Hydraulics & Pneumatics January/February 2022

The staging of Fluid Power & Systems and Air-Tech is now nearly upon us, with the eagerly awaited event taking place at the NEC, Birmingham from 5 to 7 April. Since its first outing in 2014, Fluid Power & Systems has established itself as the only event in the UK that is focused comprehensively on hydraulic and pneumatic equipment, along with products that facilitate better electro- mechanic system design and application for improved process automation, control, monitoring and analytics. Fully supported by the British Fluid Power Association (BFPA) and Hydraulics & Pneumatics magazine, Fluid Power & Systems offers the largest gathering of leading companies from around the world displaying and demonstrating the latest innovations in mechanical and electro- mechanical equipment. Whatever your industrial sector, whether engineering, construction, offshore/marine, oil & gas, agriculture/farming, automotive, aerospace etc, Fluid Power & Systems – with free entry for visitors – offers a convenient one-stop shop for all your fluid power and system requirements, including: Hydraulics: industrial and mobile, including pumps and power packs, cylinders, valves, motors, heat exchangers, and accumulators, filters and sealing technologies. Pneumatics: valve and valve islands, linear and rotary actuators, air motors, FRLs and other treatment technologies. Systems: Electro-hydraulic & pneumatic systems design; CAN bus technology; FLUID POWER & SYSTEMS 2022 AND AIR-TECH 2022 PREVIEW 38 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS January/February 2022 www.hpmag.co.uk also be staged alongside MACH, expected to bring over 40,000 visitors to the NEC over a single week. The co-located shows are being held in association with BCAS, BFPA, BVAA, GAMBICA, AEMT, CEA, BARA, PI (Profibus, Profinet) and EPMA. Digitalisation and Engineering Forums Located at the heart of the 2022 co- location will be The Digitalisation and Engineering Forums. Engineering Forum With a strong emphasis on technology, the Engineering Forum will bring together all aspects of hydraulics, pneumatics, robotics and automation, plant and asset management, energy efficiency, machine safety, drives, motion control, legislation, system strategies and technological developments. Featuring representatives from across industry including government agencies, research bodies, trade associations, and manufacturers. Digitalisation Forum The Digitalisation Forum, sponsored by Pilz, will fully reflect the ongoing global transformation to the smart manufacturing era and provide a fascinating insight into the potential plants of the future, covering all aspect of the digital transformation across the manufacturing spectrum. Leading experts will address the vast array of information around 4IR, discussing the practicalities, technologies and issues surrounding transition and implementation of digitalisation in UK manufacturing. Talking Industry Live The wide range of topical panel discussions of the popular Talking Industry webinar events will move temporarily from the digital sphere to live panel discussions at the NEC under the Talking Industry Live brand for three days during the co-located shows. In addition, as part of the MTC’s significant presence at the co-location of events, The Manufacturing organisation will lead the discussion on the changing manufacturing landscape, including the challenges and opportunities that will help provide practical steps, which manufacturers can take on the journey to embrace digitalisation in the post COVID-19 era. Another highlight will be a presentation by Paul Cooke, interim CEO at the British Fluid Power Association (BFPA) on the topic of Fluid Power and the Factory of the Future. One might have a vision that in the factory of the future only the four walls, the roof and the floor are fixed – everything else is flexible and can be re programmed for a change of requirements with ease and with open controls. With process automation; monitoring & control; modelling & simulation. Instrumentation: Sensors, switches and controls as applied to fluid power: Temperature, flow, pressure, liquid level, position. Air-Tech – fully supported by the British Compressed Air Society (BCAS), together with Hydraulics & Pneumatics and Plant & Works Engineering magazines – will again cover the very latest in compressed air, vacuum and generators from the UK’s largest gathering of world-class companies. Visitors to Air-Tech will be able to see a wide range of equipment and solutions, including the following: * Accumulators, actuators, air delivery systems and air motors. * Compressors, cooler tools and cylinders. Vacuum systems and generators. Displays & meters. Filters, fittings, heat exchangers and hoses. Instruments, lubricators, manifolds and mobile compressors. Pumps, regulators, sensors, software and valves. Co-located shows Fluid Power & Systems 2022 and Air-Tech 2022 are co-located with Drives & Controls, Plant & Asset Management and Smart Industry Expo exhibitions. These 5 exhibitions showcase the best of British manufacturing and engineering excellence with regular visitor attendance in excess of 13,500. These co-located events will The wait is over for our industry’s main event