Machine age

The UK’s largest manufacturing technologies event, MACH, returns to the National Exhibition Centre from 7—11 April after achieving visitor numbers of 21,500 at the previous show in 2012. As usual, a wide range of companies will be using the show as their shop window, from household names such as Rolls-Royce and Airbus – OEMs, which, for the first time, are exhibiting alongside their supply-chain partners – to smaller companies making their first appearance at the show.

‘They’re all key exhibitors to us,’ says show organiser Graham Dewhurst, director-general of the Machine Tool Association (MTA), which runs MACH. ‘All 570 exhibitors have paid to be there and they’re all expecting a relative payback. We do have our long-term large stands, but to focus on those does the other exhibitors an injustice.’

Dewhurst does single one exhibitor out as notable: Mills CNC, which first exhibited on a standard medium-sized stand six years ago and now has the largest stand in the show. This year, Mills is promoting its services to the oil and gas sector, with a new brochure detailing the different ranges of high-performance, large-capacity Machine tools from South Korean conglomerate Doosan, which it sells under license in the UK.