UPEX news

We like to keep UPEX visitors and exhibitors fully informed about what’s happening at UPEX and what’s happening in the global used printing machinery market.

We publish an occasional newsletter which will be automatically sent to any exhibitor or visitor on our database. If you would like to receive a regular copy, simply register your interest here.

UPEX goes global

Recognising the international scope of the used machinery market UPEX is creating opportunities for visitors to meet, to buy and sell, to dealers worldwide. The Middle East, Asia and North America are all on the UPEX global agenda.

In Spring 2007 UPEX returned to the Arabian Gulf – with UPEX @ GulfPrint from 2 – 5 April 2007. Held again at the Dubai Airport Expo the show doubled in size from 2005 with a dedicated UPEX area within the Print Machinery section of the show – along with the likes of Heidelberg, KBA, Muller Martini, CMC and MAN Roland. UPEX @ Gulf Print will next be held from 5 – 9 April 2009.

Autumn 2007 saw another first for UPEX when there was an area within the new IPEX South Asia 2007 show. Organised by IIR Exhibitions, who of course ran IPEX 2006, the show was a world class event with marketing and organisation handled through both local and international offices.

Autumn of 2008 will see UPEX exhibitors in Canada at Print World, billed as the gateway to the North American print market. The show takes place at the Direct Energy Centre, Toronto from 22 to 24 November.

Backing the (Mac)Knight Rider

If UPEX director Mike Steele has anything to do with it, the fastest piece of kit on show at UPEX @ Ipex next year won’t be a press but a 3.5 tonne craft capable of travelling over water at 330mph.

UPEX has put its support behind the Quicksilver team aiming to bring Donald Campbell’s world water speed record back to the UK after a gap of nearly 40 years. The bid has been mounted by Nigel Macknight and is timed to take place in January 2007 on Coniston Water. With over three-quarters of the £2m+ funding now secured, the Quicksilver craft will be built in time for its first-ever public viewing at Ipex, where Steele is hopeful that the rest of the print industry will follow the used sector’s lead in generating the balance of the necessary sponsorship.

Well-known British sporting celebrities - amongst them Yorkshire fast-bowler Fred Trueman, Grand National winner Bob Champion and Olympic miler Steve Cram – were out in force at a fundraising dinner sponsored by UPEX and attended by 400 guests at the East Midlands Conference Centre on Monday 4 th July. Sporting memorabilia auctioned at the dinner helped to raise over £25,000 towards the cost of launching the water speed record bid.

‘The fact that the record has been held by Australia for so many years should hopefully strike a chord with British sports enthusiasts,’ says Steele. ‘With the industry out in force at Ipex, what better opportunity can there be for UK Print plc to get behind the Quicksilver challenge.’

UPEX guests at the dinner included David Lamb (Atlas Machinery); Robin Vauvelle (White Horse Machinery); Stephen Hill and Vernon Hill(Care Graphics); and senior representatives from the NEC.

QUICKSILVER - British World Water Speed Record Bid

Sponsored by UPEX

The World Water Speed Record was first held in 1928 by an American, George Wood, and he set it at 92.84mph.

The first Englishman to hold the record was Sir Henry Segrave in Miss England 2, on Lake Windermere.

Sir Malcolm Campbell entered the arena in September 1937 when he took Bluebird K3 to 126.33mph at Lake Maggiore, Italy. He raised the record three more times to 141.74mph on Lake Coniston in August 1939 driving Bluebird K4.

The record went back to America until in July 1955 Donald Campbell (Sir Malcolm's son) broke the 200mph barrier at Lake Ullswater in Bluebird K7. In six more record-breaking runs up to December 1964 Campbell raised the record to 276.33mph, on Lake Dumbleyung, Australia.

It was in a much modified version of this same boat, Bluebird K7, that Donald Campbell lost his life in another record breaking attempt on Lake Coniston, 4th January 1967. He was trying to break through the 300mph barrier, and had achieved 297mph on his first of two obligatory runs. When the boat crashed before completing the second run it was timed at over 300mph.

Since 1977 the World Water Speed record has been held by an Australian, Ken Warby, in Spirit of Australia. He was the first to officially break the 300mph barrier when he set the current record of 317.60mph in October 1978.

And that's where UPEX and Quicksilver come in!

Early in 2007 Nigel Macknight is going to attempt to bring the World Water Speed Record back to Britain - on Lake Coniston in a jet powered boat Quicksilver.

As an official corporate sponsor UPEX will have opportunities to involve both exhibitors and visitors in this exciting venture.

The craft: Quicksilver will be 42 feet long with a hull 4 feet wide. Overall width is 11 feet and weight will be around 3.5 tonnes (right now about 2.5 tonnes is built). It will be powered by a Rolls Royce Spey jet engine, more usually used to power a Buccaneer aircraft.

For more details on the Quicksilver team: www.quicksilver-wsr.co.uk