ChemUK is the UK's largest expo supporting the chemicals, process engineering, and formulated product industries. The two-day event is held at the NEC Birmingham and it features over 550 exhibitors, five show zones, and a full conference programme of talks from industry experts. This year's show took place on the 21st and 22nd of May. It was a packed couple of days with a wide mix of businesses exhibiting, an impressive array of show stands and even some prototypes on display.
The sun shines on the first day's visitors at ChemUK
Labs and Machines
One of the most interesting areas was the Chemical Laboratory Show Zone. Stainless steel machinery rubbed shoulders with digital displays, and there was everything from new valve technology to sustainable hoses on the exhibit stands.
There were centrifugal forces in action, bubbling glass vials of blue liquids, and test tubes in abundance. Testing and analysis are an essential element (pun intended) of the chemicals industry, and it was fascinating to see the processes in action and talk to the chemical engineers about the latest developments.
There was a wide array of lab equipment on show
Chemical Products: From Pharma to Farm
The chemicals sector covers a vast array of industries, and they were well served by the "Chemicals Supply" and "Formulated Product" sections of the show. The exhibitor list included everyone from raw materials suppliers and pharmaceutical specialists to beauty businesses, cleaning, lubricant and adhesive companies.
One of the big wins of any show is the chance for suppliers, manufacturers and customers to come together under one roof. Invopak's Scott Sandilands visited on the first day, and it was the perfect place to support many of our chemical packaging customers that we've supplied over the years.
Invopak's Scott Sandilands at ChemUK
Chemical Innovation in the Automotive Industry
One of the most interesting issues in the automotive industry is how to harness hydrogen as a power source. "Hydrogen - Unlocking the materials challenges" was a discussion hosted by the Henry Royce Institute that explored how some of the practical issues could be solved.
There was also a prototype hydrogen vehicle on show from the Warwick Manufacturing Group, Warwick University's industry arm, which was also a testbed for alternative materials, such as recycled carbon fibre.
WMG's eye-catching prototype vehicle
Hazardous Goods Transport
Several hazardous haulage companies brought vehicles, showcasing the importance of safety and ADR when it comes to moving potentially dangerous products. Liquid haulage specialists, Hoyer, gave visitors the chance to explore one of their tankers, which also provided the best view of the show.
Hoyer's tanker provided a bird's-eye view of the show
Show Trends
The show was truly international, there were safety cars from Germany and pharmaceutical lab equipment from Switzerland. There were large multinational companies as well as UK start-ups; it was a show for everyone, and that meant there was a great atmosphere of discovery and opportunity.
Stainless steel on show at ChemUK
