The micro and precision engineering community gathers in Venice

The micro and precision engineering community will be gathering in Venice, Italy, this year at the 18th International Conference & Exhibition 4th-8th June 2018.

The conference and exhibition is organised annually by the The European Society for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology (euspen), which today is synonymous with the hosting of micro and nano manufacturing related events that act as the meeting place for all the key players in the sector.

The annual event is planned to allow commercial micro manufacturers, researchers, and academics the time to learn, establish relationships, and network.



Today, networking and the exchange of experiences and developments is key, and above all else, the conference and exhibition nurture the partnerships that drive innovation and manufacturing success.

Micro parts and micro systems based products are considered as a crucial value-adding factor for many industrial sectors in Europe, the Far East, and the USA, and are therefore an increasingly important factor in industrial and economic robustness.

With this importance, however, there come greater and greater market demands, and these are central to the success of the sector, and are discussed in detail at the euspen event.

Miniaturisation

First of all, there is the demand for more precise manufacturing systems at higher production rates and more precise parts. Miniaturisation is a trigger for the development of new technologies aiming at efficient manufacturing of micro-components.

There is an increasing demand for micro-manufacturing systems that not only facilitate precise manufacturing of micro-parts, but also enhance efficiency and thus increase production rates. Some of the main examples include reel-to-reel hot embossing and micro-injection moulding of multi-materials, which facilitate high-throughput and precise manufacturing systems.

In addition, there is demand for multi-material manufacturing processes. Currently there is a notable demand in the micro-manufacturing market for the development of processes that enable utilisation of a wide range of materials, such as alloys and composites.

In specific cases, where certain physical properties for a product should be covered, development of these multi-material manufacturing processes is relevant and crucial.

The annual event has various elements: the world-renowned and high quality conference, an exhibition showcasing leading technology and service providers in the space, tours of local micro manufacturing related institutions, and the now famous annual networking dinner, all available for a one-off attendance fee.

Specifically at this year’s event, delegates will see latest advances in traditional precision engineering fields such as metrology, ultra precision machining, additive and replication processes, precision mechatronic systems & control and precision cutting processes.

Furthermore, new topics will be addressed covering robotics and automation, Industry 4.0 for precision manufacturing and applications of precision engineering in biomedical sciences.

The exhibition in Venice will be the biggest ever, and is supported by leading micro manufacturing solutions providers.

Byron Knapp from Professional Instruments Company has been to previous euspen annual events, and will be exhibiting in Venice. He explains the unique nature of the conference and exhibition

“With over 400 attendees focused on precision engineering, exhibiting at the Annual Conference & exhibition organised by euspen is vital to getting our message to the right people. The ultimate benefit to attending is the people you meet. Networking with industry experts willing to discuss ideas and offer suggestions to those difficult projects waiting for you back home. These conversations lead to treasured relationships with talented precision engineers you can consult when difficult questions arise.”

Another regular exhibitor is Cranfield Precision, and Mark Stocker endorses the quality of the event for anyone serious about progressing in the micro-manufacturing arena.

“The Precision Engineering community is quite small and the euspen annual event is a great way to make and maintain contact with world-leading experts in the field, many of whom offer highly relevant tutorial sessions at the conferences. We at Cranfield Precision specialise in the design and manufacture of high precision machine systems, it would be unthinkable for us not to take advantage of the technical program, networking and educational opportunities on offer at euspen conferences.”

Stocker continues: “Since around 2011, we have been exhibitors at the annual conference exhibition, we have found this to be an excellent way of making contact with new and existing customers. We can trace the initial contact made with many of our current and past customers back to the euspen conference and exhibition, so the cost of attending and exhibiting has paid for itself many times over.”