Southern Electronics 2009 breaks all records

 Publication date: 11 March 2009

Southern Electronics 2009 defied both the British Winter and the credit crunch with the most successful show in its history. Visitors in record numbers braved the icy conditions to experience the show, the largest ever staged and arguably the most important electronics show in the UK this year.

More companies than ever took the opportunity to exhibit at the South’s landmark industrial event. Exhibition space sold out in December 2008, forcing the organisers to re-organise the floorplan and free-up more space.

As in previous years, Southern Electronics shared its Farnborough venue with the Southern Manufacturing show. A total of over 500 companies from across Europe took part this year, exhibiting an incredible variety of technologies, products and services – everything from the most sophisticated machine tools to the simplest connector.

The show’s great strength has always been that it is possible for visitors to meet suppliers from virtually every branch of industry in a single, convenient visit. With over 3,500m² of exhibition space filled, that was even more true this year.

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics Show has a unique energy and atmosphere, this year given an extra edge by the enthusiasm of the many first-time visitors and exhibitors.

Times may be hard, but that seems to have done little to deter the UK’s engineers, manufacturers and industrial suppliers from their determination to seek out new opportunities and new business.

Chris Heal, sales manager of Custom Interconnect Ltd, commented, "We have been coming to the show for a number of years now and this is a particularly good one. Strange thing to say, but even when we were setting up there was a good feeling about the event, very alive somehow. There is a wide variety of exhibitors and that is always good".

Show director, Phil Valentine of European Trade & Exhibition Services (ETES) said, "The response this year has been truly remarkable. We know that things are difficult for some, but in many of the conversations I have had with people here, I’ve been struck by the degree of optimism and the strong belief in the importance of industry and manufacturing to the future prospects of the UK economy as a whole. We are delighted that the show has proved such a useful platform for so many exhibitors."

For Further Information, Please Visit http://www.industry.co.uk

ElectronicsProductionWorld.com – Southern Electronics 2009 breaks all records

Mitsubishi Demos ‘3D Touch Panel’ — Tech-On!

Mar 11, 2009 11:46
Tadashi Nezu, Nikkei Electronics

Mitsubishi Electric Corp prototyped a capacitive touch panel that can detect the distance between a finger and the panel and demonstrated it at Interaction 2009, which took place from March 5 to 6, 2009, in Tokyo.

Mitsubishi Electric calls the touch panel " 3D touch panel" because it can determine not only the x- and y- (plane) coordinates of a finger but also its z- (normal direction) coordinate. The prototype has a 5.7-inch screen with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels (VGA).

The prototype is intended for use in mobile devices with a small touch panel. For example, the company envisions mobile devices equipped with a "mouseover function," which changes the image of an icon when the mouse pointer is placed on it.

This time, Mitsubishi Electric had a demonstration of moving a finger toward thumbnail icons and icons on a map and changing their shapes.

"We think the mouseover function is more useful in smaller screens," the company’s spokesperson said.

By calculating the time variation of capacity in the z-axis direction, "the acceleration of the finger approaching the panel can be detected," the spokesperson said. With this method, the panel can determine the speed of the approaching finger.

"If the backlight is designed to be red when the finger moves fast and blue when it moves slowly, emotional changes of the user can be reflected on the panel," the spokesperson said.

The prototyped "3D touch panel." A white circle is displayed on the area approached by a finger. The circle becomes larger as the finger moves closer to the panel.

When a finger approaches the panel, icons pop up around it.

One of the thumbnail pictures enlarges when approached by a finger.

Mitsubishi Demos ‘3D Touch Panel’ — Tech-On!

ALR benefits from demand for higher quality PCB services

 March 9, 2009

Posted by alreditor in Business news.
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The credit crunch is prompting PCB consumers to demand higher quality service and greater value, says Europe’s leading PCB supplier, ALR Services. After an exceptionally successful two-days at the recent Southern Electronics show, the Oxfordshire-based PCB specialist says that its trademark “positive attitude” approach to customer service is winning it new customers in increasing numbers.

