Shows focus on the future

Taking place at place at the Birmingham NEC on 27 and 28 April, Advanced Manufacturing 2010 will comprise seven co-located shows which promise to deliver an accurate reflection of what's available from suppliers to the UK's advanced manufacturing marketplace. Amongst these will be Mtec, the UK's only event dedicated to instrumentation and techniques for practical measurement as required in control, engineering, processing, physics, chemistry, utility and the life sciences sector. Machine Building and Automation is the recognised event for products, systems, components and services used by the machine building and advanced manufacturing industry in the UK and Ireland. Showcasing the next generation of automation techniques and equipment, MB&A seeks to give a view of the future of UK manufacturing. VTX or Vision Technology Exhibition targets expert and potential users of vision systems in UK and Irish industries. The event has cross-industry support and will bring together the major manufacturers, distributors, users and potential new users in an exhibition and free conference format. 3C, or Contamination Control and Cleanrooms, is the must-attend event for the protection and prevention of particle infection to personnel, products, or the environment. Here, visitors will see leading UK-based suppliers of cleanroom technology, associated products and services. Update your expertise at free seminars on a wide range of contamination control and cleanroom-related issues. Practical Vacuum 2010 is the principal event for all aspects of vacuum technology. The event features an invaluable free educational seminar programme and attracts key vacuum users from industries and academia in the UK and Ireland. This year, Medtec UK will present all the latest technologies and tools for medical device manufacturing. With focused display areas for high-tech manufacturing, packaging, materials, automation and design, Medtec UK will present all the technologies and tools that medical device manufacturing professionals need to become and/or remain world class. Exhibitors at this annual event will be complementing the Medtec Conference Education and Innovation platform with targeted displays within several special feature areas. Precisiontec will display multi-axis CNC technology, micro-machining, EDM technology, lasers and ultrasonic technology for the manufacture of surgical devices, implants and interventional cardio devices from speciality medical alloys. Medipack offers materials, outsourcers and machinery for the packaging of medical devices and manufacture of pharmaceutical drug delivery systems, while the Biomaterials platform will exhibit high-performance plastics, injection moulding and extrusion techniques for medical manufacturing. The Automation, Assembly and Robotics area will showcase the integrators and latest technology for automated production and assembly techniques, while Medidesign will feature design companies that specialise in the medical device market. The conference itself will this year include a conference programme on the show floor for visitors to take advantage of. Led by academic and industry experts, the two-day Innovation Forum will showcase research & testing capabilities from pre-clinical testing facilities and materials analysis to the latest advances in cardiovascular and orthopaedic research. The 30-minute presentations will include floor discussion and visitors will be encouraged to ask questions. The Conference's areas of focus will include: • The challenges and solutions in managing the implementation of the Directive for EU and globally marketed products, including 'New obligations for clinical data' and 'How the Directive is interpreted by manufacturers, authorities and notified bodies'. • FDA and CDRH policy changes and their impact on getting products to market in the USA. • Quality and risk management strategies throughout product development. There will also be a series of hard-hitting presentations from senior executives of leading medical device companies. The Conference programme is targeted, in particular, at all levels of medical device industry management, regulatory and compliance management professionals, quality engineers and risk management experts, as well as product development specialists. The Medtec UK Conference will this year be complemented by the Medical Device Innovation Technology Forum (MDIT Forum). This new Medtec education feature is designed to bring key professionals in the medical device sector completely up to date with market analysis and commercial opportunities, as well as the latest research and technology developments, including clinical viewpoints and academic research. The Forum is intended to foster closer ties between UK institutions and industry to further the development of medical devices on a global scale. Key areas of focus for the 2010 Forum include: Commercial opportunities in the global medical device industry; Trends and developments in the medical device industry; Innovation of devices for drug delivery; Innovation in devices for trauma management; Presentation of research by British institutions; Review of commercial opportunities Clinical, academic or industrial research projects; Technology; including materials, product design and development, case studies, new or innovative manufacturing technology or techniques, process automation and green manufacturing.