22 Year Old Wins Dyson Engineering Prize
Engineers have been creating some of the world's most useful solutions for literally decades, and amid the uncertainty surrounding the forecast shortage of UK engineers it is always heartening to see young talent coming to the fore. The James Dyson annual engineering awards are designed to commemorate engineering achievement, and the latest winner of this competition is significant for a number of reasons.
When you wander down a shop aisle like the one shown above, you're going past hundreds upon hundreds of sell-by, best-before and use-before dates, and we rely upon these dates to be as accurate as possible. Where inaccuracy exists, there is always the risk of food deterioration, and that's exactly what the creator of The Bump Mark is aiming to stop.
The Bump Mark
According to The Telegraph, this new kind of 'bio-reactive food expiry label' has been developed by Brunel University student Solveiga Pakstaite, 22, and it actually works in a very simple way. If the food inside packaging is fresh, The Bump Mark remains smooth to the touch, but as soon as that food begins to go off the surface of the label becomes 'bumpy' (hence the name).
Because The Bump Mark works by monitoring the behaviour of the food itself – using gelatine within the label – it is far more accurate than the 'rough guess' methods used for existing best-before or sell-by dates, as the protein in the gelatine will degrade at the same rate as the substance within the food. Currently, The Bump Mark is in its prototype stages, but it will be suitable for use on meat, dairy and fruit juices when and if it eventually sees release.
The James Dyson Awards
Ms. Pakstaite has already received £2,000 from the Dyson fund for her efforts, but should she triumph at the international Dyson awards she will obtain a further £30,000 for her efforts. Regardless of the outcome, to have such a talent representing the UK is a heartening situation. Substantial efforts are being made to attract young people to a career in engineering, and talented females are a particular focus for this initiative. As such, Ms. Pakstaite is a picture-perfect ambassador for such a vision.
At European Springs, we're well aware of how difficult it is to manufacture engineering solutions to solve health problems, as many of our springs see use in the pharmaceutical industry, where similar hygiene issues need to be navigated. As such, we applaud Ms. Pakstaite's innovation, and can't wait to see how she progresses at the international awards. In the meantime, no matter how finicky your needs for torsion springs and the like might be, we can create the ideal solutions to cater to your requirements. To find out more, contact us now by calling +44 (0) 208 663 1800 or emailing info.bec@europeansprings.com.
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