News: AMRC at IMTS

Rotherham-based experts from the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing (AMRC) showcased a new dimension and a new direction for advanced manufacturing at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago earlier this month.

The show is the premier manufacturing technology show in North America and this year it attracted a total of 1,728 companies from 30 countries, filling 1,180 booths with 1,137,375 sq ft of the latest advances in manufacturing technology.

Attendees totaling 82,411 from more than 100 countries came to see and buy the equipment, tooling, and services they'll need to maintain the competitive edge to compete in their area of manufacturing.

Building upon a very successful debut in 2008, the AMRC collaborated with North America's metalworking technology magazine, Modern Machine Shop (MMS), Rolls-Royce and IMTS 2010 to create the "Advanced Manufacturing Center."

The display included an interactive virtual reality presentation, a Rolls-Royce Trent 900 aircraft engine, and multimedia displays exploring trends and technologies being adopted by leading manufacturers.

Peter Eelman from the The Association For Manufacturing Technology said that the displays were well recieved and had healthy traffic. "We are ecstatic that IMTS 2010 met and, in many cases, exceeded our exhibitors' and visitors' expectations," he said. "The show was lively and many exhibitors expressed some surprise and satisfaction with the quantity and quality of attendees."

Daniel Janka, president of MAG, a leading US machine tool and systems company added: "This show had a remarkable display of new and emerging technologies that will be the catalyst for the revitalization of manufacturing."

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, the AMRC is a £100m partnership that has successfully bridged the gap between academia, industry and government.

The AMRC identifies, researches and solves advanced manufacturing problems and has over 80 highly qualified researchers and engineers from around the globe. Research is carried out on new and exotic materials such as titanium, inconel and composites.

AMRC website
ITMS website

Images: imts.com