the leading weekly magazine on stand M225. Visitors will find out why Machinery Market is the best place to source new and used machinery (www.machinery-locator.com) and how it can promote UK manufacturers, machine tool companies and suppliers of related production equipment to a world-wide audience — in print, digital and on-line.