Author: European Springs

However, this might not necessarily be true, as the strange case of 'electro-mechanical' art and its primary proponent Szymon Klimek has so skilfully demonstrated. Klimek's work as an artist sees him creating miniature sculptures from mechanical components such as cogs and springs – many of which, such as his solar-powered 'SPONGE', also incorporate movement – and then installs them into wine glasses.

With a unique design that you want to take to market, it's important to look into getting a patent so that you don't run the risk of bigger companies copying your design – here are a few tips to get you started.

Make Sure that Your Product is Actually Patentable

You'll have to forgive us if this point sounds a little too obvious, but it's very important to look into the likelihood of actually having your patent approved before you start what can often be quite an expensive process. The government's guidelines state that in order to be patented something must be both new and inventive, and it's this second point which can often seem a little bit mystifying – how inventive is inventive enough?

If you're not sure, it may pay to get the advice of an expert before going any further!

Decide if a Patent is Actually Right for You

Although we certainly think that a patent can be highly beneficial for many, you should only go for it if you're certain that you need it – otherwise, you are getting involved in an incredibly lengthy, difficult and expensive process when it isn't necessary.  
Before making a firm decision, don't forget to pay attention to the other options that are available to you, such as a trade mark or exclusive design rights.  

Hire a Professional

Generally, you will want to get somebody who knows the patenting process inside and out on your side to ensure that everything is a success; the government have stated that only around 1 in 20 get a patent without enlisting the help of a professional, so if you don't like those odds then we recommend finding somebody to assist you through the process.

Do remember, however, that this will increase the costs even further – and you also have to budget for the cost of renewing a patent every year and, potentially, defending it against legal challenges. Before you start, you can get free advice and guidance from many patent attorneys, or attend a free intellectual property clinic.

Those are our top tips for getting the whole process started; it's a lot of hard work but the rewards can certainly be worth it. If you're still in the design stage, we can help you make your idea a reality with important parts such as springs and bespoke stampings . Call us today on 0208 663 1800 orcontact us online if you'd like to know more.

European Springs

However, as our last post on the subject spoke about, women have been involved in the world of engineering for a very long time. Unfortunately, they are often unheard of or are forgotten about when there are discussions of famous engineering feats.
That’s why we’ve decided to spotlight even more today!

Hedy Lamarr (1913 – 2000)

You might know Hedy Lamarr as a Hollywood starlet of the early twentieth century, which is what she is often remembered for. However, as engineering nuts, we know Hedy Lamarr as one of the key figures who helped in the black ops warfare in the Second World War. Once the war started, Hedy was keen to assist in the war effort, highlighting the fact that jamming of allied radio communications by the Axis as a big problem. As a result, she developed her frequency hopping theory which now serves as a basis for modern communication technology.

Stephanie Louise Kwolek (1923- )

Before the work of Kwolek, people couldn’t claim to be bulletproof, but once she made the discovery of liquid crystalline polymers, which resulted in the product ‘Kevlar’, they could. Containing fibres that are stronger than steel, Kevlar is used to make bullet-proof vests, radial tires and airplane fuselages, as well as fibre optic cables. In the last thirty years, Kwolek got the recognition she deserved when she received the National Medal of Technology in 1996 and was named to the Women’s Hall of Fame in 2003.

Marilyn Jorgensen Reece (1926 – 2004)

One of the most travelled roads in the entirety of the United States was designed by a woman who said that she like Maths, but ‘didn’t want to be a teacher’. This was at the time when technically gifted women weren’t encouraged to pursue any other career than teaching. Reece is not only distinguishable as the first female to earn a full license as a civil engineer in 1954, but was also entrusted with the design of the San Diego-Santa Monica freeway interchange in Los Angeles!

As this clearly shows women have been a part of the engineering world for a long time, and it that time they have contributed some truly amazing feats and discoveries, ones which we still heavily rely on today.

Here at European Springs & Pressing Ltd, we make our own special contribution to the engineering world, and that’s by being one of the best spring specialists out there! As compression, flat, torsion and gas spring manufacturers, our products are used around the world in major industrial environments!
For more information, please contact us  on 0208 663 1800 and a member of our team will be happy to help with your inquiries.

European Springs

Farming and science have never gotten along. They’re like two unwilling friends squabbling over a football in the playground; one of them believes in the thrill of the sport, working hard to perfect their skill, the other engages in the mechanics of the sport using maths and probabilities to get the best goal. With this in mind, we can’t imagine farmers being all too keen with the idea of robots taking over their jobs but that’s exactly what could end up happening in Japan.

Who’s Building a Robot Farm?

In August of this year, Spread Co. a Japanese Kyoto based vegetable factory, announced they would begin construction of (an almost) completely robot run lettuce farm in 2016.

The company, who have 7 years of experience growing the vegetable in factories, claim this robot run farm will be able to produce 30,000 heads of juicy lettuce per day! They’re hoping that, with manual labour being carried out by robots and the high level of production, they’ll be able to drop the price of lettuce for their customers without losing the great taste of the vegetable, The Wall Street Journal heard.

How Can Robots Run A Factory/Farm?

As with any kind of farming, there are several stages of growing lettuce. Six, to be exact and Spread Co. have set out the plans of their farming factory for those six stages.

1. Seeding
2. Germination
3. Raising the Seedlings
4. Transporting from small to large beds
5. Raising the vegetables
6. Harvesting

Anybody else suddenly thought of robot nannies? Now that’s a scary thought.

The (almost) completely robot run facility allows stacker cranes to transport the lettuce while robots handle the planting and general care of the vegetable. Such precise engineering feats obviously require very accurate, pressure sensitive mechanisms and springs in order to allow fluid movement; the last thing the creators of this robot farm will want is a jittery robot.

Not only will the robots, with their smooth, fluid movements, care for the upraising of the vegetable, they will also have complete control over various conditions in the factory:

• Temperature
• Humidity
• Carbon Dioxide Level
• Sterilization of Water
• Light Hours

What Does This Mean For Us?

There has always been two major concerns when it comes to robot run jobs. The decline in available jobs for humans, and the rise of the robot. The truth is that, even with this supposedly completely robot run farm, humans are still needed to ensure its visability. At the moment, Spread Co. say they need the human eye to tell if the plant has germinated.

For the foreseeable future, at least, we can honestly say we’re safe from losing our jobs. A human presence will always be needed to ensure robots run smoothly and efficiently, that their cogs and wheels keep spinning and their gas springs and compound springs remain in tip top form.

Though we aren’t helping to build robots by the dozen (or are we?) we do provide you with fantastic quality springs for all job types. For more information on what springs we have for you, contact us today on 0208 663 1800. Alternatively, if you’d like to keep up to date on the world of springs, follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

European Springs