Jo Saltman, sales manager of ALR Services, reports brisk business over the two-day event in Farnborough. “We’ve had probably one of our busiest exhibitions ever,” says Jo. “Despite the downturn, there is a lot of business still being done in the UK, clearly demonstrated by the number of serious enquiries we’ve dealt with in the last couple of days.” Over 80 new prospects were identified, some of whom have already been converted into sales. “As a company, we’ve always focused on delivering outstanding value and service. When budgets are tight, good value and good service are what customers are really looking for.”

Founded 15 years ago, ALR Services has built a loyal customer base across the UK and Europe through its innovative approach to PCB sourcing, the latest example of which is its new Panel Sharing Prototype (PSP) service, launched at Southern Electronics, designed to deliver production-quality prototype boards at extremely competitive prices. “Shared panel schemes have been around for a while,” says Jo, “But very much as a ‘what-you-see-is-what-you-get’ service: files aren’t checked before they’re processed so that a simple error can render the resulting boards useless. Nobody can afford to waste money like that in the current climate.”

With ALR’s PSP service, files are design checked before processing, only top-grade FR4 laminates are used and solder resist and component IDs are screened onto the board as standard. “We even bare-board test it before delivery”, continues Jo, “Meaning the finished PCB is virtually production-quality, resulting in faster and more economical product development. Anything that helps UK electronics businesses to be more efficient and responsive is good news for everyone.”

There was good news also for two lucky visitors to the stand, whose names were pulled out of the hat for ALR’s prize draw. Colin Howard, managing director of Nightsearcher Ltd. walked away with a Sat-Nav system, while Simon Bell, Chief Engineer at Spark Electronics, won an iPod Touch. Both cards were picked by Angela Bond, sales manager of Derby-based contract electronics firm Tioga that was also exhibiting at the show, assisted by Jo Saltman.

BOARD TALK

Toshiba develops TV wallpaper

03 March 2009

Toshiba unveiled “television wallpaper” at Tokyo’s annual International Nanotechnology Conference and Exhibition, revealing that its scientists had used nanotechnology to create flexible paper capable of showing images. The revolutionary wall coverings, announced at the conference held February 18 – 20, are a result of a breakthrough in OLED technology that allows the paper to emit light.

Scientists at Toshiba have increased the efficiency of OLED devices by using light that has been redirected by an ultra-fine grating that is fabricated by self-assembled nano particles. OLED is far less energy hungry than LCD or plasma equivalents.

The paper can be used to project moving pictures or images to create different atmospheres. Furthermore the paper can emit light which could potentially eliminate the need for additional light sources.
Toshiba says the concept is still many years away from production.

InAVate – Toshiba develops TV wallpaper

It’s like winning the Cup!

By Tim Fryer

17 February 2009

If you support a football team that always loses it is sometimes hard to remember what the good times were like

My local team as a boy was Partick Thistle, often the butt of ridicule, and so I know what it feels like to be on a losing streak. Sometimes in such circumstances the gallows humour sets in to the point where success seems an impostor. When Partick Thistle beat Celtic 4 –1 in the Scottish League Cup final of 1971, my vague recollection is that the joy was tempered by disbelief, things like this didn’t happen to a team that was affectionately known as Partick Thistle Nil. That boyhood memory was Partick’s last moment of glory to date.

Possibly not the best analogy ever, but the plight of Partick’s long suffering fans is not that dissimilar to how the besieged electronics industry feels at the moment. The relentless procession of negative headlines about the economy as a whole affects us all and those of us in the electronics industry are far from immune.

But then comes along that Cup Final, out of the blue, to lift spirits. And the industry got such a boost last week at the Southern Manufacturing and Electronics Exhibition at Farnborough. I wrote about this in my column last week, before taking myself off to the event itself, proclaiming that it provided a good mix of products and services to satisfy the various interests and demands of the electronics designer.
The good news is that it lived up to its billing. People came to do business. There was no indication of an industry in decay, let alone with a terminal illness. Instead there was a buoyancy that was not even in evidence at the event last year before the first credit had been crunched. Indeed, early figures indicate an attendance of around 4600 – up 5% from last year.

