Advanced Engineering and UK Metals Expo returns to the NEC Birmingham next week. This year the show is three events in one: a single free badge also opens the co-located Lab Innovations and UK Metals Expo. For sheet metal and fabrication professionals, the combined floor plan is a rare one-stop sweep of forming, automation, metrology and materials.
For the sheet metal and forming sector, the 2026 line-up includes several SMI member companies whose stands are worth planning a route around.
Among the exhibitors, Group Rhodes brings two centuries of metalforming machinery expertise. The Wakefield-based specialist will showcase capabilities across mechanical and hydraulic presses, coil handling and fully automated press lines for sectors from automotive to aerospace.
Metrology specialist Hexagon Manufacturing is demonstrating how data-driven quality control is reshaping fabrication. Its stand features portable measuring arms, laser scanners and optical CMMs suited to first-article inspection, reverse engineering and in-process verification for fabricators chasing tighter tolerances. Hexagon’s software chain, linking design data to shop-floor inspection, gives manufacturers a practical route to closed-loop quality.
Measurement Solutions Ltd, complements that story. The metrology integrator specialises in 3D scanning, portable CMMs and inspection services, helping fabricators verify complex parts against CAD with confidence. Its engineers advise on matching hardware and software to real shop-floor problems, from reverse engineering legacy components to production part approval.
Across the aisle, UK Metals Expo adds a fresh metals dimension. The Confederation of British Metalforming a leading trade association for the UK metalforming industry, represents more than 200 companies across the fastener, forging, pressing, sheet metal and cold rolling sectors, making its stand a first port of call for anyone navigating the supply chain.
Machinery exhibitor AXYZ Routers and WARDJet Waterjets shows its Infinite CNC router and compact A-Series and modular X-Series waterjet cutting systems, with pre-cut samples to inspect and experts on hand to discuss applications.
