Author: European Springs Web Team

If there is a love and hate phase in any design process in engineering, that is, for sure, the moment when the prototype has to be tested. No matter how wonderful the ideas to solve a particular problem are, the final product has to be actually useful in the real world. Testing the prototype is the moment where all engineers – no matter if they are beginners or if they already have an extensive career – are ready to learn from their mistakes. But without this, machines as fascinating as the 3D printer and the NiLiBoRo robot wouldn’t exist!

 

1. Real People

Chances are that your final product will be used by those who don’t necessarily have such an insight on the particularities of this item as you do. That is why you need to test the prototype with real people – and not colleagues. In this way, you’ll be sure they find it useful.

You may be wondering what kind of people you need – age, gender, geography – but nothing is as important as bringing participants who are knowledgeable of the domain or industry you are working with, as they are the potential audience for the final product.

2. Different tests for different results

What do you want to discover about your prototype? To make sure that not a single second is wasted during this phase, you have to design a set of instructions you will deliver to the people testing the prototype, so they do exactly what you need to see if the product has accomplished all that was designed for.

Direct

Direct tests are those in which you tell your participants the exact action they need to perform. They must do what they are told.

Scenario

In a scenario test you allow people more freedom. You just provide them with general guidelines and then they can use the prototype as they think it is best.

Closed

Closed tasks are those in which success can just be reached under specific conditions and anything else will result in failure. They are ideal if you want to test a specific function of your prototype.

Open-Ended

These are tasks that can be completed in many different ways. They are good if you want to know how the minds of your potential users work.

3. Be Aware of Any Regulation

This phase is also the point to make sure that the product you are creating can exist according to the relevant regulations and legislations, such as the British standards. This will assure that the item that will be manufactured in the future is completely safe.

 

4. Communicate with Your Clients

The participants who have been testing your prototype may be happy with it, you may be happy with it, but what about the clients you are creating this for? It is very important that you also invite them to see the prototype and listen to their impressions. If they are not pleased with the design or any of the functions, you are still at a stage when these things can be easily amended.

In most cases, it doesn’t mean that your product is wrong; sometimes clients change their minds on very specific aspects. Communication is the key to make sure everyone is happy with the final outcome.

 

Here at European Springs Ireland we are experts on designing the best springs and pressings. Check out our catalogue and don’t hesitate in contacting our friendly team with any enquiry, we’ll be delighted to help!

 

 

It might be the largest planet of our solar system, but since the past 5th of July we can pride ourselves on having conquered it. After a five-year-long journey – in which it has covered no less than 1.7 billion miles – the probe Juno is finally orbiting around Jupiter.

 

What is Juno?

This spacecraft is part of the NASA New Frontier Mission and was launched on the 5th of August, 2011, from Cape Canaveral. Unlike other spacecrafts used in missions in the outer solar system, Juno is not powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators but solar arrays. These are more common in satellites orbiting the Earth. Nevertheless, in the case of Juno, its three solar array wings are the largest ever developed in a planetary probe and help it to stabilise and generate power.

 

Juno Operational Components

1. Propulsion

Juno uses hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide for propulsion, providing a thrust of 645 newtons. The vehicle’s orientation is controlled by a monopropellant reaction control system.

2. Telecommunications

Back on Earth, scientists communicate with the spacecraft using a 230ft antenna that utilises an X band direct link. This system is also being used by Juno to send photographs from Jupiter – such as the beautiful ones in which we can see the planet dancing with its four moons.

3. Solar Panels

Juno has only three, symmetrically arranged. Two of them have four hinged segments, and the third one has three segments and a magnetometer. Each panel is 8.9ft by 29ft long, which makes them the largest ones ever used by NASA on a deep-space probe.

Off

 

Juno’s Travel

1. August 2011

Juno was launched from Earth and placed in a heliocentric orbit.

2. October 2013

After travelling for two years, Juno passed by the Earth again, using the planet’s gravity to propel itself – this manoeuvre has been called a ‘gravitational slingshot’. The spacecraft received a boost in speed of more than 8,800 miles per hour before heading towards Jupiter. But before that, scientists in Earth took advantage of this fly-by and tested some instruments and procedures with Juno.

3. July 2016

When Juno reached Jupiter’s orbit, its trajectory changed from hyperbolic to elliptical. Thanks to this, the spacecraft will be closer to Jupiter than any other machine of its kind before. Besides, it minimises the contact with Jupiter’s dense radiation belts that, potentially, can damage the spacecraft and its solar panels.