Everyone I spoke to was feeling, admittedly with the same bemused expression of those Partick Thistle fans all those years ago, that the good times were returning. One exhibitor told me that it could have been better, but such is the low cost format of the show that it would only have taken one of the several good quality enquiries to be realised for the show to have been worthwhile. Everyone else had no reservations – there was still plenty of life in the electronics industry.

I am not proposing that we bury our heads in the sand. I was at a conference at the beginning of this week given by analysts iSuppli who dissected every part of the global industry. The outlook was fairly gloomy, but then being realistic it is not great on a global scale. The electronics industry is estimated to be worth $1.2 trillion and a third of that is tied up in the mobile phone, PC and laptop markets. No wonder the performance of the companies that make these items, so dependent on consumer confidence, make the headlines when they are not performing as well as they have become used to. But then in the UK these are not the sectors that define the success of the domestic electronics market as a whole. The upbeat visitors to Southern Electronics are more likely to be those involved in defence, medical, industrial control and so on – industries that don’t ‘move the needle’ as far as gauging the fortunes of the global industry is concerned, but that are the backbone of the industry in our own backyard.

My point is only that we are allowing our views to be distorted by global figures that are less relevant than the local ones and, as Southern Electronics demonstrated, some of the local ones are quite encouraging.

And for the record, like so many Scots at the time, I supported whatever team Kenny Dalglish was playing for, and so became a Liverpool fan in 1977. It may be shallow but it has meant there have been a lot more cup finals along the way!

Electronic Product Design EPD Magazine – It’s like winning the Cup!

Defiant manufacturing show snubs recession

Over 500 exhibitors and strong attendance figures defied the moribund economy this week at the biggest manufacturing and electronics exhibition in the South.

Manufacturing News, Source : British Industry
Published : 13 Feb 2009 10:57

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics Exhibition in Farnborough, organized by ETES in association with the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) South East, hummed with busy stands, demonstrations and seminars on February 11 and 12. The 3,500 m2 venue, adjacent to the Farnborough Aerospace Village, was bigger than the 2008 venue and the stands were sold out by Christmas, according to the show’s PR manager Adrian Jones.

“The show has been a big success,” says Jones. “At the height of the financial sector problems last year we were concerned the venue might not be filled. But then by Christmas it was practically sold out. And companies here are doing real business – it’s a very different story to that you read about in the mainstream press.” Additional space had to be provided for nearly 40 late applicants.

Most of the exhibitors came from the south of England, but a big proportion came from further afield, including the Midlands, Derbyshire, Notts, Yorks, Lancs, Scotland, several from Wales and Germany, with one company – a lightning forecasting business – from France. The show hosted 24 separate seminars, 12 each on engineering and electronics subjects, many of which were fully attended.

Several seminars, such as those on lean tools and techniques and designing demand, were run by show co-sponsors MAS South East. "This year we delivered ten seminars on different topics and were able to meet many of the manufacturers who came to the event looking for practical support, business opportunities and new ideas," says Stuart Wood, a MAS South East specialist. "Despite the downturn, manufacturers in the region are still exploring new technologies and innovative ideas which will make sure they remain resourceful and competitive, and we’re confident that the industry has a vibrant future."

In contrast to the general economic gloom, the mood at the exhibition was upbeat and industrious. “This show attracts very few tyre-kickers,” says Jones. “Clearly people here are buying and selling – they wouldn’t spend money attending if they weren’t confident of doing business.”

Several manufacturing companies that TM spoke to supported this view. DJJ Precision Engineering, a CNC engineering firm from Pontypool, was sceptical about the show until very recently, having made a £750,000 investment in a new Citizen cutting machine in October, part of a £1m total investment in the last 18 months. “We came at the last minute, but we’re delighted we came,” says managing director Shirley Jones. “We’re a small firm and it cost a lot of money but I didn’t expect this. We had 40 enquiries on the first day and nearly as many today.”

