Rapid product development exhibition in Manchester

The TCT 2001 Conference and Exhibition, which will be held at the Manchester International Convention Centre (MICC), Manchester, UK for the first time, will take place 26-27 September 2001.

The TCT 2001 Conference and Exhibition, which will be held at the Manchester International Convention Centre (MICC), Manchester, UK for the first time, will take place 26th-27th September 2001.

Due to its growth over the past few years and its importance in the design engineering calendar, it was deemed important to provide the TCT event with a venue that allows it to continue to grow over the coming years and achieve continuity for attendees.

TCT 2001 is the premier European forum for all aspects of rapid product development (RPD), from initial concept and design engineering issues, through to production of the final product.

RPD is widely recognised as the single most important factor affecting the long-term prospects of companies operating in the manufacturing sector.

The focus of TCT 2001 is on providing conference delegates and visitors to the exhibition with a two-day event that offers a comprehensive source for all of their rapid product development needs.

The event is designed to ensure that time away from the office is kept to a minimum while maximising that time to its full potential in terms of information gained and contacts made.

The Conference organisers are proud to welcome back Phil Hanson, Principal, IBM Consulting UK, for his sixth year as Chairman of the main conference.

The Conference programme will be diverse and as a result will once again be covered in two streams, but for 2001, the programme will be more user friendly for all delegates, as each of the 40 papers will be highlighted in terms of their interest for beginner, intermediate, and expert delegates.

The aim being for the programme to facilitate delegates to be able to slip-stream themselves and choose the papers that are most applicable to their level of experience - thereby making the most of their time.

With no promotional papers presented at TCT, the focus of the conference is heavily placed on the applications of time-compression technologies for everyone.

The programme is all-inclusive, regardless of industry background.

Presentations have been evaluated based not only on content, but also on the knowledge and experience of the presenter.

Presentations will be given by individuals with a solid background in Rapid Product Development, who will talk openly and frankly about their experiences, they will also be able to offer guidance and advice to delegates where appropriate.

Some of the papers that have already been scheduled for TCT 2001 illustrate the diversity of the industries that are covered in the all-encompassing conference programme, these include: Ford Motorsport's use of the Virtual Prototyping Environment and Technology Transfer; Virtual Prototyping or Rapid Prototyping for Tableware Design Evaluation; Virtual Prototyping of Cutting Tools; Novel Manufacturing Technology: Adding Flexibility to Lean Manufacturing, Rolls Royce Aerospace; Optimised Product Cost and Development through Cross-functional Analysis.

A Nokia Networks Case Study The exhibition that runs alongside the conference offers all attendees the opportunity to network with like-minded people, without being put under the pressure of "a hard sell".

"As the company is moving into 3D Design, the conference and exhibition provided an excellent industry insight into Time Compression".

Chris Flatt, Product Engineer, Cyrk Simon Worldwide.

"I was impressed with the exhibition as it included a wide cross section of both users, companies offering a subcontract service, and also the manufacturers and suppliers themselves.

Having attended many exhibitions, what I found particularly pleasant was that it was almost like being a member of a club with everyone willing to talk quite openly about the advantages and disadvantages of the different processes.

I did not feel I was under pressure from the salesmen to buy equipment or to force me into arranging meetings with the objective of obtaining a sale".

Ian Ross, Head of R and D, Keymed.

Approximately 100 exhibitors will be at TCT 2001.

Exhibits on show will include: a full suite of all the RP machines available on the market; new RPD product launches and demos; feature vehicles and static displays of innovative products.

The exhibition will also offer interested parties a comprehensive range of solutions for: 3D CAD/CAM/CAE; reverse engineering; desktop verification/analysis; rapid prototyping/casting; rapid tooling; and materials.

TCT is a critical event for any company that is looking to reduce its costs or lead times at any stage of the design and manufacturing process.

The event - which is supported by the DTI, GTMA, and other leading trade bodies - will enable delegates and visitors to learn about the latest developments in time-compression technologies and products and find the necessary suppliers and primary service providers quickly and easily.

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