Countdown to Maintec 2012

Now in its 37th year, easyFairs MAINTEC, a show dedicated to the industrial maintenance and asset management sectors, returns to Birmingham's NEC from 28th February to 1st March 2012 and will showcase the latest technologies in the sector. IP&E takes a look at what visitors can expect

More than 1700 chief maintenance officers, engineering and plant managers - many from UK blue chips like Astra Zeneca, BAE Systems, NHS Trust, Royal Mail and Walkers Crisps - attended the 2011 show to get their hands on the latest kit and talk to the developers making advances in condition monitoring, asset management and hazard detection.

The 2012 show will once again play host to all the major players within the sector, such as Fluke (UK), Idhammer Systems, and Panasonic UK, as well as smaller, growing companies such as 2011 debutant Business Development Strategic Maintenance. Colin Wilson, consultant director at the company, commented: "At MAINTEC 2011 we had 59 conversations of note over the three days with several potential companies interested in using or reselling this product. This was our first MAINTEC exhibition, having last year come as visitors to assess its suitability as an exhibition for a small, growing company like ours.We're certainly glad we came as exhibitors." Matt Benyon, managing director of easyFairs UK (pictured), added: "Maintec is the perfect platform for both large and small companies to showcase their latest maintenance and engineering offerings to key decision makers within the industry, as well as visitors wanting to witness first hand the very best in maintenance technology." Exhibitors will benefit from convenient and cost-effective all-inclusive stand packages while visitors will find a series of free learnShops that focus on practical knowledge sharing and cover the latest trends, issues and technological developments.

The show also has the support of key sector organisations, including BCAS (British Compressed Air Society), the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing, the Institution of Diagnostic Engineers, Institute of Asset Management, the Facilities Management Association, United Kingdom Thermography Association and The Institute of Engineering and Technology.

New for 2012 MAINTEC 2012 will house a new specialist hazardous area event called 'HAZEX', in association with Hazardous Engineering Solutions. The new area is being introduced to reflect the growing responsibilities of engineering professionals and the growing concerns and tighter legislation over the health and safety of industrial, commercial and government sites and facilities.

Commenting on the new element of the show,Matt Benyon, said: "HAZEX will offer visitors the opportunity to discover the latest products, legislation, case studies and latest techniques applicable to engineers working within hazardous areas and handling hazardous materials." He continued: "One of the new minefields for engineering and operations professionals is the mandatory European Community directive ATEX 94/9/EC. ATEX stands for atmosphere explosive and it is the law in the EU. HAZEX will offer ATEX-approved companies a platform on which to showcase their products and services. Additionally, it provides a forum for companies supplying products to those working in hazardous environments." Indeed, but it's not just ATEX that has prompted easyFairs to host the new hazardous area. Health and safety has always been a key theme within MAINTEC, and an important issue that is covered by the exhibition.

Earlier in the year a report by the Health & Safety Executive found that around 8000 people die each year from occupational cancers and around 14,000 new cases are reported each year.Many of these tragedies are caused by hazardous substances at work and, therefore, are entirely preventable.

Matt Benyon continued: "The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 provide legislation that must be complied with by all companies throughout the EU. However, to really deal with the problem often means taking action over and above legal requirements. As organisers of MAINTEC that is where we can help, by bringing together the leading hazard prevention experts under one roof, so that visitors can witness first-hand the very latest in hazard prevention training services and products." Michael Dominguez, at Hazardous Engineering Solutions, added: "HAZEX will be a one stop shop for engineers looking to comply with the latest health & safety legislation. Over recent months there have been a few high profile incidents that have resulted in deaths within the industrial workplace. It is our intention to help engineers and health & safety professionals alike implement the best safety practices available and minimise the risks associated with working within hazardous areas." Dominguez continued: "HAZEX will be the ideal platform in which to give engineers knowledge of all the current tools, services and best practice associated with hazardous engineering."

Wide range of exhibitors There will be a number of exhibitors at MAINTEC 2012 launching new products and showcasing their latest offerings.

On display at the bespoke stand presented by RO-DOR will be a number of industrial doors, including a fully functional Dynaco Rapid Roll door. In addition to hearing about energy savings and low maintenance costs, visitors will be able to learn more about the safety aspects of the door's design.

Peter White, Ro-Dor business development manager, enthused: "Everyone visiting our stand will be able to evaluate the self repairing performance of the door and the special safety aspects first hand." Although we are being bombarded almost daily with bad news about the economy, there are still companies that are going from strength-to-strength, such as SRO Solutions, who will be exhibiting at the show. Steve Driver, director at SRO, explained: "The last 12 months have seen rapid growth for us.

Not only have we taken on new staff in all parts of the company, but we have had to move to larger premises to cope with the increased demand for our asset management solutions based around IBM Maximo." SRO's consultants have visited many parts of the globe in the last year from Canada to Malaysia and Aberdeen to Los Angeles. Their skills have been invaluable to organisations wishing to get the most out of their Maximo asset management solution, and Driver believes this trend is going to continue.

He commented: "An organisation can make significant savings by maximising the return on their existing assets. An integrated and sophisticated asset management solution like Maximo automates the processes surrounding routine and one-off maintenance tasks, helping to ensure maximum uptime and profitability. This is important at any time, but particularly with the current world economy.We can already see from the increased number of enquiries we are receiving that organisations are waking up to this fact and we believe that Maintec 2012 will be really busy for us." Siveco UK is the British subsidiary of European Siveco Group, a leading developer and producer of Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) and top of the range Asset Management Software. The company, whose software is used across many applications to record and maintain asset history efficiently and effectively, and who will be exhibiting at MAINTEC 2012, is proud of its 'mid-market' system. No application or interface is too big or small; whether you are looking for a desktop friendly interface, or a complete corporate system, Siveco UK can provide a tailored solution.

The company will be showcasing its latest in mobile technology which allows flexible access management on the move for every customer. Businesses all over the country will be able to make the best of Siveco software on their smart phones, iPads and 3G activated mobile devices.

Another exhibitor showcasing its latest products will be Testo, who will introduce its new thermal imaging SuperResolution technology, which effectively doubles the geometric resolution of its thermal images.

No artificial intermediate values are generated. True readings are used, which can be regarded as comparable to a higher detector resolution. The thermal images captured are intensified, providing detail and clarity. The precise images allow even the smallest faults in difficult-to-access places or dangerous zones in industrial systems to be identified precisely, reliably and from a safe distance.

There will be an in-depth preview of Maintec 2012, with further information on exhibitors and learnShops, in the January/February issue of Industrial Plant & Equipment.