The reaction is typical of the positive energy, and business reality, on show at Farnborough that is bucking the manufacturing feel-bad factor saturating the national media. Despite a small workforce of 12, since investing in more advanced machinery DJJ has reduced production time by four to five times, exemplified by its showcase product that is being produced at the rate of one every 14 secs for 29p. “Before the investment we were losing business to China; now we’re getting some of that back and there is interest returning from European customers and more UK-based enquiries,” Jones adds.

Don’t believe the hype

Jim Rosseter, managing director at ALR Printed Circuits, a broker/supplier for printed circuit boards worldwide, was similarly chipper. Despite the gloom of a world recession, ALR reports very good business on the first day, where its main new product launch, the panel sharing prototype, has proved very popular. Rosseter says matter-of-factly: “Of course everyone is finding it harder, but we just have to try harder.” ALR’s client base is split 40:60 UK and rest of the world, but business continues to feed in from both sides. While Asia provides the high volume low technology, and also very high tech PCBs, the UK supplies mainly medium-volume production on fast turnaround, and low volume on very fast turnaround. “The UK suppliers are still busy, partly because there’s loyalty in that market and also they supply to sensitive markets such as defence,” says Rosseter. And what about the negative national news?

“Don’t listen to it and concentrate on what you’re doing!” he adds.

Another company with a positive outlook was Haas Automation, a big US CNC machine tool maker and distributor. It produces 85 different machine models from manual operation to more advanced 5-axis machines, supplying sectors from education to electronics, aerospace and automotive that shape metals, wood and plastics. Regional sales manager John Crawford acknowledges a fall in monthly orders due to the recession, but says that specific sectors are very buoyant. “With the green movement we have orders for product to make valve bodies for wind turbines, and colleges and universities is also a busy, and steady, sector.” The credit crunch has affected its clients’ ability to purchase machines, but Haas has a finance arm that has helped customers while bank credit has dwindled. “We are lucky as we have a vast range of products, and public sector applications, while some other companies are more exposed,” says Crawford. “You have to look further and concentrate on the sectors where there is business.”

Green forces

Environmental corporate action and lean operations have helped manufacturers win contracts. HepcoMotion is a well-known manufacturer of linear motion systems. Now in its 40th year, the company exports 60% overseas, much of it to Germany, and has won the Queen’s Award for exports. John Palmer, UK sales manager, identifies food, pharmaceuticals and packaging as growth areas. “Driven by waste and cost reduction, packaging companies are redesigning their machines to be more efficient and we are benefiting from that,” he says, highlighting the milk industry and the production of aircraft wings at Airbus as two examples where more efficient automation design has driven business. Palmer is unimpressed with the public perception of the state of UK manufacturing. He says very few people, least of all the government and the media, understand how the manufacturing industry works. “As design engineers, we have some of the most innovative people in Europe – and I’ve worked with German engineers!” he says. “This is my fourth recession, and every time we talk ourselves into a worse position – it’s a British disease. Let’s focus on the positives; that we offer specialised, higher value products in which we have comparative advantage.”

In one of the seminar theatres, Rob Holdway of environmental consultancy Giraffe Innovation, and star of Channel 4’s ‘Dumped’ social experiment, explained some of the technicalities of calculating carbon footprints, packaging economies and product labelling. The room fills up and Holdway is plying the audience with a steady stream of facts and figures, from the depressing to the entertaining. Giraffe calculated that US retail giant Wal-Mart could save $3.4bn from a 5% saving reduction in packaging, then highlights the irony of the case where one management consultant’s carbon reduction literature was printed on laminated card – making it commercially unviable to recycle. Through the seminar, the residual theme is less reducing carbon emissions, more saving businesses money. Other seminars were equally strong and relevant to manufacturers: rapid manufacturing in the future, Six Sigma approaches for large and small companies, CE marking, 21st century supply chain and more.

