Black Country ‘super six’ to showcase the region’s engineering skills

By Sandwell MBC
schedule6th Nov 13

On Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 November, six Black Country SMEs will exhibit alongside Invest Black Country and Business Birmingham at Advanced Engineering UK 2013. These ‘super six’ represent the world-class capabilities of the West Midlands’ engineering supply chain ...

Next week, the Advanced Engineering UK group of events is returning to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, attracting thousands of delegates from across the country and overseas. Over two days, more than 600 specialist exhibitors and over 200 speakers will be sharing best engineering practice, innovations and industry knowledge.

To showcase the Black Country as an exciting and profitable place to do business, Invest Black Country and Business Birmingham have teamed up to take pavilion space at the exhibition. They will be supported by the four Black Country councils. At their stand (G121 in Hall 5) they will be joined by six super Black Country SMEs – giving real-life insight into the region’s talented and productive supply chain.

Prototype engineering company ACE Forming, for example, has designed and engineered components for the Ecospin Raptor, a three-wheeled electric security vehicle which is attracting orders and major interest from police forces, private security firms and federal agencies in Europe, the US and Australia.

ACE will be bringing a specially created Raptor to the show next week, liveried with Invest Black Country colours and bearing the strapline, "Built in the Black Country – sold around the world”.

Bilston Engineering manufactures products such as vehicle parts, transformer tanks and sub-stations for clients that include Schneider Electric, UK Coal, Chubb and the Ministry of Defence.

Meanwhile, Mako Precision Engineering has designed, manufactured and tested the UK’s first ever early warning system lightning conductor. Already adopted by local councils and nationwide projects, the SafeStrike system is engineered to allow for the early capture of lightning strikes, thus avoiding damage to buildings and loss of life.

They will be joined by major engineers Millennium Pressed Metals, Saddlers Court Mfg, and Midland Tool and Design. Both Saddlers Court Mfg and Midland Tool and Design have been successful in bringing work back to the UK from traditionally low-cost countries, creating jobs locally for engineers and apprentices.

Midlands Tool and Design’s projects include the design and supply of razorblade tooling for a global brand of shavers; components for flywheels on the New York subway system, and helping to manufacture electrical power systems for the Airbus A380.

Visitors to the stand will be able to chat to representatives from the firms – some of the UK’s most talented engineers – and view sample components that are produced in the Black Country and supplied to clients across the globe. Industries to which the ‘super six’ supply include automotive, aerospace, built environment, defence, electronics, energy, food processing, logistics, medical, renewables, security and transport.

Wayne Langford is Head of Investment at Invest Black Country. Wayne said he and his colleagues were delighted to be able to showcase the diversity of the region’s supply chain:

"In the Black Country region, in the heart of the West Midlands, we have engineering companies capable of manufacturing anything under the sun. From the tiniest pin component through to tooling for entire production lines, Black Country engineers have the skills and knowledge to rise to any manufacturing challenge,” he said.

"We are very excited to use Advanced Engineering UK 2013, with its international delegation, as a platform to showcase Black Country capabilities to the world.”


You can sign up for a free visitor pass to Advanced Engineering UK 2013 at www.advancedengineeringuk.com. Don’t forget to visit stand G121 in Hall 5!