Manufacturing Machinery World April 2020

NEWS NEWS NEWS
MACH POSTPONED UNTIL JANUARY
Given the spread of the Coronavirus, the
MTA has decided that, in order to minimise
the risks to visitors and exhibitors, and to
ensure that the event is as positive as they
deserve, MACH should be moved to 25-28
January 2021 in the same Halls, at the NEC.
James Selka, MTA CEO, says This
decision has not been taken lightly, but we
believe that it is in the best interests of the
industry and those who work in it. Our
priority is, of course, the health and safety of
the 30,000+ people who will visit and work at
MACH. In addition, we believe that by
moving MACH to January 2021 we are going
to be able to offer a better experience for our
visitors, and better value to you, our
exhibitors, than by holding it in April 2020
under the conditions likely to be in place at
that time.
We will carry forward your existing stand
at the same size and position on the
floorplan, within the same halls on the
Atrium side of the NEC. As part of this, the
NEC have agreed to carry forward any
service orders you have placed or paid for
with them (electrics, compressed air etc). The
exhibition will run for four days with
extended opening hours, meaning that the
exhibition will be open for a similar time as
had been planned in April. We are racing to
finalise the details of the rescheduled show
and revised paperwork will be issued
shortly.
We believe strongly that this new date
will benefit the event and provides the best
possible platform for both exhibitors and
visitors to do business at a time that the UK
enters its post-Brexit transition phase.
The MTA team is contacting all 550
exhibitors directly to discuss their
participation.
for further information please
visit www.machexhibition.com
INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
COMMENTS ON THE GOVERNMENT’S CALL FOR
MORE VENTILATORS TO BE MANUFACTURED
Dr Helen Meese, Vice Chair of the
Biomedical Division of the Institution of
Mechanical Engineers said:
“Ventilation equipment, like all medical
devices, is very strictly regulated to ensure
patient safety. We must be clear, that while
many engineering companies and
individuals have come forward to support
this initiative, it will take several weeks if not
months to ensure the right processes are in
place to increase production of these
precision parts.
The quickest way for the UK to do this is
for existing specialist manufacturers to share
their drawings, specifications and expertise
with non-medical manufacturers so they can
make the parts to the right quality standards.
While manufacturing can be ramped up,
we must also remember that engineering will
play an important role once these parts arrive
at the NHS. Clinical engineers will be
needed to oversee the process of installing
these parts on the wards and even building
some of the hand-held ventilators for use by
clinical staff.
The NHS should look at placing senior
clinical engineers in charge of coordinating
the supply chain between device
manufacturers and hospitals to ensure
consistency and best practice is maintained.
The Institution of Mechanical
Engineers’ Biomedical
Engineering Division represents
over 3000 engineers from across
the healthcare engineering sector,
many of whom have the expertise
to assist in this process. It is in
times of such crisis that engineers
consistently play a leading role in
ensuring the health and safety of
our society.”
for further information:
Tel: 07713 565683
media@imech.org
4 Manufacturing Machinery World, April 2020