As the show began to unwind, the event’s public relations man Adrian Jones emphasises the number of companies that were here last year which have returned this year, as well as the new visitors like DJJ Precision: mostly highly lean companies, doing business and well placed to take the recession. “Contrary to a widely held view, UK manufacturing is very much alive and kicking,” Jones says. “It will help to save the UK economy.”

Defiant manufacturing show snubs recession – The Manufacturer.com – Promoting best practice in Manufacturing

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ALR Services announces new scheme for shared panel prototypes

From BOARD TALK

Reducing development costs through using a shared panel PCB prototyping service is proving increasingly popular. But the results can sometimes be disappointing and, in some cases, actually turn out to have been a false economy: A simple mistake at design time, poor quality control, or the use of inappropriate laminates can easily lead to prototype boards having to be re-worked – or worse – scrapped altogether. But a new scheme from ALR Services Ltd. promises a high-quality alternative to cut-price shared panel schemes.

Announced this week at Southern Electronics 2009, ALR’s new panel sharing prototype (PSP) service delivers production-quality prototype PCBs at prices comparable to the low-budget services available elsewhere. In what’s believed to be the first PSP service of its kind in Europe, the Oxfordshire-based company will employ the same rigorous standards it applies to its normal production services, including carrying out basic design rule checks to help avoid expensive pre-production errors. All PCBs are produced in the UK on top-quality, high Tg FR4 laminate, overlaid with solder resist and screened with component identity markings. Finally the boards are bare-board tested prior to delivery. ALR is offering the service on double-sided and four layer boards, with an impressive five day turnaround and no tooling charge.

"There are a number of suppliers already offering a ‘no-frills’ panel sharing service," says ALR’s sales manager Jo Saltman. "The idea is that by sharing a panel with others, customers can get their prototypes produced at greatly reduced cost. But with no design rule checks, no printing and no bare-board testing, customers have, up to now, just had to accept the risks associated with a ‘what-you-see-is-what-you-get’ service. If a mistake is made, the price of the supposedly cheap prototype boards starts to look quite expensive once the costs of replacement and time are factored-in."

"However there is no reason why customers should have to compromise on quality just because they are sharing a panel with others," continues Jo, "And with our service, they don’t have to. High-quality materials, pre-production design rule checks and post-production testing help to ensure the finished prototype board is as good as we can get it, which actually saves the customer time and money in the long run."

The shared panel boards from ALR Services are produced on 1.6mm High Tg FR4 (Ventec 150) with 1oz finished copper. Green solder resist and white silk screen component identity markings, are available on one or both sides if required. PCBs can be routed and/or scored and employ Lead Free HASL or Nickel Gold with a minimum hole size of 0.3mm.

ALR Services Ltd. is one of the largest printed circuit board brokerages in Europe, providing a wide range of circuit board technologies sourced from both UK and off-shore PCB manufacturers. Established over 14 years ago, the company has built-up a loyal customer base though its innovative business methods, technical expertise and its commitment to customer service. The company continues to grow, recently acquiring an additional 2000ft² of environmentally-controlled warehouse space and taking on extra staff to cope with increasing demand.

BOARD TALK

ALR helps customers fight the recession

PCB supplier ALR Services has announced a number of measures to help its customers stay competitive and in control of their PCB costs during these difficult times for the UK electronics industry. These include free tooling for all new customers on their first orders, plus the opportunity to participate in our innovative Consignment Stock scheme, which has been designed to help customers minimise the amount of cash tied-up in PCB inventory.

To coincide with its participation in the Southern Electronics Show 2009 (FIVE, Farnborough 11th-12th February 2009), the company be offering free tooling to all new customers placing their first orders in January, February and March. ALR spends in excess of £4m annually on bare boards alone, which gives it considerable leverage when it comes to ensuring to most competitive pricing. Combined with the free tooling offer, this means significant savings for customers. The same buying-power also ensures high-quality reliable delivery, together with the outstanding levels of customer service and support for which ALR has become well-known within the industry.

