Taking the stress out of pre-stressing, European Springs & Pressings (ESP) have invested in a unique invention, with the design and manufacture of an automated pre-stressing machine.
Working alongside Design & Automation Solutions and Bosch Rexroth, ESP have seen their conceptual plans taken from the drawing board, designed and delivered, with a new automated pre-stresser (which improves the life and load bearing capacity of a spring), reducing waste across multiple processes.
Michael Gibbs, Managing Director of ESP in Cornwall says: “In the last decade, since we were acquired by the Lesjofors Group, we have seen turnover increase by over 700%, which has recently led to the acquisition of a second factory in Cornwall and a 40% increase in recruitment in the last year. Lean manufacturing has been key to our success and enhanced automation not only increases our efficiencies in operations and production but also on the budget sheet, as we estimate a pay-back period within just 5 years.”
Mick Stallwood, Director of Design & Automation Solutions adds: “Manufacturers are under constant pressure. Multiple factors demand more out of them and manufacturers demand more out of their facilities and infrastructure. This is where we step in. Our specialisms, in advancing technologies and automation, have been utilised world-wide and to design a world first for one of the world’s leading spring manufacturers, is something we’re very proud of. Reports suggest the UK automotive sector is down but ESP are showing otherwise and the ripple effect of successful projects such as this shouldn’t be under-estimated, as we are now expanding with new premises due to an increase in demand.”
Gibbs concludes: “The automotive sector of our business has grown exponentially, hence the recent purchase of an additional factory. With significant investment in new spring coiling machines, a new powder coating line and other ongoing investment intentions, further adding to our Industry 4.0 capable manufacturing technology, I have great confidence in our manufacturing future.”
The first spring, at what is now one of the UK’s leading spring and pressing suppliers, came off the line seventy years ago this month.
Established in 1948 on a small site in south London, European Springs & Pressings has grown into a multi-million pound organisation with factories, logistic centres and sales offices across the UK.
Facilities across their 7,000sq metre sites include stamping, coiling, multi-slide, heavy coiling, high speed stamping and assembly, as well as both high and low volume production capabilities.
Where the latest technology, 70 years ago, could produce 30 parts an hour, the company can now produce 3 million components an hour. It used to be muscle strength that initially led production but it’s intellectual muscles and computer technologies that now lead the way, advancing the company’s lean manufacturing excellence.
Stuart McSheehy, Managing Director of the London factory says: “Investment in advancements in technology, automation, AI, CNC machines, cloud data, I can go on… the face of manufacturing has advanced so much in just the past few years. Looking back over the past 70 years, the factory floor has transformed from oily, heavy metal and noisy expectations to glossy, fast and cleaner, efficient technologies. The face of manufacturing springs and pressings might have changed but our dedication to engineering solutions with a very personal service to achieve the very best quality hasn’t.”
Serving clients from across aerospace to the agricultural sector, lighting to medical, power generation to electronics, construction to automotive and everything in between, customers from major blue-chips right down to specialist niche companies, European Springs & Pressings is quite unique to other UK spring makers in that it covers a whole variety of disciplines. Manufacturing tension, torsion and compression springs with diameters from 0.03mm to 65mm, they also have pressings and multi-slides up to 130 tonnes and have an unlimited design spectrum of wire forms.
In 2007, the Lesjofors Group acquired the organisation which has seen European Springs & Pressings reach new international markets, achieving exceptional year on year results with turnover increasing by 700% in Cornwall over the last decade.
McSheehy continues: “Our employment figures saw a 40% increase in staff in the last year. 25% of the team are women and we’re always on the look out for skilled new talent. A number of our staff started here as apprentices, the longest dates back over 43 years, and our apprenticeship scheme continues to thrive today.”
To mark the occasion, European Springs & Pressings commissioned a timeline, a symbolic image showcasing the diversity of their products and all indulged in celebratory events across the company.
Michael Gibbs, Managing Director of the Cornwall factories of European Springs & Pressings concludes: “Our 70 year heritage has seen us survive eight recessions, swim against tides of manufacturing decline and diversify into markets which account for nearly every sector of every industry.
“We’re really proud of our legacy and to be continuing to contribute to today’s thriving £6.7 trillion global manufacturing sector. Here’s to another 70 years.”
The concept of the robot has excited human imaginations for millennia. As far back as ancient Greek civilizations, we’ve been dreaming of robots – think of Talos, the giant moving statue with magical circuitry powered by ichor.
One of Talos’ ancient duties was to protect the island of Crete from intruders, and this isn’t too dissimilar from the tasks modern security robots are being given today. Let’s take a look at how our mechanical helpers are revolutionising industries across the globe.
