Mike Fleming, Seco’s strategic marketing, products and services manager, says: “Over 22% of visitors were from outside the UK. We welcomed people from as far afield as China, South Korea, Australia, India and the US, as well as from mainland Europe. We deliberately targeted this year’s event at key decision makers in aerospace component manufacturing companies, as well as other influential and advisory organisations operating in the supply chain.”
An audit of attendees, by job function, revealed a good cross-section of company CEOs and managing directors, as well as production managers, operations managers, R&D managers, senior manufacturing engineers, and applications engineers.”
More than 30 technical partners, including machine tool builders, CADCAM providers, and work-holding, metalworking fluid, and metrology suppliers, worked closely with Seco to design, develop and deliver the event.
Inspiration through Innovation 2019 provided a balance between innovative and challenging machining demonstrations, and a programme of relevant, issue-led seminars.
Nine machining demonstrations (all aerospace focused) included aero-engine blisk, disc, combustion chamber section and blade manufacture, as well as the machining of fuel connector, wing pylons, hinges, and passenger seat components. Virtually every material used in the aerospace sector was machined at the event, including titanium, Inconel, aluminium and carbon fibre composite.
Some seven seminars took place over the two days, each one led by an industry expert.
Says Fleming: “Every year we look to change the content and structure of Inspiration through Innovation to make it more relevant and in tune with customer requirements. This year, the event was focused on the aerospace sector and, in addition to the record number of visitors attending, the accolades and plaudits received from visitors and partners alike, during and after the event, are evidence that the scope and scale of Inspiration through Innovation 2019 was spot on.”
Among the technical partners at the event was Andy Dyche, sales manager at Zoller, who says: "Inspiration through Innovation 2019 has been a really excellent event. We saw both existing and new Zoller users, had meetings on a number of projects to move them forward, and even welcomed international visitors to the stand."
Simon Docker, UK sales manager at Open Mind Technologies, was equally impressed: “Yet another perfectly organised event by Seco in collaboration with their technical partners; superb demonstrations and best practice methods to share with all. We were pleased to be a part of it, with our hyperMILL CADCAM software adding value to the event.”