ALR’s support extends to operating a variety of inventory control schemes, intended to help customers achieve optimum levels of manufacturing efficiency and control of cash flow. It was the first PCB supplier in the UK to offer a Consignment Stock system. Under this scheme, six month’s supply of PCBs are purchased and delivered to the customer in one shipment, delivering a substantial cost saving and incurring just one delivery charge. The customer reports back to ALR the number of boards used on a monthly basis, and they are invoiced for that amount only. The advantages of this scheme are many: ALR’s considerable buying power reduces unit cost to the bare minimum; the flexibility of having stock held on their premises means no waiting for PCB’s to be delivered, making the assembly process much more responsive, yet as the customer only pays for the amount of boards used in a particular month, the amount of cash tied-up in stock or goods for resale is minimised.

From initial prototyping, to full production, shipping, stock-holding and delivery, ALR manages the complete supply chain on behalf of its customers and is able to supply all printed circuit board technologies, in any quantity and on the most demanding of lead times. Unlike some other suppliers, it is not tied to any particular manufacturer or manufacturing process, allowing it  the freedom to match customer requirements to the manufacturer best placed to service them. ALR’s UK-based suppliers offer fast turnaround times – typically 24 hours – for small quantities; higher volume PCBs are sourced from one of its six approved manufacturers in Asia.

ALR’s 14-year record of success is testimony to its ability to deliver real value to its customers – even when times are tough. And as if the sweet sound of cash in the till wasn’t enough, one lucky visitor each day to its stand at Southern Electronics will be walking away with an iPod in its free prize draw. Visit stand A42 at Southern Electronics to learn more about ALR’s commitment to customer support and to take advantage of the free tooling offer.

Southern Manufacturing’s free seminar programme delivers practical help for industrial business

The Southern Manufacturing show (February 11th-12th 2009, FIVE, Farnborough) has announced its free seminar programme. As the most important annual industrial event in the South of England, the show provides the ideal setting for the busy two-day programme of highly-topical sessions that will be of real interest to anyone involved in manufacturing or engineering sub-contracting.

Now virtually an institution in its own right, the Southern Manufacturing Show free seminar programme is a fantastic opportunity for visitors and exhibitors alike to take part in a wide-ranging programme of presentations, each delivered by experts in their respective fields. No other show offers free access to such high-calibre technical and commercial expertise, and is one reason why the Southern Manufacturing Show enjoys such strong support from engineering and industrial businesses across the region.

This year’s seminar programme combines practical advice for businesses in these uncertain times with insights into new trends and ideas that may help engineering enterprises stave-off the worst effects of recession.

Clive Lewis will present a presentation entitled "Marketing in a Downturn". During recession, customers are more likely to switch suppliers to seek better value; this session will explain how effective marketing can help you win this new business. Richard Teal from The Manufacturing Advisory Service-South East (MAS-SE) will present a session on "Designing Demand" – how your organisation can become more innovative, more competitive and more profitable through exploiting design opportunities. "Carbon Footprinting, Eco-Design and Environmental Legislation", delivered by the MAS-SE and Rob Holdway, gives a practical overview on the competitive advantages delivered by reducing the supply chain costs and environmental impact of manufacturing enterprise.

John Grieves of Continuous Improvement Services will host a session entitled "Continuous Improvement – How it can impact your company" where visitors can learn about the skills needed to support change and improvement and how the multi-national approach can be transposed effectively into an SME environment. The MAS-SE will present several sessions on Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma; explaining how the ideologies employed by some of the world’s biggest manufacturers can also deliver real benefits for smaller organisations. Other sessions for the 2009 event will include reviews of the current CE Marking legislation, a look at Rapid Manufacturing technologies and some practical advice on becoming a supplier to the automotive and aerospace industries.

