Visitor foorprint expands for SteelFab

This has prompted organiser Expo Centre Sharjah to project a 25 per cent growth for the next edition of the show. This could be even greater depending on world economic recovery.

SteelFab 2010 was held at Expo Centre Sharjah from January 11 to 14, 2010, and attracted 6,014 trade visitors from the metal-working, metal manufacturing and steel fabrication industry and related segments.

Of the total number of visitors, Gulf Co-operation Council states posted a 7.5 per cent increase in the number of visitors, with Saudi Arabia alone seeing a surge of 30 per cent. Visitor numbers from other Middle East countries (Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen) saw a decrease of 11 per cent.

However, this decrease was offset by visitors from new countries such as Congo, Estonia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Moldova, Nairobi, Somalia, Thailand and Zambia.

This proved that the visitor footprint of SteelFab is expanding constantly, and has started covering the evolving African economies and extending to the Far East manufacturing countries. This also reflected the wider acceptance of SteelFab as the "must-visit" trade show for metal manufacturing and steel fabrication.

From the nearby markets, visitors came from India, Pakistan, Central Asia and North Africa.

Exhibitors were quite satisfied with the results of the show. The overall feedback was that visitors were more serious in enquiring, and had definite investment plans in the near future. This resulted in several machines being sold and orders initiated, pending finalisation.

A cross section of the exhibitors was highly optimistic about the clearing of uncertainty over the effects of the economic slowdown and the likelihood of opening of tenders and projects in the near future. They also pointed to the easing of liquidity conditions and bank lending.

Foreign participation was strong for the show. Exhibitors and brands came from Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan (ROC), Turkey, the UK and the US.

"The response we received was very encouraging," said Mr. Tony Green, International Sales Manager, Bradbury Group, UK. "The marketplace is a bit down now... due to the economic slowdown. But this region is synonymous with manufacturing and construction... so, eventually these people will come around to our higher-accuracy products," he said. At SteelFab 2010 the Bradbury Group focused on its productivity-enhanced rollforming equipment.

The Italian Trade Commission introduced high-end Italian technology to the region through a pavilion at SteelFab 2010. It brought together 12 Italian manufacturers and suppliers, along with UCIMU, Association of Italian Manufacturers of machine tools, robots, automation systems and ancillary products.

For the third consecutive time, Bavaria participated with a joint companies' stand and an information centre offering professional brokerage service to help establish contacts with Bavarian companies and comprehensive information on Bavaria as a business and high-tech location. The pavilion consisted of six companies including Demmeler, DOLI Elektronik, FlexiCAM, Heitec, Nemetschek Scia, Poligrat and PST Products.

Product launches were a key highlight of the show. Among the leading product launches that took place at the show were Jackle Welding by Middle East Fuji, Fast Rotator by FICEP, AXXAIR Pipe Technology by Tools Middle East, and the relaunch of AEG Power Tools by Zaker Trading, among others.

"It was our fourth continuous participation at SteelFab, and it offered us an excellent platform to launch the Jackle range to the Middle East market," said Mr. Amir Siddiqi, Marketing Manager, Middle East Fuji.

Product presentation seminars saw good participation. Some of the seminars covered software that can help offline programming and simulate welding parameters and new family of robots and their applications in the automotive and construction sectors; cutting edge gas, which is being promoted as a replacement to acetylene for all cutting, brazing and heating applications; productivity enhanced rollforming equipment and roll forming basics; vacuum coating system for cutting tools; and new techniques for beam/plate processing and their application in the heavy pressure vessels industry.

Among other presentations, software for BIM, future of steel engineering and fabrication, new techniques for beam/plate processing and turning/milling process were presented to industry representatives.

More than 190 direct exhibitors showcased over 500 brands in a total exhibition area of 16,000 square metres, featuring the Middle East's largest display of machinery, machine tools, welding equipment, supplies, consumables and ancillary equipment used in the pre- and post-treatment of steel.

A special segment at the show, the Tube & Pipe Machinery section was of great benefit to visitors from the process, oil & gas, shipbuilding, MEP, pipelines and other pipe & tube user industries.

Metal-cutting machine tools were also a key attraction, featuring lathes, milling, drilling, grinding, EDMs, work centres, tool room machinery, high-precision machine tools, machining centres and affiliated machine tools. CNC cutting systems with plasma, oxy-fuel and waterjet were also a major attraction.

The live machinery display at the show featured shears, press brakes, punch presses, CNC profile cutting, beveling, grinding, oxy-fuel cutting, water-jet cutting, plate drilling/cutting, beam drilling/sawing, blasting/painting, cut-to-length, slit-to length, welding displays and stud welding.

SteelFab 2010 was organised by Expo Centre Sharjah with the support from the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.