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the diary 12-15 Mar 2008
21-25 Apr 2008 22-25 April 2008
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means,
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retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the Publisher. ISSN 0026-1033.
MWP Magazine is published by Centaur Media PLC, the UK's premier independent business
publisher. For information about the range of products produced by Centaur Media PLC,
march 2008
Grindtec 2008 -
International trade fair
specialising in grinding
technology (focusing on
tool and cutter grinding) -
Augsburg
www.grindtec.de
mike excell
editor
‘It would be
impossible for
every
company to
survive, even
if there was
enough
profitable
business to
go around’
MACH 2008 -
UK’s largest exhibition
for production
engineering
technologies -
NEC Birmingham
www.mach2008.com
visit www.centaur.co.uk. The site also contains details of vacancies at Centaur. You can also
subscribe online to MWP Magazine at http://sales.centaur.co.uk. MWP Magazine technical
articles of full page length or over are indexed in the Library Association’s Current Technology
Index. The contents of MWP Magazine are reproduced in information storage and retrieval
systems. Subscription, and Reader Service departments address: Centaur Media PLC, as
Time and space
As Darwin pointed out, every living thing will tend to naturally
reproduce at such a rate that if it’s not destroyed, the earth will
eventually be inundated with its progeny. This outcome is not viable,
and there isn’t unlimited space to accommodate every species, so what
follows inevitably is a struggle for existence. Those individuals with
traits that best adapt them to the environment survive, while those
less well adapted die out.
OK reader, you’ve spotted it, yet another case of an editor in search
of a neat, highly contrived, analogy. But it really is tempting to see
parallels here for companies, economies, even technologies, because
it’s clearly impossible for every company to survive. (We’re looking
specifically at suppliers and users of manufacturing technology, but
this applies generally). Even if there was enough profitable business to
go around, there will always be limitations associated with raw
materials and energy, distribution channels and the means of getting
product to market - and for the foreseeable future, the appropriate
skills. (The IMechE points to a recent study which reported that 70%
of 16-19 year olds in the UK don’t even know what engineering is.)
So what are the survival traits, the equivalent of Darwin’s
‘favourable variations’ which increase the chances of outlasting the
competition? There’s not one answer for all circumstances, but some
examples, such as those you’ll find in the pages of MWP might aid
our understanding. For a large company, it may be a realistic approach
to the global dynamics of its market place. This is what prompted 600
Group to develop its relationship with a partner company in China,
something which was not achieved overnight. For smaller firms it’s
often about training and retaining good people, while making the
right investment decisions - or coming up with something truly
innovative (and marketing it).
For technologies, it’s the delivery of a means of production which
users can operate cost effectively and within environmental
constraints. Whether we’re considering new or ‘traditional’
technologies it’s clear that the health and safety - of the planet and
the people on it - is an increasingly critical success factor, under
combined pressure from legislation and customer preferences. If we
take the environment in its broadest sense, we must consider every
aspect of the supply chain, including raw materials supply. Less
wasteful additive or ‘rapid manufacturing’ methods with increasing
use of non-metallics perhaps point the way forward - and we may not
be talking evolutionary timescales.
Control 2008 -
Specialised
German/European trade
fair for quality control and
inspection technologies -
Sinsheim
www.medtecshowuk.com
More details on the above plus other exhibitions, conferences and company open house events online at www.mwponline.com/events.aspx
22-24 Apr 2008
Subcon 2008 -
UK’s leading
international showcase
for outsourced
engineering capability -
NEC Birmingham
www.subconshow.co.uk
editor’s comment
quoted above. It is available in the UK on subscription of UK £58.00 Sterling per annum
(six issues pa), Overseas £90.00 per annum (six issues pa). For change of address notify the
circulation manager. Refunds on cancelled subscriptions will only be provided at the
Publisher’s discretion, unless specifically guaranteed within the terms of a
subscription offer.
08-13 Sept 2008
IMTS 2008 -
USA’s premier
technology show, with a
strong international
presence -
Chicago
www.imts.com
MWP
07
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