Security
Improvements in Artificial Intelligence aren’t only useful for helping Alexa to understand when she’s needed and when she’s not; it’s also very important for the security industry. AI has the potential to recognise identity, gender and age through complicated algorithms, which are applied to security footage. This means that criminals could be increasingly less likely to get away with crime in the future, as this technology continues to improve.
There are even robot security guards in the making. They don’t look very threatening and they can’t climb stairs or use lifts; but Deano Roberts, Global Facilities Director at Slack, contends: ‘[they] are great at detecting anomalies, something that humans actually aren’t all that good at’.
Watch this video to find out more about security robots:
Perhaps the near future will see security become the combined effort of humans and robotics preventing crime successfully and efficiently.
Healthcare
There are different types of robots currently helping out in the healthcare industry, from cute helpers to surgical specialists. One of these mechanical Samaritans is known as the Carrier; this robot helps to ‘carry’ items – such as food – from one part of the hospital to another and also functions as a guide for lost patients.
Robots also carry out important functions in surgery. In order to perform invasive surgery, long cuts are often made which heal slowly. The current goal is to minimise the length of the cuts needed; one way of accomplishing this is to extend the length of surgical tools, allowing for more dexterity in smaller spaces.
However, one problem with making these instruments longer is that they become more difficult to use precisely, often causing hand tremors in surgeons, which increases the likelihood that they could do more harm than good. This is where robots come in.
Due to their careful precision at wielding long surgical instruments, and under the careful guidance of a doctor, successful operations can be achieved more efficiently and consistently.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is one industry that has been radically changed by the introduction of robotics. Repetitive jobs that were previously performed by human labour forces can now be handled by machines that won’t get bored or dissatisfied by their tasks.
A robots’ higher accuracy allows for greater quality and efficiency in manufacturing, just as it does in surgical operations. This makes them a great asset for many sectors, whether they’re used by custom spring manufacturers or in vehicle production centres.
Agriculture
The agricultural industry is extremely important to the survival of humanity – it provides both food and fuel. The potential for robotics to ease human labour in this area is expansive, from picking fruits and vegetables to milking cows and spraying crops.
Drawbacks?
Robotics is still a developing technology; many posts on robots quote their ability to work 24/7, without need for holidays or inconvenient sick days, but this isn’t entirely accurate. Even the best technology requires maintenance and upkeep.
Most computers and laptops will start exhibiting some funky behaviour if left without maintenance for a few years, and robots are just the same. An occasional break-down is the robotics equivalent of a sick day, except that the employer is responsible for paying for the doctor (an engineer) and the medication (spare parts).
That said, it’s thought that if you replace one person on a production line with a robotic counterpart, the output will increase by 40%, making robotics well worth the initial expenditure. Perhaps one day, all industries will be revolutionised by robotics, even the beauty industry.
Robotics has been a long time coming, but it still has a long way to go. While there may still be a couple of hiccups to iron out, we think that a future with robotics is a promising one. If you’re interested in reading more about robotics in manufacturing, then check out our page dedicated to springs in automation.
The manufacturing industry is notorious for being extremely fast-paced, so failing to keep up with the changes can mean your business falls behind competitors in the blink of an eye. As 2019 approaches us at a blistering pace, the manufacturing industry is gearing up for yet another period of change.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the top trends to look out for in 2019, keeping you ahead of the game and, of course, your competitors.
3D Printing
Whilst 3D printing has been around for a while now, this form of manufacturing has really started to take off throughout 2018 and looks set to be a big part of 2019’s manufacturing trends across the globe. This technology has the power to completely revolutionise the way manufacturing works.
In 2018, we started to see a significant rise in the number of companies using 3D printing due to the increased output it offers, alongside smaller cost implications and less wastage produced.
We even saw 3D printing being used as a solution to build homes from scratch; we realise this sounds like something out of a futuristic film, but it really works. Check out the video below:
Whilst the current 3D technology available is certainly capable of cutting costs and build time of products drastically, 2019 looks set to build on this technology, whilst making it more affordable and accessible for businesses.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality feels like it has been around for many years now, but in truth, AR is still in its infancy and is set to completely revolutionise all our lives. Whilst many still associate AR with gaming and entertainment, in actual fact, it has the capability of being used in almost any industry.
In terms of the manufacturing industry, it’s no secret that jobs within the sector can be dangerous if you are inexperienced. AR could provide a safe alternative to on-the-job training for apprentices, new starters or any member of staff looking to upskill. By using AR in the training process the risk of injury is reduced massively, and the employee can learn at a pace that suits them, without being put in any considerable danger.
Away from training, AR is also being trialed as a simulator for potential designs and products, without the need for building physical prototypes. This obviously brings about many benefits for a manufacturer, from reduced manufacturing costs to ironing out any potential issues before investing further in a product and therefore reducing waste.
Expect to see AR become more widely used throughout 2019 as more businesses begin to understand the benefits this technology brings.
