Drives and Controls January 2023

44 n SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING PREVIEW January 2023 www.drivesncontrols.com M erging the worlds of mechanical engineering and electronics, Southern Manufacturing & Electronics will be held at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre in February. The show is the UK’s largest and longest- running annual engineering show and 2023 marks its 25th anniversary. It has been held continuously since 1998, with the exception of 2021, when it had to be cancelled due to Covid. It has grown from a small, regional show to one that attracts visitors and exhibitors from around the world. The 2020 exhibition, which ran just before the pandemic, hosted nearly 800 companies and attracted 9,256 visitors. Many exhibitors have supported the show since the start and the percentage of returning firms is high. The organisers say it looks as though the 2023 event will be a sell- out again. Despite the diversity of technologies and services on show, there is no demarcation between the different areas, allowing easy cross-overs between engineering disciplines. Visitors say this is one of the show’s main attractions, as it leads to discovery of companies that they would probably not otherwise have seen. Technology Trails guide visitors around the event, grouping firms with expertise in particular areas. The hundreds of exhibitors will highlight an array of mechanical, electrical, electronic, optoelectronic, electromechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic assemblies, components and consumables, connectors, sensors, as well as such items as drives, rotary encoders, linear scales and springs. There will be suppliers of machine tools and tooling, metrology equipment for both tactile and non- contact measurement and inspection, test and inspection systems, and engineering and business software. Industry 4.0 will be in evidence alongside controls, displays, HMIs, data acquisition systems, augmented, mixed, and virtual reality, robot and cobot machine- tending, and other automation offerings. The event is also an important destination for sourcing subcontract services. Leading practitioners will show examples of parts they have machined from a wide range of materials, frommetal billets and castings to plastics. Subtractive machining specialists will be joined by firms specialising in 3D printing. Exhibitors relevant to Drives & Controls at the show will include APEM Components, Binder UK, Camdenboss, Carlo Gavazzi, Davall Gears, Elesa, Fourjaw, Haas Automation, Hammond Manufacturing, Kablschlepp Metool, Keyence UK, Measurement Solutions, Phoenix Contact, Piezoelectric Technology, RDP Electronics, Relec Electronics, Rose Plastic, The Sempre Group, TDK-Lambda, Thorite and Vision Engineering . Servo Components & Systems will be exhibiting motion control products including linear electric actuators and motors, servodrives, brushless motors and gearheads. These can be assembled into simple pick-and- place, XYZ gantry, push/pull or stacking systems for entry-level robotics and automation. Heidenhain GB will present linear scales, angle and rotary encoders, and CNC systems. Its product portfolio includes touch probes, length gauges, digital readouts, signal converters and inspection devices. Bournemouth-based Indus Engineering Services designs, manufactures and installs bespoke factory automation and control systems and integrate components from a wide range of suppliers. It also provides turnkey packages for special-purpose machinery. Swiss firm Lehmann Rotary Tables will exhibit what it claims to be the world’s fastest direct-drive rotary table, capable of speeds of up to 5,450 rpm. Designed for upgrading three-axis machining centres to five-axis capacity, the table can operate at 100% duty cycles. Alongside the exhibition, there will be a three-day seminar programme, focusing on technical, managerial and environmental issues facing manufacturers. There will be two programmes, one covering mechanical engineering, the other electrical and electronic engineering. Topics to be discussed include management techniques, CE and UKCA marking, the role of IP in commerce, social media for lead generation, the commercialisation of ideas, and testing. n The Southern Manufacturing & Electronics exhibition returns to its Farnborough venue next month. The 2023 show marks the event’s 25th anniversary Southern Manufacturing celebrates 25th anniversary SHOWFACTS Where: Farnborough International Exhibition Centre, Hampshire When: 7–9 February, 2023 Entry: Free (register on Web site) Parking: Free Shuttle buses: Free to/fromFarnborough Main and North Camp rail stations Websites: www.industrysouth.co.uk Twitter: @industry_co_uk LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/groups/2500035 Indus Engineering Services will be promoting its bespoke factory automation and control systems Next month’s Southern Manufacturing & Electronics exhibition marks its 25th anniversary