Chat with us, powered by LiveChat

By Graham Beck, Technical Analyst

Jumpstart has just returned from exhibiting at Advanced Engineering 2017, the UK’s largest annual gathering of engineering professionals. This was the 9th year of the show, with over 600 companies looking to explore the latest industry innovations.

The aerospace and automotive industries were well represented, bringing some of the latest innovations and case studies to the show floor, addressing structures, propulsion systems, and the move towards electric and autonomous vehicles. Representatives from the composite and high-performance materials industries were also present in high numbers, reflecting the increased demand for lightweight and high-performance metals.

Insights from industry leading innovators

For the aerospace sector, speakers from Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Exeter University and Vapormatt discussed innovation and technology effectiveness in the supply chain, self-powered wireless sensing and the science of control.

Improved automotive design, testing, and production techniques were evident, with input from Cartezia, Far Composites, Granta Design, Epicam and Roticulation, to name a few.

The increased utilisation of composite materials within automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, construction and oil & gas was discussed, with talks from Composites UK, NetComposites, and AMRC, ALFED, Cartezia, EEF, Hilti AG and EPMA relating to advances in aluminium engineering, funding challenges, and developments in hard materials, with the impact of Brexit on the UK Manufacturing sector also deliberated at length.

Fantastic examples of sustainable travel innovation

The show floor features were innovative and focused on sustainable methods of travel, which is key to the ever-changing world of advanced engineering, including:

  • a battery storage module from Aceleron, made from 100% recycled materials
  • a Hydrogen-powered electric vehicle prototype from Riversimple, capable of travelling 300 miles on a full tank of hydrogen
  • a Caterham car that has used Scott Bader’s innovative Crestapol resin, which comes in glass reinforced plastic and carbon fibre reinforced plastic
  • Safran’s innovative landing gear solution for a diverse range of aircraft, which is reliable and robust, as well as weight efficient and environmentally responsible
  • a lightweight, strong and fast car from Elemental with a tub and chassis weighing only 75kg
  • REAP’s UK-made carbon bike with high speed made possible with the use of composite materials
  • a new type of rotary engine from Libralato with an improved thermodynamic cycle, predicted to be the most efficient compact engine in the world, capable of exceptionally high efficiency and low emissions
  • an infinitely variable transmission from Transfiniti, with individual wheel speed and direction vectoring capability

The future

What was evident this year was the increased emphasis on connected manufacturing, information technology and operational technology, with talks from BARA, EEF, SIEMENS and Rockwell Automation concerning Industry 4.0, smart factories and Autonomous (Mobile) Robots, the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), digitisation and implementing I4.0 solutions in the real world.

Exciting times ahead!

"We were totally stunned at the amount claimed"

Take it from the R&D experts

Jumpstart white asterisk
Jumpstart your R&D tax credits…Call us on 0844 967 2626