Showroom for industrial hardware and service providers

A massive amount of industrial enterprise is concentrated in the North West. Manufacturing contributes more to the region’s economy than it does to any other region in the UK, and almost 9% of all the UK’s exports originate in the North West. Situated in the heart of this industrious region, Northern Manufacturing is a showroom for industrial hardware and component vendors of all descriptions and an important marketplace for the wealth of engineering expertise available locally.

With one in 10 people in the Greater Manchester area employed in manufacturing, there is no shortage of potential visitors and the free entry and free on-site parking for 3000 cars makes the show highly accessible. EventCity is also easily reached by public transport from Manchester city centre.

Familiar names 

Many of the more familiar names return for 2017 including igus UK, which will showcase a wide range of cost-effective, lightweight and maintenance-free bearings and cable management systems for a variety of engineering applications. Visitors to its stand will see live demonstrations, including the drylin W curved rail system and Compact Rotation Module. Leybold UK will once again exhibit its wide range of vacuum systems, and SSI Schaeffer and Scaglia Indeva return with their respective line-ups of handling and storage solutions. Lancashire-based consultancy NJG Purchasing Solutions is also on hand to aid visitors seeking to procure more efficiently.

Production hardware on show this year includes the new BRADY WRAPTOR labelling system for Schleuniger cut & strip machines from Turner Electronics, one of the UK’s leading distributors of cable preparation and SMT equipment from suppliers such as Schleuniger, Z&F, WDT, Autotronik, Mechatronika, DDM Novastar, and GLW. Nikon Metrology returns with its impressive range of metrology solutions, including co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs), optical CMMs, 3D laser scanners, handheld laser line probes, x-ray and computed tomography, optical CNC measuring systems, measuring microscopes, and large volume metrology systems.

Suppliers of advanced manufacturing equipment include Laser Lines, a Stratasys Platinum Partner for UK & Ireland, which offers a portfolio of over twenty 3D Printer and Rapid Manufacturing systems, together with industrial lasers for cutting, welding, marking and cladding. On display will be a compact laser marker, together with a mechanical marking system. Also exhibiting is Tri-Tech 3D, offering a complete package of services from initial specification and supply of 3D printing hardware and software, to onsite 3D printer installation, staff training and full product support.

Live demonstrations

Live demonstrations of conventional machining technology are always one of the highlights of the show – and this year is no exception, with big name firms such as Haas Automation, Amada and Bystronic returning for 2017. Yamazaki Mazak has expanded its presence to two stands, giving live demonstrations of its VARIAXIS range of 5-axis machining centres. The North’s aerospace industry has long been an important market for Mazak making, the firm believes, the Northern Manufacturing & Electronics show the ideal showcase for its machines’ capabilities. 

Axminster will demonstrate the iKX3 mill and iKC6 lathe from its CNC Technology Series, together with a range of pillar drills from the Axminster Engineer Series: SB-16, SB-25, SB-250 and SB-25-TC. The machines are designed for prototype and light engineering, small production workshops and component makers, fabrication works for testing, research and development, and the education sector including UTCs (university technical colleges).

Components, both electrical and mechanical, are a big part of the show. Lemo UK returns with its comprehensive range of connectors. Fischer Connectors showcases its high performance, push-pull circular connectors and cable assembly solutions, many of which are designed for harsh environments and demanding applications. Among the cabling specialists exhibiting, CIE Connectivity highlights its ‘design-to-delivery’ solution for both manufacture and installation applications.

The show’s free technical seminar programme will give visitors the chance to learn about the latest ideas in manufacturing from experts in their respective fields.  Full details of the programme are available at www.industrynorth.co.uk.