4. October 2016

Juno will be orbiting around Jupiter gathering as much information as it can about the planet and its surroundings.

5. February 2018

It is scheduled to disintegrate into Jupiter’s atmosphere. When this happens, it will burn out and disappear very quickly. This has been done so the spacecraft doesn’t collide with any of Jupiter’s moons by accident. This will also reduce the risk of space debris and contamination according with NASA’s Planetary Protection Guidelines.

 

What Mysteries Will Juno Be Able to Explain?

1. Solid Core

Scientists from all over the world keep arguing about the nature of the gigantic planet’s core. Some of them believe it is solid; others that gases present in the atmosphere go all the way down.

2. Sea of Liquid Metallic Hydrogen

Does this exist? Many people believe so, as it will explain Jupiter’s massive magnetic field and its spectacular auroras.

3. The Great Red Spot

This is giant storm that has been alive for hundreds of years. It works like a hurricane but, as far as we know, these need to feed on the liquid that comes from an ocean – and the existence of such thing seems unlikely in Jupiter’s landscape, which is exclusively formed by gas.

 

Here at European Springs Ireland we believe in the power of technology – starting with the smallest elements, such as springs – to change everyone’s life. Looking for the perfect spring for your project? Don’t hesitate in contacting our expert team today and we’ll be delighted to help.

 

 

 

 

We have previously showcased some of our springs that our CNC machinery allows us to manufacture, including wireforms and bespoke solutions. We have looked at compression, tension, and torsion springs, demonstrating how these are found in everyday life.

We will now cover disc, wave, and gas springs, three other springs we create in order to provide the perfect solution for your project.

Disc Springs

Also known as Belleville washers, disc springs are essentially comprised of conically shaped components. Used for more than 150 years, they allow for ease of stacking with similar springs and for ease of carrying very large loads, due to their very resilient shape.

Vehicular clutches and brake mechanisms make use of disc springs, which can be either linear or regressive in dynamic. Glide washers can be fit to avoid friction, which provides the recognisable curves and diverse column length of disc springs.

Gas Springs

Famous for their astounding form variation, gas springs number over 770 different products in our range, with more than 70 diverse fittings and bespoke options. Our experience in manufacturing these springs spans over 60 years, which allows us to easily determine which gas spring is suitable to your personal requirements.

Comprised of a cylindrical body filled with nitrogen gas, a seal, a piston rod, and a guiding function to provide the compression and extension movements as required, gas springs utilise the pushing force exerted by the nitrogen gas to put pressure on the piston. Commonly utilised for opening and closing car hoods or chairs, for example, they allow for ease of regulated movement.

Wave Springs

Unusual in appearance, wave springs’ unique shape is made through “on edge coiling” or “edgewinding”, allowing for a wave shape inside the flat wire to have spring-like properties. These springs are typically compact but can be designed to specified needs, if the one you require isn’t in our catalogue.

If you require a spring that is 50% smaller in height and length than a round wire spring, then wave springs might be an ideal option. They are perfect for replacing coil springs due to their multi-coil framework and cost effective due to the use of less material in manufacturing.

Through our 3D printing abilities we are able to print a replica of your product to scale, allowing to better determine the spring requirements for your project. For more information about our expert and professional services, you can contact us on 028 9083 8605 to speak to our highly-skilled team. We are always happy to answer any query you might have!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for our news and updates.

Here at European Springs Ireland we pride ourselves in providing high quality products for all of our customers, which is why we ensure that the designs of our springs allow them to be created from many different materials. One example is the project we recently completed with Liberty in London, which allowed us to take on a more creative task – our success with unique projects such as these didn’t stop here, however.

Our location in Beckenham was contacted by James and Taylor Ltd in London (experts in terracotta cladding and façade engineering) to produce a spring mechanism for the new Tate Modern, a gorgeous, world-renowned art gallery – and we couldn’t have been more excited about this!

The Project Itself

The Tate Modern opened its doors on the 17th June 2016, complete with an anti-climb zone to which we contributed our reliable springs. More specifically, the project entailed the manufacturing of retaining clips for holding face plates onto corbels on the building. This anti-climb area covers approximately the first 15 metres up around the base of the Tate Modern, and James and Taylor were in charge of completing this project.

 

Where Did We Come In?

We were previously approached by James and Taylor in 2013, when we designed, developed and sampled a design for the fixing clips. Due to the fact that the scaffolding in the building was set to come down sooner than expected, the client came back to us this year saying that we only had ten days to finish the spring mechanism.

