Author: European Springs

The engineering industry takes pride in 'changing the world', and Cornwall alone contributes with £800 million a year to the local economy. Secretary of the Cornwall Manufacturers Group, Ken Martin, adds that the 1,100 manufactures provide an industry that employs more than 16,0000 people.

Cornwall Manufacturers Group is invested in students’ careers, and in a recent career show they launched a brochure showcasing expert knowledge from some of Cornwall's best managers, apprentices, and managing directors. Our very own Managing Director, Michael Gibbs, was featured in this brochure aimed at the UK's South West young student population.

Michael Gibbs, Managing Director of European Springs

Initially a Medicine student, Michael Gibbs realised the degree didn't suit his abilities and, as such, he undertook a Masters in Mechanical Engineering at Exeter University. Study in CAD design to gas turbine technology and grinding and milling in workshops followed a two-year graduate scheme at Rolls Royce in Bristol.

Under the employment of European Springs, he completed a funded two year KTP scheme, studying for an MA in Management. Michael developed his skills, allowing a more complex application that successfully ended with him becoming Operations Manager of European Springs. The company grew from a turnover of £800k a year in 2001 to £7.5 million in 2016 under his direction. The 900% growth resulted in the company relocating to larger premises in 2013 and extending the existing building at Treleigh Industrial State, in Redruth.

Engineering Your Career

Throughout the UK, engineering students are contributing with breakthrough technology developments. While studying his MSc in Innovation Design Engineering consisting of a joint course between the Royal College Art and Imperial's Dyson School of Design Engineering, Luca Alessandrini developed a violin composed of a mixture of spider silk and resin. His project won over 49 other entries at the International Student Innovation Awards.

His violin allows for sound customisation due to the spider silk vibrating the casing. The addition of resin produces a material combination with a unique tone that is altered through blending the materials in different quantities.

The engineering industry quickly changes and adapts to the world's technological needs, providing remarkable growth to the local economies. With ever-changing engineering expertise, students are able to specialise in a varied selection of paths within the industry and achieve a truly exciting career path.

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European Springs

But just thinking about this helps us to understand why we use them and why we need them in our everyday life. So, what are the smallest and largest uses for compression springs?

The Multiple Uses of Micro Springs

At European Springs, we provide high quality compression springs to a plethora of industries, from the aerospace industry to the medical sectors. On the smaller scale of things, micro springs are particularly popular in surgical equipment, such as forceps, and devices that can be used to aid patients.

One of the most important uses of these micro springs is in pacemakers, where springs are used to ensure that the leads within the pacemaker that connect the electrical circuits to the heart don't become detached. A detached lead can cause serious health risks and even result in damage being inflicted on the heart.

How Are Large Compression Springs Used?

For large compression springs, the most common way to refer to them is a heavy duty compression spring. These springs are used in mechanisms that require a great amount of force to be exerted on the spring itself. These can be used in anything from the automotive industry to intense environments that are susceptible to high compression loads.

One incredibly strenuous industry in which these heavy duty springs are required is in the oil rig industry. When working offshore, the things that need to be considered in every situation, in an engineering sense, is the temperature of the drill bit and the pressure that they have to withstand.

As part of a case study, European Springs worked with an offshore rigging company to develop a spring material that tackled both of these conditions and, in the end, our solutions trumped what nature had to offer. By using the latest technology and material science, the heavy duty compression springs, and even micro springs, that we manufacture are stronger and more durable than ever.

As leading spring manufacturers that specialise in high quality spring and wire form technology, we have to ensure that every product that we develop is durable enough to withstand any scenario and also maintains its primary functions without any deformation occurring.

If you would like to know more information with regards to the compression springs that we manufacture and the industries in which they are used, then please don't hesitate to contact us. Just give us a call today on +44 208 663 1800 and we will be more than happy to help with any questions you may have.

European Springs

According to a BBC News article, the airports of the future are being regarded as “high-tech pleasure domes” with the majority of the processes which are currently in place being replaced with automated alternatives to increase safety and make the whole airport experience smoother for everyone.

Check-In Simplicity

Although we've seen a drastic change with regards to the check-in process at many of the world's airports using online check-in and app-based boarding passes, it looks like the future holds an even smoother check-in process for us to experience.

Most passports that are issued nowadays are of the biometric kind, and airports such as London Heathrow are already utilising some of the many benefits that these kinds of passport bring, such as biometric passport gates which scan the face of a passenger and compare it with the photograph which is provided on the passport itself.

London Gatwick is also building the world's first completely automated baggage check-in which will allow travellers to check their bags in by dropping them onto a check-in conveyor belt up to 12 hours before their flight.

Japan's All Nippon Airways is also going the extra mile and making the check-in process a lot smoother by providing their travellers with access to smart tablets which allow them to check-in at the touch of a button, while providing them with the means to easily navigate the airport with their map app, and up to date flight notifications.

The Future of Facial Recognition

Another process which is already being trialled by a few airports is facial recognition. This technology aims to reduce queuing and check in times, and with further advancements in technology, a laser molecular scanner is expected to be introduced at some time in the future which will be able to scan an individual from up to 150 feet away.

This incredible piece of technology and engineering is being developed to help identify those carrying suspicious items; it can detect gunpowder residue, pick up concealed organic matter in 50 picoseconds without an individual needing to be stood directly under the scanner, as well as further reduce the time the check-in process takes with manual searches.

In a time when airport security is top of everyone's priorities, this advancement in technology and engineering could potentially see our airports – and probably our world as a whole – become a much safer place to be.

Here at European Springs, we love learning about advances in engineering and technology that are about to reshape our future. As leading spring manufacturers, we're always on the lookout for ways in which we can enhance the world's future! If you would like to find out more information, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us today – we'll be delighted to help.

European Springs

The automotive industry and virtual reality have developed a close relationship in the past years, with Audi investing in the technology. In education, this technology helps to find flaws and weaknesses at a much quicker pace. Students develop their understanding of how projects will work after being complete, and they explore various industrial environments that allow them to develop skills they otherwise would be unable to.

Virtual Reality Laboratory

At the London South Bank University students have a virtual engineering laboratory with a virtual reality auditorium, a rapid prototyping and post-production area, a project-based learning laboratory, a digital factory, and a head-mounted display suite. Through the use of headsets in the display suite, students explore their projects in a virtual reality world and are able to alter it easily.

The virtual reality laboratory aims to “give students a hands-on experience of using Virtual Reality as a development tool, as this technology changes the way we interact not only with our designs, but with our colleagues too.” The Academic Director within the School of Engineering, Tony Roberts, adds that creative solutions are developed when engineering students are challenged through the use of these technologies.

Designed by Virtalis, the head-mounted display suite is a combination of CAD design and virtual reality allowing students to interact with each other while improving their designs.

MIDEN, Building 3D Models

Having a thorough insight into how structures work is vital in engineering; the understanding of their overall interaction and collapse allows for engineers to build sturdy and safe structures. At the University of Michigan, students utilise a virtual reality cave that constructs 3D steel structures on a 10×10 screen enclosure.

The virtual reality cave allows for ease of alteration of structures through the use of the controller and headset. By being able to manipulate the physical orientation of the structures, students aren’t limited to a stationary model. The MIDEN virtual reality cave represents a rising trend in optimisation of engineering study and project construction.