Drives and Controls 2010 press releases
View All Press Releases| Plant & Works Exhibition | 19 May 2010 |
Plant & Works Exhibition - an exhibition for our Century
Steve Reed MIDiagE MIDGTE , chairman of The Institution of Diagnostic Engineers looks to the forthcoming Plant & Works Exhibition as an engineering opportunity.
The Institute of Diagnostic Engineers returns to the NEC, Birmingham for The Plant & Works Exhibition between the 8-10 June. Two years have passed since the last Plant & Works Exhibition and no one could disagree that the period has been eventful in many ways.
The economic turmoil that confronted the engineering sector has highlighted its incredible strength, ingenuity, and resolve, but also the need to take care of your plant and machinery.
What this exhibition achieves is to bring under one roof companies and organisations representing all aspects of manufacturing and industry. Focusing on service, maintenance, safety, current legislation and training opportunities, and the presentation of new ideas via free independent seminars and expert lectures.
There are a lot of excellent companies demonstrating and displaying their goods and services at this event - very competent in what they do.
You could not use any company to install gas or electrical installations or appliances in your domestic property unless they have some sort of approval and / or registration with the appropriate body - the domestic end of the market appears to be well regulated. Unfortunately the industrial sector the same rules do not apply as many of us have discovered to our cost - shoddy workmanship, faulty materials, and poor after sales to name just a few.
The bigger problem of course with industry is the knock on effect as I have experienced - a failed Installation costing a few thousand pounds resulting in lost production amounting to hundreds of thousands. Instances in the petrochemical industries have resulted in losses of millions and the closure of entire installations.
To help redress the balance a little, The Institute of Diagnostic Engineers (IDE) has launched an ‘Accredited Industry Partner Scheme’. We have on board the professional expertise to assess, examine methods, procedures, quality and other requirements in order to grant accreditation to companies offering goods and services relating to maintenance or diagnostic engineering related industries (This scheme is now established and full details can be obtained from the IDE stand P2325).
Certain items of plant will have their operating life extended while others will be replaced due to more energy efficient items being available this option becoming more economically viable due to grants and financial assistance still being available.
So basically whether you have just installed the latest high tech process or still using that old piece of machinery installed during the forties one thing is common, it all requires maintenance.
My role at the Plant and Works Exhibition is to represent the Institute of Diagnostic Engineers as chairman of the organisation, but I will inevitably be drawn to wander through the aisles looking at the latest tools and equipment available to which I am always enthralled by what I see and like many of my generation are heard to be muttering to oneself “If only”.
Well this is the age we live and we have to embrace the technology in order to survive to give just one example: Not too many years ago to purchase a videoscope system would have set you back tens of thousands of pounds, today modern compact units are available at a price where the maintenance engineer could justify having one as part of their personal toolkit.
