The very best of mechanical engineering and electronics will converge in approximately equal measure at Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2023, which will be held at the £35 million, 20,000 sq ft Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre from 7th to 9th February. Those looking for new ideas to increase orders and keen to identify new business opportunities should not miss this important event.
The exhibition is not just a showcase for industry and engineering in Britain and Ireland, but has grown to become a major promotional venue for companies from continental Europe and further afield. The enormous diversity of products and services on display secures the event’s reputation as one of the largest and most comprehensive annual engineering shows in the UK. It is certainly the longest running, having taken place virtually continuously since its inauguration in 1998, which means this year marks the 25th anniversary.
While it may seem strange to combine two very different technologies under one roof, it is a formula that over the years has proved highly successful. There are no barriers between the different areas, allowing people to move freely between stands and perhaps discover products and services that are unfamiliar to them but nevertheless of significance. At previous shows, people have said this is a particularly attractive feature, especially as technology trails grouping firms with similar expertise makes finding one’s way around easy.
Exhibitors will present a vast array of mechanical, electrical, electronic, optoelectronic, electromechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic components and assemblies, passive electronic components, ICs, PCBs, surface mount technology, connectors and cables, as well as sensors, drives, encoders, fasteners, pressings, wireforms, springs, mouldings, gaskets and more.
There will be suppliers of metal cutting and metal forming machine tools, tooling, workholding systems, inspection equipment, finishing machines, laser cutting and marking equipment, additive manufacturing machines and consumables, and engineering and business software. Industry 4.0 solutions will be in evidence alongside controls, displays, HMIs, data acquisition systems, augmented and virtual reality, robot and cobot machine tending and other automation solutions.
Additional products and services will encompass oil and coolant supply, workshop equipment, dust and fume extraction, humidity control, workplace storage systems, bespoke case and foam manufacture, plastic packaging and injection moulding, hand tools, adhesives, industrial flooring, waste removal and recycling, training, freight services and business consultancy.
The event is also an important destination for sourcing subcontract services. Leading practitioners will show examples of parts they have machined from a vast array of materials, from metal billets and castings to plastics and composites. Traditional subtractive machining specialists will be joined by firms specialising in 3D printing. Further subcontract engineering services will include electronics assembly and box build, finishing, test and inspection.
Alongside the exhibition and demonstration areas there will be two extensive technical seminar programmes devoted to mechanical engineering and electronics respectively. They will give visitors and exhibitors alike valuable learning opportunities, with a particular focus on the technical, managerial and environmental issues facing manufacturers today.
Subjects will span such topics as management techniques, lean continuous improvement, design for test, marketing, team motivation, additive manufacturing, CE and UKCA marking, the role of IP in commerce, social media for lead generation and other marketing strategies, commercialisation of ideas, and business succession planning.
Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2023 will co-locate as usual with AutoAero, a specialist theme within the exhibition devoted to aerospace and automotive engineering. A regular, free bus service will shuttle visitors between Farnborough’s railway stations and the exhibition ground. Parking is also free of charge, as is admission to the show. More information and tickets are available from www.industrysouth.co.uk