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
It’s clear to see that the manufacturing industry is undergoing a digital revolution and has been for some time. We are confident 2019 will continue the trend of IIoT being implemented on a larger scale, across the world.
A huge emphasis has been placed on connecting the physical and digital world throughout the past few years, as a large amount of data is seen to be ‘trapped’ in factory-floor machinery. Fully capturing and utilising this data to better understand and improve operations, reduce costs and make a workplace safer is what we can expect to start seeing more frequently in 2019.
Along with this, 2019 looks set to increase the prominence of interconnected devices, intuitively communicating together to potentially learn from each other. The aim of this is to decrease the waste produced and improve the efficiency of the manufacturing process within a business.
As an expert spring manufacturer, we are looking forward to seeing what trends 2019 brings for the world of manufacturing. We can guarantee that the team at European Springs will be right at the forefront of any innovations 2019 brings, as we strive to provide our customers with the very best bespoke pressings on the market.
In any industry, there are great minds and pioneers who lead the way for all those who follow. It’s fair to say that the engineering sector wouldn’t be what it is today without those who made innovations which were well ahead of their time. In this article, we take a look at some of the most important figures in engineering history.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Brunel was famous for his innovation; although his projects were not always successful, he achieved many firsts in engineering, and many of his greatest achievements still stand to this day. Although he did not live to see its completion, Brunel is perhaps most famous for the Clifton Suspension Bridge, which had the longest span of any bridge in the world at the time of its construction. Alongside work on bridges, he was also the chief engineer of the Great Western Railway and he built the SS Great Britain, the world’s first ocean going, propeller-driven iron ship.
James Watt
This Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer was pivotal in the Industrial Revolution. Although he did not design the first steam engine (or even the first practical one), his improvements transformed it into a much more powerful machine by adding a separate condenser to make use of energy that was otherwise wasted. By 1790, the steam engine was used in cars, railways, ships and factories on an unprecedented scale, transforming the face of the world.
Ada Lovelace
Flying in the face of engineering and mathematics being perceived as solely masculine activities, Ada Lovelace was instrumental in the development of modern computing. Her notes on the Analytical Engine developed by Charles Babbage include what is thought to be the first algorithm intended to be carried out by a machine, effectively making her the world’s first computer programmer.
Alan Turing
Alan Turing was highly influential in the development of theoretical computer science, where he provided a formalisation of concepts of algorithms and computation with the invention of the Turing machine. This feat of engineering was considered to be a model of a general purpose computer. Due to this invention, Turing is generally considered the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence.
During the Second World War, Turing was part of the Government Code and Cypher School, a codebreaking centre based at Bletchley Park. He devised a number of techniques for breaking German ciphers and played a pivotal role in cracking intercepted coded messages, which enabled the Allies to defeat the Nazis in several battles, the most notable of which was the Battle of the Atlantic.
Thomas Haug
Where would we be without being able to send a text message? In today’s world, it seems almost impossible to function correctly without using your mobile phone to send a message on a daily basis. We have Norwegian engineer Thomas Haug to thank for introducing text messaging in 1992.
Haug led a team of experts from a dozen countries at CEPT (the association of European Telecommunication Operators) in 1982 after he was elected chairman of the committee. In this role, he was in charge of the digitalisation of telecommunications and introduced features such as SIM cards and SMS messaging during his 10-year tenure.
Earlier in his life, Haug was part of the Swedish Board of Telecommunications, where he was engaged in the development of computer-controlled exchanges. He led a project for cellular communication called NMT in 1970; this venture led to the introduction of an analogue system in Saudi Arabia in 1980, followed by four Nordic countries between 1981 and 1982. The NMT enabled automatic roaming between any two users, regardless of national borders and reached 1 million subscribers in 1990.
Elon Musk
Possibly one of the greatest minds of our time, Elon Musk has done plenty for 21st-century engineering. Musk is the CEO of a number of high-profile businesses, including Tesla, PayPal and SpaceX.
At SpaceX, Musk conceptualised a ‘Mars Oasis’ when founding the company back in 2001, a project that looked to land a miniature experimental greenhouse on Mars containing food crops in a bid to show that human life could be possible on the planet. Since then, the company has made history on a number of occasions, the most notable feat being their ‘Dragon’ spacecraft which became the first commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to and from the International Space Station.
At Tesla, Musk has successfully brought fully-electric vehicles to the market at affordable prices. Tesla also supply several major car manufacturers, such as Mercedes and Toyota, with affordable electric powertrain systems. In 2014, Musk even announced that Tesla would allow its technology patents to be used by anyone in good faith, as a way of encouraging more automobile manufacturers to develop affordable electric cars.
