Leading companies from across the globe will be in Sharjah, UAE, to showcase their innovative welding and cutting solutions at the upcoming SteelFab 2015.

The 11th edition of the event is being held at Expo Centre Sharjah from January 26 to 29.

The event will also focus on material handling, machine tools, pipe and tube machinery, besides welding and cutting, and feature new pavilions like steel-tech, fabricators and steel showcase. This will be in addition to live display, and technical seminars and product presentations.

The event comes amid a rise in the demand for welding and cutting equipment in the UAE, thanks to the formidable manufacturing and industrial sector of the region.

The special section on welding and cutting will feature machines and power sources such as conventional, arc, plasma, tig and mig/mag; welding and cutting products such as consumables, electrodes, wire and flux; accessories like torches, guns, tips, holders; gas cutting and welding, and brazing which includes equipment, spares, consumables; welding robots, positioners, rotators, manipulators and tables; weld preparation, heat treatment and weld finishing; stud welding equipment such as fasteners, studs and fastening systems; automation, resistance and capacitor discharge; beam welding systems, seam welding lines and special purpose welding systems; cutting systems like CNC (computerised numerical control) plasma, oxyfuel, laser and waterjet; pipe construction, orbital welding, cutting and bevelling tools.

Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, the CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, said: "SteelFab has been an important event for the region’s steel fabrication and metal working industry since the past decade."

"Now, with the introduction of the special segment for welding and cutting a couple of years ago, SteelFab has become a reliable sourcing platform for not just welding machines but a complete range of welding and cutting equipment and devices," stated Al Midfa.

“In the Arab region, it is important to note that the regional industry consists of fabrication yards and engineering workshops and not ‘welding shops’ hence a complete show like SteelFab is the precise answer to the complete procurement needs of regional industry,” he added.

Each year, there has been a gradual increase in the number of exhibitors at the event, rising from 143 in 2008 to 294 this year.

“This underscores the significance of the platform for welding and cutting equipment manufacturers to reach out to the Middle East and surrounding markets,” said Naveen Fernandes, group exhibition manager, Expo Centre Sharjah.

“SteelFab has also been a market-entry vehicle for numerous welding brands,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service