Plans are well advanced for the 19th Annual Conference and Exhibition hosted by the European Society for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology (euspen), this year running 3 – 7 June in Bilbao, Spain. The cream of the micro and precision engineering community will be gathering in Bilbao with the focus at the conference and the exhibition once again on bleeding-edge developments in micro and nano manufacturing.

Key among the topics being covered at the event are micro and nano-accurate metrology solutions.

Players in the precision metrology space have elevated the status of metrology to a disruptive, enabling technology. Some metrology solutions measure using light — typically 3D optical profilers and laser interferometers — and there are alternatively a number of contact measuring systems, which can be used in various micro and nano manufacturing applications.

Everyone working in the field of micro and nano manufacturing knows that if it cannot be measured and validated, it cannot be made. By leveraging the capacity of metrology instruments things can be measured with confidence that were previously impossible to measure, allowing manufacturers to design and manufacture innovative, ground-breaking products that secure their leadership positions in their respective markets.

In this way, metrology tools enable the reliable manufacture of what may be perceived as impossible, and breaks down the barriers of what designers and manufacturers thought achievable.

Optical metrology is seen as an extremely versatile laboratory inspection tool, and has an important role to play in the verification of quality and design intent. Many say that today, it has become the “go to” metrology solution in precision applications, benefitting from the fact that it is non-contact (meaning it can be used to measure delicate deformable components), is non-destructive, fast, highly sensitive, and exhibits exceptional resolution and accuracy characteristics.

For metrology players operating in the precision engineering space, metrology solutions go way beyond the quality lab however. Where metrology becomes truly disruptive and enables advances in innovation and manufacturing efficiency is when it is moved to process control, and companies are focused on the use of metrology tools as drivers for process optimization.

Most metrology tools are designed to increase quality and make automation and manufacturing more efficient, and this is an obvious focus for optical metrology tools as opposed to contact probes.

The conference at the euspen annual event covers precision metrology in detail and there are a number of leading technology and solution providers such as ZYGO, Taylor Hobson, Olympus, and Heidenhain confirmed at the exhibition to discuss the specific requirements of attendees.

The annual euspen event is planned to allow commercial micro & nano manufacturers, researchers, and academics the time to learn, establish relationships, and network. Today, in such a vibrant and rapidly developing sector, networking and the exchange of experiences and developments is key, and above all else, the conference and exhibition nurture the partnerships that drive innovation and manufacturing success.

Micro parts and micro systems-based products are considered as a crucial value-adding element for many industrial sectors in Europe, the Far East, and the USA, and are therefore an increasingly important factor in industrial and economic robustness. With this importance, however, there come great-er and greater market demands, and these are central to the success of the sector, and are discussed in detail at the euspen event.

The annual event has various elements: the world-renowned and high quality conference, an exhibition showcasing leading technology and service providers in the space, and the now famous annual networking dinner, all available for a one-off attendance fee.

In addition to metrology, this year’s conference focuses on motion control, ultra precision machining, additive and replication processes, and precision cutting processes. Also covered will be handling, robotics, and automation, Industry 4.0 for precision manufacturing, mechanical and non-mechanical manufacturing processes, applications for precision engineering in the biomedical sector, and precision design in large scale applications.

The exhibition in Bilbao is set to be the biggest ever, and is supported by leading micro manufacturing solutions providers who gather to meet the great and the good of the global precision engineering community Rubbing shoulders with the likes of ZYGO, Taylor Hobson, Olympus, and Heidenhain, among many others will be ALIO Industriues, PI, Aerotech, Accumold, Moore Nanotech, Kinetic Ceramic, Moore Nanotech.

In addition to the prestigious international conference, euspen also organizes workshops, tutorials, and extensive poster sessions that cover the entire range of topics of interest to those working in the micro and nano manufacturing field. This year there are three workshops focused on industrial in-process manufacturing metrology, the EU dissemination project Multifunctional ultrafast micro-probes for on-the-machine measurements, and the EU dissemination project Process Fingerprint for Zero-defect Net-shape MICROMANufacturing — facilitated by European Innovative Training Network MICROMAN.

Networking is the key to the success of euspen’s events, and the Annual Conference and Exhibition are designed to allow delegates, speakers, and exhibitors alike the ability to meet and discuss issues of immediate relevance to the area of micro and nano manufacturing. To stimulate such cross fertilization of ideas and experiences, in addition to the on-site opportunities, delegates are able to attend not only the prestigious euspen annual networking dinner, but also tours that will be arranged to companies and institutions close to the venue in and around Bilbao and active in the micro and nano manufacturing field.

For more information, visit www.euspen.eu.