Of course, these are just some of the most well-known names of history; even today there are many heroes of engineering simply going about their day-to-day jobs. Some will be recognised in their lifetime – the upcoming New Year’s Honours list is likely to recognise a few individuals for their services to engineering – but others may not. We would like to take this opportunity to recognise every engineer for their hard work at developing the world of the future.
As spring manufacturers, we believe that all the innovations mentioned in this article have had a profound effect on the engineering industry and even general everyday life. Here at European Springs, we are keen to continue to build on these fantastic innovations and provide our customers with the very best products and services possible.
The field of medical prosthetics has advanced in leaps and bounds. Progress in engineering and manufacturing has allowed artificial limbs and joints to change the lives of millions of people around the world, but we’re still not done.
Manufacturers of medical prosthetics continue to push boundaries, creating limbs that are not just better, but that combine aesthetics with functionality; the advanced prosthetics we see today contain small components, such as springs, that allow them to act almost like a natural limb.
Below, we take a look at medical prosthetics and how springs can facilitate the development of ground-breaking technology in the industry.
A Brief History of Prosthetics
Prosthetic technology has been around for millennia; prosthetics date back to around 3,000 years ago in Egypt, where archaeologists discovered a carved wooden toe with a piece of leather that could be fitted onto a foot. One of the earliest mentions of a prosthetic comes from Herodotus, a Greek historian who told the story of a man who cut off his foot to escape his Spartan captors and had it replaced with a wooden limb.
In the 16th century, Ambroise Paré, an innovative French battlefield surgeon, created the first functional mechanical limb, which was a hand with flexible fingers that worked by catches and springs. The 19th century saw the creation of articulated prosthetic limbs. While prosthetic limbs have existed for a long time, they rose in popularity in the UK after World War I, after approximately 41,000 British soldiers needed amputations.
As technology improved, prosthetics became increasingly sophisticated with the employment of innovative materials and state-of-the-art technology.
The Technology of Today (and What to Expect in the Future)
According to Which-50: “11 million children and adults globally face a life without a hand, arm, foot, or leg due to war, diabetes, cancer and trauma.” It’s therefore more important than ever to carry on research that is fundamental to the advancement of prosthetic technology.
So far, this research has led to significant progress. Businesses like Next Step Bionics & Prosthetics provide the most progressive technology in the industry by working directly with manufacturers. The company offers products such as the BiOM Ankle System from iWalk, a prosthetic designed to improve mobility via propulsion technology while reducing stress on the body.
3D-printed prosthetics are also becoming more common. They’re not as cost-prohibitive as other high-end prosthetics, making them sustainable and easy to tailor to different individuals. They’re also heavily used in developing countries where most citizens can’t afford expensive medical prosthetics. LimbForge have been creating and printing 3D models of arms, elbows, forearms, wrists and hands from a plastic material which can be easily adapted to the wearer.
UK-based company Open Bionics are also creating 3D-printed limbs for the NHS which can allow amputees to write, walk and shake hands again. Not only are they aesthetically desirable, but they’re also cost-effective.
The brain will be key to developing even more complex prosthetics that increasingly resemble natural limbs. Cathy Hutchinson, a quadriplegic 58-year-old woman, was able to lift a bottle to her mouth to drink after researchers at Brown University connected a robotic arm to Hutchinson’s neural network. In 2012, Zac Vawter climbed up the 103 floors of the Willis Tower in Chicago by walking up the stairs while wearing a prosthetic leg connected to his brain.
While myoelectric limbs, which convert muscle movements to electric signals, have become a lot more common in the past few years, thought-controlled prosthetics may very well be the future of medical prosthetics. They’re capable of offering the closest approximation to natural limbs, especially in regard to functionality.
Prosthetics are not just limited to limbs, however. Researchers have already been able to replace certain organs in the body with artificial ones, like the pancreas. This has the possibility to become a widespread treatment for type 1 diabetes (or even the prominent method) after a successful trial where 29 patients were given an artificial pancreas.
Springs and Prosthetics
Springs have always played an important role in the functionality of prosthetics, and not just recently. In fact, even during the Middle Ages, it was possible to find tradesmen capable of crafting prosthetics with gears and springs to improve the functionality of the limbs.
Modern body-powered prosthetics, such as artificial arms, use cables and harnesses that react to muscle movements. A type of body-powered prosthetic system called ‘voluntary opening’ relies on elastic bands or springs for gripping force.
Prosthetics have changed immensely from uncomfortable wooden limbs to high-tech prosthetics that are capable of moving like natural limbs through implants in the brain. With new advancements made in the field of prosthetics and bionics, it’s not that far-fetched to believe that we’re moving towards the bionic human.
As custom spring manufacturers, we know just how crucial it is to have the right component for a product, including artificial limbs. Talk to us if you require springs that need to be tailor-made for your project.
