Visitors to Subcon 2022 (7-9 June, Birmingham NEC) can enjoy over 30 hours of free conference sessions led by industry experts discussing the key issues and trends that are driving innovation and shaping the UK’s industrial landscape in 2022. Sessions will extend from the latest developments in key technology areas such as hydrogen mobility, electrification and nuclear fusion, to keynote insights on automation, finance and engineering skills.

Speakers confirmed this year include: Dave Short, technology director at BAE Systems; Ian Whiting, commercial director at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre; Tony Langtry, head of mechanical engineering at Tokamak Energy; Hugo Spowers, founder of Riversimple; Professor Ric Allot, director of business development at STFC; Chris Tuck, professor at the University of Nottingham; Nick Hawker, CEO and co-founder of First Light Fusion; and Martin Little, commercial director of the Rail Alliance.

For further information www.subconshow.co.uk

This week (18-20 May), machine tool manufacturer Soraluce is holding another summit at its Bergara plant in Spain to commemorate six decades of developing and manufacturing milling, boring, multi-tasking and automation solutions. During the event, the company will present an innovative large-format multi-tasking machine with high automation capacity that was designed for German firm Krones, a leader in production lines for the food and beverage industry

Visitors to the event will also receive a guided tour showcasing Soraluce’s latest progress and projects, with demonstrations of the company damping solutions and continuous live machining. Soraluce will also be demonstrating its new digital services, which will boost machine availability and productivity. The UK agent for Soraluce is TW Ward CNC Machinery.

Register at www.bit.ly/3KT5res

MACH 2022, the largest display of new machinery and manufacturing technologies under one roof in the UK for four years, lived up to its billing as a major catalyst for investment with scores of exhibitors reporting strong sales and positive interest in their products during the five-day event at Birmingham’s NEC last month. In addition, the MTA (the show’s organiser) has reported that advance sales for the 2024 event have set a new record, with manufacturers keen to exploit the opportunities created at the 2022 show.

Although final figures are still being collated, footfall at MACH 2022 is predicted to be largely in line with the last live event in 2018, which considering current external factors is a considerable achievement. This despite the reduced footprint of the show. One encouraging sign was that the number of visitors per square metre of exhibition space was up compared with 2018. The next edition of MACH takes place at the Birmingham NEC on 15-19 April 2024.

For further information
www.machexhibition.com

Robotics and automation specialist FANUC is celebrating after reaching the milestone of producing its five millionth CNC. The achievement comes as FANUC ramps up its presence in Europe. A €130m investment in 2022 will see the company strengthen its technical support, training and service offering to European customers, while a new €20m technical centre in Germany is expected to go live in 2023.

Alongside robots and machine tools, CNCs are at the heart of FANUC’s portfolio. The company has a production capacity of 36,500 CNCs per month and its latest FS 30i/31i/32iB Plus and FS0i-F Plus series offer state-of-the-art CNC and servo technologies, as well as numerous AI-based functions to make technological processes more efficient.

For further information
www.fanuc.eu

The latest Bystronic ByBend Smart press brake offers high-quality Swiss bending technology and numerous new functions at an affordable price. Bystronic says that the machine is 30% faster than conventional bending, and even 50% faster with the new ‘Efficiency Booster’ option. Furthermore, insert and stroke length expansion extends the insert height for bending tools from 480 to 580 mm. The additional 100 mm boosts the ByBend Smart’s flexibility by as much as 30% because this means that higher tools can be used, which enables users to produce parts with lower bending edges. This feature is particularly useful when bending boxes and drawers.

Another new option is the five-axis back-gauge. Until now, users had the choice between a two-axis and a four-axis back-gauge system. Customers who choose the five-axis system can now also use the ByBend Smart to form complex 3D parts, such as when the bending edges are not just parallel, but also at angles to each other. The basic version of the ByBend Smart comes with a two-axis back-gauge system.

In addition to a wide spectrum of applications, fast bending sequences and short manufacturing cycles frequently play an important role for users. Here, increasing process speeds and shortening set-up times are key. The new ‘Efficiency Booster’ is an optional feature that ensures a fast return of the upper beam, accelerating the bending process by up to 20%. Furthermore, the main drive is only active when the machine is actually in operation. This is the logic of ‘Energy Saver’, which reduces the power consumption of the machine while also boosting productivity and offering the added benefit of minimising noise and waste heat.

For further information
https://bybendsmart.bystronic.com