News 6 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk Annual Buyers’ Guide 2026 In just over four months, MACH 2026 (20 to 24th April 2026) will open its doors at the NEC, Birmingham to over 30,000 members of the manufacturing community – bringing together buyers, sellers, specifiers and designers. The biennial event offers an unmissable opportunity to experience new technology, live and in action and is perfectly timed for UK manufacturers preparing for growth in capacity and capability. MACH is the biennial event that brings together the manufacturing community. It is owned and organised by the MTA, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to being the voice of the engineering and manufacturing community. The association is committed to driving innovation, creating value, attracting new talent into the sector and supporting the continued growth of UK manufacturing. MACH is also supported by other key manufacturing organisations including the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and its centres, the MMMA, and for the first time, by Automate UK and Make UK. All aspects of manufacturing technology will be on display at the event, and the MTA is delighted to welcome back exhibitors who’ve been strong supporters of the show over many years in addition to many first-time exhibitors and those returning to the show after a period of absence. Building on the success of their debut at MACH 2024, the Knowledge Hubs will return and are even bigger and better for MACH 2026. These interactive hubs are designed to provide manufacturers with practical guidance on adopting new technologies, helping them tackle challenges, boost performance and improve competitiveness by connecting with the right experts and suppliers. Strategically located across the show floor, the Knowledge Hubs will focus on key industry topics including subjects including automation and robotics, additive manufacturing, data and AI and consumable tooling. They are designed to provide visitors with impartial advice and signpost them around the show, as well as provide invaluable insights into when and how to invest in technology that drives improvements in productivity, efficiency and operational costs. The Machining & Tooling Knowledge Hub is a particular focus for MACH 2026 and is supported by a wide range of tooling companies including Ceratizit, Iscar Tools, Horn, Guhring, ZCC Cutting Tools, Kyocera, Europa Tools, Mapal and Mitsubishi. A key part of the Hub is a seminar theatre where informative presentations will take place covering subjects including how to apply the latest cutting tool technologies plus pointers on selecting the most suitable insert geometries. The programme is designed to empower manufacturers to work faster, better, and more cost-effectively. Commenting on the plans for MACH 2026, James Fudge, Head of Operations at the MTA, said: “MACH is the only show that offers thousands of visitors a fantastic opportunity to explore and see live demonstrations of a wide range of the latest manufacturing technologies and techniques, all under one roof, in one week – without leaving the UK. This year’s event is a fabulous opportunity to learn about new technology and how this can be harnessed to improve productivity and efficiency. The Knowledge Hub areas are spearheading our drive to help manufacturers integrate new technologies into their processes and manufacturing systems. The event also offers invaluable face-to-face opportunities to meet new suppliers and strengthen existing relationships, helping businesses stay ahead in a rapidly evolving sector.” The Education and Development Zone (E&D Zone), sponsored by Iscar Tools, is the educational hub at MACH 2026, designed for students keen to explore what engineering-based manufacturing can offer them as a future career and to help them find their ‘pathway to engineering’. Fudge continued: “The E&D Zone showcases the MTA’s commitment to attracting new talent into the sector. We have nearly 3,000 students due to attend in the key age range of 11-18. The zone is designed as an engaging experience and will demonstrate what a career in advanced manufacturing looks like.” Registration is now open for the event owned and organised by the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA), and sponsored by Lloyds, which is the UK’s largest for inspiring, innovating and connecting the manufacturing community and is due to take place across five halls of the NEC from 20 to 24th April 2026. To find out more about MACH 2026 and to register please visit: https://www.machexhibition.com/ MACH 2026 poised to be the catalyst for UK manufacturing to deliver economic growth UK manufacturers are losing up to £736 million every week due to unplanned downtime, according to new data released by Fluke Corporation. The findings highlight significant vulnerabilities in industrial resilience, with nearly seven in ten manufacturers reporting outages in the past year. The research, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Fluke, surveyed more than 600 senior decision-makers and maintenance professionals across the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. It found that 68% of UK manufacturers suffered unplanned downtime in the past 12 months, revealing what Fluke describes as a “silent crisis” in operational reliability. The study shows that downtime is both frequent and prolonged. Nearly half (46%) of UK respondents reported between six and ten downtime incidents each week, while 15% said they experience 11 to 20 incidents weekly. In terms of duration, 45% said outages last up to 12 hours, and 17% reported incidents stretching to as long as 72 hours. At an average cost of £1.36 million per hour, Unplanned downtime costs UK manufacturers up to £736 million a week, survey finds
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