ROUND-UP OCTOBER 2020
In Depth 600+
Fast facts: MACH exhibiton
industryleading
exhibitors
30,000
visitors will attend
the five days of
the event
4-8 April
New dates in 2022
for the exhibiton,
held at the NEC
Siemens Digital Industries to create
digital chemicals factory on Teesside
A collaboration between Siemens
Digital Industries (DI) and
chemical manufacturer Lianhetech
Seal Sands is laying the foundations for a
digital future at its plant on Teesside.
Lianhetech, which makes high-quality
fine chemicals for the crop protection,
pharmaceutical and performance markets,
has committed to a multi-million-pound
expansion of its site in Middlesbrough,
which employs 350 people.
The digitalisation is being carried out
on a large-scale expansion of its existing
brownfield site, which will double
the site’s overall capacity, alongside a
planned expansion for state-of-the-art
digital greenfield site (artist’s impression
pictured, above), allowing Liantech to
create a digital production facility that
uses data to drive decision-making and
share real-time information with its
customers across the UK, Europe and the
rest of the world.
The partnership with Siemens DI
will see Lianhetech double its chemical
manufacturing capacity to meet demand,
improve production efficiency and
future-proof the plant. The upgrades will
see an additional 80 jobs created at the
site when it opens in May 2021.
Siemens DI worked with Liantech
and Actemium Automation to ensure that
the right products and industrial network
approaches were selected to provide a
state-of-the-art system.
Siemens Digital Industries/Liantech Seal Sands
The solution gives Lianhetech greater
levels of control over production and
availability, and the opportunity for
ongoing process improvement as more
data is collected around the manufacture
of the product – the derived insights can
also be fed back to customers.
“Our partnership with Seal Sands
is almost 20 years old, through its
former owners Fine Organics and now
Lianhetech,” said Eric Bennison, account
development manager at Siemens Digital
Industries. “During that time we have
always strived to find new solutions to
enhance the products they produce for
their customers.
“By using our world class, state-ofthe
art digital tools we are working with
Lianhetech to develop and deliver one of
the most significant investments in UK
chemical manufacturing for a long time.”
Julian Lightwing, operations director
at Lianhetech, added: “For decades,
the chemical industry has become
increasingly reliant on a supply chain
from the East – China and India –
which has led to a huge decline in UK
manufacturing.
“Lianhetech wants to take a global
approach and de-risk its supply chain
by investing in its operations in the UK
and across Europe. Lianhetech Seal
Sands will be part of the global company
and can offer the benefits of the eastern
and western environments.”
MACH exhibition
moved to April 2022
The Manufacturing Technologies
Association (MTA), organiser of the
MACH exhibition, has taken the decision
to reschedule MACH from January 2021
to April 2022.
With the continued uncertainty
around the pandemic and local
lockdowns, the MTA consulted with
members and exhibitors who had
booked a stand at MACH 2021 and
gauge their opinion on whether to
continue as planned or move to 2022.
The overwhelming sentiment was
that in order to minimise the risks to
visitors and exhibitors and to provide the
best possible platform for both, the
event should be moved to April 2022,
with space secured in the same halls at
the NEC from 4-8 April 2022.
James Selka, MTA CEO, said: “We
believe that this decision, which has not
been taken lightly, is in the best interests
of the industry and those who work in it.
Our first priority is, of course, the health
and safety of the 30,000+ people who
will visit and work at MACH.
“In addition, we believe that by
moving MACH to April 2022, we will be
able to offer a better experience for our
visitors, and better value for our
exhibitors, rather than holding it in
January 2021 with the uncertainty that
could still be with us. Add to this the
government’s recent announcement of
a pause to the restart of live events, and
it was felt that a dateline in April 2022
was a better option.
“In the meantime, visitors who
planned to attend MACH 2021 to find
out about new technology, look for
new suppliers and research new trends
will be able to utilise the existing MTA
digital platforms. Later this year, we will
launch a virtual platform which we
believe will perfectly complement the
show in 2022.
“We’re grateful to the NEC for
working with us to facilitate this move
and we look forward to welcoming
visitors to MACH 2022.”
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