As in previous years, Southern Manufacturing 2009 will run alongside its sibling events, Southern Electronics, and Auto Aero 2009 – the specialist aerospace and automotive engineering event, now in its second year. All of the regular features of the Southern Manufacturing show will return in 2009, including technology trails that allow visitors to make the most efficient use of their time at the show and specialist areas such as the Machinery Centre, where the latest machines can be seen in action.

The seminars are open to all visitors and exhibitors at Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2009. Places are limited and demand is expected to be exceptionally high, so pre-booking is essential. Visitor pre-registration for the event and seminars, together with full event information, is available online at www.industry.co.uk/southern.

Entry to the show itself is completely free to business visitors, and FIVE Farnborough offers plentiful free car parking, superb access by road, rail or air, and an excellent selection of local hotels and restaurants to make your visit as enjoyable as it is productive. To register online for tickets, or to find out about exhibiting at this unique event, simply visit www.industry.co.uk

Auto Aero 2009 showcases specialist engineering suppliers

 

Auto Aero Show 2009; 11th-12th February 2009,Farnborough,UK

Auto Aero 2009 showcases specialist engineering suppliers

2008-12-02 06:10:58 – The specialist aerospace and automotive engineering show, Auto Aero returns to FIVE, Farnborough on the February 11th-12th next year. As the only annual specialist event of its kind in the region, Auto Aero 2009 provides the perfect opportunity for high-performance engineering sub-contractors to promote their services to the extremely active UK autosport and aerospace market.

Farnborough was the birthplace of the British aviation industry and with many of the UK’s most important aerospace and autosport businesses still located in the area, Farnborough is the ideal setting for the busy two-day showcase of engineering excellence, featuring some of the UK’s top precision engineering sub-contractors and suppliers. Products and services on display include surface engineering, coatings, composites, low-cost tooling, digital manufacture, engine components, assembly integration and many more.

Now in its second year, Auto Aero 2009 is part of the larger Southern Manufacturing & Electronics Show, the South’s number one industrial and engineering event, which last year attracted 450 exhibitors and well over 5000 visitors. Virtually every kind of engineering discipline and manufacturing process is represented at the show, making it a unique opportunity to meet suppliers from every branch of manufacturing industry in one, convenient visit.

Visitors to Auto Aero 2009 can also benefit by participating in the free technical seminar sessions that run over both days of the event. Now virtually an institution in its own right, the free seminar programme is a fantastic opportunity for visitors and exhibitors alike to take part in a wide-ranging programme of presentations, each delivered by experts in their respective fields. No other show offers free access to such high-calibre technical and commercial expertise, and is one reason why the show enjoys such strong support from engineering and industrial businesses across the region.

This year’s seminar programme combines practical advice for businesses in these uncertain times with insights into new trends and ideas that may help engineering enterprises stave-off the worst effects of recession. Clive Lewis will present a presentation entitled ‘Marketing in a Downturn’. During recession, customers are more likely to switch suppliers to seek better value; this session will explain how effective marketing can help you win this new business. Richard Teal from the Manufacturing Advisory Service – South East (MAS-SE) will present a session on ‘Designing Demand’ – how your organisation can become more innovative, more competitive and more profitable through exploiting design opportunities.

‘Carbon Footprinting, Eco-Design and Environmental Legislation’, delivered by the MAS-SE and Rob Holdway, gives a practical overview on the competitive advantages delivered by reducing the supply chain costs and environmental impact of manufacturing enterprise. And for those companies wishing to become a supplier to the automotive and aerospace industries, Clive Lewis will present a session packed with practical tips on how to do achieve their objectives.

Entry to the show and the seminars is completely free to business visitors, and FIVE Farnborough offers plentiful free car parking, superb access by road, rail or air, and an excellent selection of local hotels and restaurants to make your visit as enjoyable as it is productive. To register online for tickets and seminar places, or to find out about exhibiting at this unique event, simply visit www.industry.co.uk or call 01784 880 890.

Auto Aero 2009 showcases specialist engineering suppliers