28/01/2020
When choosing a spring for your industrial application, one of the major considerations is the material, as this will determine the spring’s suitability for the environment it is working in. Choose the wrong one and you could be facing a costly redesign or repair job down the line. Justin Lawrence, applications engineer at fastening and fixing supplier TFC, explains the suitability of different alloys for specific environments.
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27/01/2020
Recent research predicts that the mining automation market will be worth $3.29bn by 2023 — a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.7 per cent since 2017. While automation greatly enhances productivity, it also places additional demands on steel components. Ben Smye, head of growth at materials search engine Matmatch, examines why wear resistant steels are vital to modern, enhanced production.
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24/01/2020
Plasma surface treatment is suitable for a range of applications on glass. Cold atmospheric plasma enables ultrafine cleaning, to remove contaminants and dust. By promoting wettability and adhesion, plasma is also suitable for preparing glass for digital printing. Here Peter Swanson, managing director of adhesives specialist Intertronics, shares three successful applications of plasma surface treatment for glass.
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02/01/2020
To say that the Cybertruck is different is an understatement. Since its launch, people have talked about its high towing and payload capability, longer driving range, increased battery capacity and reasonably tiered pricing. However, most of the discussion pertains to Tesla’s bold aesthetic design. Here, Ben Smye, head of growth at materials search engine Matmatch, examines the influence of material selection in the design and aesthetic of the vehicle.
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21/10/2019
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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandated in 2012 that the national automobile fleet should average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 in order to reduce reliance on fossil fuel and minimise emissions, many other nations have also implemented similar new standards. To meet these new standards the automotive industry has had to find new ways to make lighter cars without sacrificing their strength and structural integrity.
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03/09/2019
New research claims that, in the race against climate change, the renewable energy industry must embrace the circular economy. Failure to do so will result in a shortage of the rare materials used to create solar panels and wind turbines, as well as electric cars and consumer electronics. Here, Matthew Stone, commercialisation director at organic polymer solar cell producer NextGen Nano, explains how energy companies can overcome this obstacle.
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02/09/2019
The power of human relationships that create interpersonal bonds, whether in a family, friends or business setting, is more important than ever in an increasingly unstable and unpredictable world. Here, Melissa Albeck, CEO of online materials supplier platform Matmatch, explores the critical nature of the supplier-engineer bond.
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17/06/2019
It’s unlikely that any design engineer would knowingly develop a product that was unfit for purpose or unable to last. But without close attention to materials selection, this can be the fate of many products due to mechanical stress and natural creep. Here, Richard Huber, materials scientist at materials comparison site Matmatch explains the impact of mechanical stress on commonly used materials.
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27/02/2019
The first man-made plastic Parkesine was patented in 1856 by Alexander Parkes and many other plastics have since been developed. Today, these materials are a mainstay for many manufacturers. However, despite their favourable physical properties, some present challenges in bonding well with adhesives. Here, Peter Swanson, managing director of adhesives specialist Intertronics, explains why some materials are difficult to bond and how the challenge can be overcome.
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29/03/2018
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognised copper as the world’s leading anti-bacterial metal. This has led to a number of uses and opportunities for copper in medical applications. Here, Melissa Albeck, CEO of materials comparison website Matmatch, explains the benefits of using copper in comparison to other materials on the market.
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20/03/2018
Last month, comic book fans flocked to cinemas as Black Panther hit the screens. Underpinning the film’s plot was fictional metal vibranium, which powered the titular hero’s kingdom of Wakanda. Interestingly, this metal was, in part, inspired by tantalum. So, what of the marvellous metal’s real-life counterpart? Here, Heiko Wildner, refractory metals specialist for materials comparison site Matmatch, examines the value and considerations of using tantalum.
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23/02/2018
A recent study by Plymouth University reported that plastic was found in a third of UK-caught fish, while a second report, by scientists at Ghent University in Belgium, calculated that people who eat seafood ingest up to 11,000 tiny pieces of plastic every year. Here, Miguel Campos, export sales manager at leading European packaging manufacturer, Advanta, explains why manufacturers, particularly in the food sector, must take control of getting the plastic epidemic under control by stopping it at the source.
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02/10/2017
I’ve heard it said many times, if the industrial revolution was about amplifying muscle power, the information revolution is about amplifying brain power. More than that, it is about amplifying computation and dealing with incomprehensible amounts of data and complexity to find fresh insights into our world.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are the modern-day equivalent to the steam engine. The roll out of these two broad technologies will fundamentally change life as we know it. Except, instead of it happening over 150 years like the industrial revolution, it’s predicted to happen in just 20 to 40 years.
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14/09/2017
Buckling Pin Relief Valves (BPRVs) and bursting discs (rupture discs) are used when gas and liquid applications are at risk of becoming over-pressurised in order to relieve pressure. Information from ASME VIII Division I suggests the two are interchangeable — but which is best suited to your application?
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12/09/2017
In pre-recession 2007, I attended a lecture at Imperial College London on Peak Oil. The speaker, an academic with close ties to the oil and gas industry, believed Peak Oil had, in fact, happened. He claimed, it was entirely possible the lights would go out beyond 2012 and that the internal combustion engine would become obsolete almost overnight as the pumps ran dry.
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08/06/2017
There are some clear technology trends rapidly coming to the fore that are set to fundamentally change the way engineers think about design... and they are both being driven by manufacturing systems.
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07/03/2017
Deadlines mean different things to different people. To some, they're rigid; stuck hard and fast with little or no wiggle room. For others, it's simply a moment to reassess progress. Regardless, the general trait is to leave more to the last minute than is comfortable. So, as pressure mounts to deliver, the last push is often the most productive time of a project.
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14/02/2017
UK-based producers of plastic goods would benefit from operating in a more secure and lower-risk raw material supply chain if they switched to locally-based suppliers, thereby lessening the potential of impact of Brexit, claims Keith Freegard, director of Axion Polymers.
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13/12/2016
It’s a year that’s been, well, unexpected. By all accounts 2016 will be remembered as the year the UK voted for Brexit, Trump won the White House and numerous celebrities passed away. So what on Earth can we expect from 2017?
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27/09/2016
Stronger than a diamond yet a million times thinner than a human hair, the properties of graphene are astounding. The market for this material may still be in its infancy, but graphene is already being hailed as one of the most disruptive technologies of our time. For the composite market, there is no doubt that using graphene could open up a host of new possibilities. Here, John Cove, marketing manager of test and measurement specialist, Starrett, discusses the impact this new technology will have on product design and manufacturing.
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30/08/2016
Biopolymers, as discussed before on the pages of Engineering Materials, are a bit of a confusing topic. Everyone from the engineers looking to specify them to the general public that will consume them, feels a bit baffled about what they actually are and what they offer. For plastics, using the word ‘bio’ is akin to those in the electronics industry adding ‘i’ in front of the name. It can be... misleading.
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06/06/2016
The use of composites throughout industry has been on an upward and expanding path this last decade. It was kicked off, at least in a major way, by Boeing when it announced the Dreamliner all the way back in December 2003.
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15/03/2016
Our search is now on for this year's industry stars. The entry process for the British Engineering Excellence Awards is now underway and open to any company or individual who are carrying out engineering design in the UK.
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08/03/2016
Batten down the hatches and tie them tight. There is a storm coming and it’s going to hit everyone. It’s a political storm of course, so expect copious mudslinging from all sides.
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16/02/2016
Did you know there is such a thing as the VW Golf syndrome? It's not those that simply love the car, but rather more of a condition that most engineers and designers suffer from at some point in their careers.
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