MAINTEC 2013 returns to the NEC on 5-7 March 2013 with two major new features, a packed show floor, an expanded HAZEX area, the Lions’ Lair expert panel and 38 free to attend learnShops
The first new feature for the 2013 show is the Maintec Professional Conference, which will provide an opportunity to hear from leading experts and practitioners exploring and debating the maintenance issues of the day. Industry names such as John Davenport, operations director, Alcon, Paul Dennis, technical facilities manager, Experian and Dr Sethuraman Muthuraman, condition monitoring engineer, Scottish & Southern Energy will draw on their experiences, new research and case studies as they explore the industry’s hottest topics.
The winners of the first Maintec Maintenance Professional Awards will also be announced live from the show floor. There are two categories: ‘Maintenance Professional of the Year’ and, in support of newer entrants to the industry, ‘Maintenance Apprentice of the Year.’
While such show features are important, exhibitors sit at the heart of Maintec and this year there will be a number of first time exhibitors to see. James Walker, Decksafe Solutions, AW Chesterton, Metool, SAACKE Combustion, Intertek, Keytracker and Lubricus Grutzner and Ernst Schad are just some of the names, from both the UK and overseas, making their Maintec debut. They will join show regulars such as Schaeffler (UK), Flowcrete UK, R.Stahl, ERIKS, Idhammar Systems, SPM Instruments, PRUFTECHNIK and Prevost UK – all providing a packed show floor.
In addition, The Institution of Diagnostic Engineers (IDE) will be hosting its spring gathering during Maintec. Bill Parker, chief executive of the Institution of Diagnostic Engineers said: “We’d urge all our members to put the dates in their diary. Maintec will be a good opportunity to discuss latest issues, meet all the suppliers they need, catch up with new technologies and refresh their knowledge.”
Many exhibitors are using the show to launch new products or showcase their latest work. For instance, BEKO Technologies will be outlining how it has helped one of the largest car manufacturing plants in the UK replace its old dryers and thus reduce running costs and improve air quality. BEKO installed its EVERDRY FRAV series of twin tower, desiccant, silicon free, heat regenerated dryers with zero purge loss. The initial project was to replace just two dryers but projected energy savings provided a sound case to change all four existing dryers.
Thermal Energy International will show how a FLU-ACE Condensing Heat Recovery System, which it implemented for Premier Foods, saved the company £110,000 per year, which is approximately 7.5 million kWh of annual gas savings. The site is also releasing 1750 tonnes of carbon dioxide less per year.
First time exhibitor, SAACKE Combustion, recently helped Harveys Brewery improve the operation of its boiler plant. The company recommended fitting a burner with a superior turndown, thus allowing the boiler to match the site’s steam demand – improving efficiency.
Those in the food or drink sector should also check out CRC Industries UK’s new StopLight Food Safety Programme. Developed for MRO chemicals, it’s a step forward in the control of chemical product movements by giving users and auditors an instant, verifiable, visual check on the products going into and being used in zones.
Fluke UK will show its Fluke CNX Wireless System. This is said to be the first set of test tools that wirelessly connects multiple measurement modules and sends simultaneous readings to a master device up to 20m away, allowing users to troubleshoot problems quickly and efficiently.
Steam system and flow control specialists Valveforce will show how its pneumatic control valves can be designed to handle a range of fluids such as thermal oil, steam, water, nitrogen and natural gases.
Dust extraction company, Dustcontrol UK, will showcase its latest centralised dust vacuum system – the DC 11 Module. By reducing noise to 65 dB(A), the DC 11 Module is easier to fit in a building where noise is a challenge.
For those focused on people development. MCP Consulting and Training will show how an Operator Asset Care programme equips the people operating production equipment to improve its reliability and performance. Also, MGTS will explain its approach to technical training for mature and new entrant employees across a range of engineering disciplines.
Maintec will once again also include a HAZEX area, supported by Sira Test and Certification. Exhibitors in this area will include Newson Gale showcasing its Bond-Rite® static earthing clamps plus its Earth-Rite series of hazardous area static grounding systems.
New technologies, innovations and concepts will be pitched to an expert panel as part of Lions’ Lair, in a bid to be voted best of show, and there will also be 38 ‘free to attend’ learnShops exploring an array of topics.