As Stuart McSheehy, Managing Director of European Springs, said, ‘this really was a race against the clock as the scaffolding on the Tate Modern was being removed and James and Taylor’s anti-climb installation had to be implemented within days.’ And this is exactly what we did.

It wasn’t a straightforward task, though. We had to modify the design slightly from the original sample and, once that was done, we got the news that our material suppliers didn’t have the necessary resources ready to deal with a project like this – but they worked overtime and managed to provide everything we needed! Then, we laser-cut the blanks for the spring clips and tested them, and the final product was a two-part mechanism with a top and bottom spring.

Because this was so urgent, John Champion, Design Director at James and Taylor, came personally on Saturday morning to collect the 650 springs for the project. He was really happy with our work which, in turn, made us happy as well!

In his own words, ‘Stuart and his team could not have been more dedicated to delivering our brief. We appreciated it was a really tight turnaround but they were fearless and achieved the near impossible – securing high numbers of an exceptional quality of products and in a matter of days too.’

 

We love it when our clients are satisfied with our work, as we take great pride in manufacturing the best possible springs and wire forms out there. Assignments like this only add to our knowledge and experience, and allow us to learn more each day, so we relish the opportunity to be involved in these one-of-a-kind projects!

European Springs Ireland understands the need to have the highest quality springs and wire forms at all times, no matter the requirements of your project. For this reason, we strive to provide all of our customers with quality services and products they can trust and benefit from. These products can be used in a large range of situations, as they’re incredibly versatile, and are created from many different materials as well.

We work together with clients from different sectors and industries, such as the automobile and engineering – one of our most recent projects, however, involved our English office and the luxury retailer Liberty in London, a project unlike any other. This was a fantastic endeavour that baptised us into the world of retail, an experience we thoroughly enjoyed and can’t wait to do again.

Our location in Redruth partnered with Liberty to create a stunning window display and bespoke frames used in their shop. For this, European Springs made sure to provide high quality, specially made springs and wire forms that could meet the client’s needs – in this case, 80 springs were used to put on an amazing window display!

Compression Springs

While compression springs are typically used in mechanical engineering projects that require parts in movement – and which can benefit from the springs’ ability to be compressed and expanded without becoming damaged – Liberty’s request was the complete opposite. The unique shape of these types of springs makes them versatile and capable of being used a thousand different ways, which was why we chose them.

The client needed springs that could be functional and decorative at the same time, and couldn’t be happier about the final product – which, in turn, makes us happy as well! Our reliable, two-metre springs were used to display the client’s products, such as shoes, sunglasses and luxury purses, and provided the chic and modern look Liberty is known for. Doing the brand justice was one of our main goals, and we felt the springs really emphasised Liberty’s luxury and style to perfection.

Wire Forms

At European Springs we’re also known for our superior wire forms. To meet the client’s requirements, we created several frames that formed the chandeliers in their haberdashery section and ensured they could be functional and stylish at the same time, just as with the springs. The high end store was capable of showcasing their yarn and strings in the light fixtures, a contemporary design that perfectly matched the retailer’s design.

While springs, wire forms and retail might not seem compatible at first glance, turns out they’re a match made in heaven! Our partnership with Liberty has clearly proven that springs can be used for pretty much anything you wish, and that our focus on quality is the key to do it. By adding the perfect finish to our products, we make sure they look good while being practical and useful at the same time.

At European Springs Ireland we’re proud that our office in Redruth was chosen to be part of this creative project. We believe that new ventures are not just exciting but also allow us to deepen our knowledge: we can use our experience to help our clients achieve the results they’re looking for, and in return we also grow and learn from them!

If you’d like to learn more about our products and services, or would like to engage us for your own exciting project, don’t hesitate to contact us today on 0044 7889171165 and discuss your needs with us.

You wake up in the morning. It’s still very early and you don’t feel much sympathy for the singing sparrows beside your window. You take a shower, have a nutritious breakfast if time allows you to – if not, you just grab a slice toast and a coffee in your thermal mug. You run to your car… And sit inside, sipping your coffee and watching the latest episode of your favourite drama series whilst the car drives itself to your job.

Commuting turned into spare time… sounds like a dream? In that case, you’ll be happy to know that self-driving cars are not a fantasy from science fiction movies anymore but something very real. In fact, Google has decided it will open a self-driving car engineering centre in Michigan.

Selfdriving car with navigation sensor and satellite vector illustration

How Does a Self-Driving Car Work?

You might be wondering how it’s possible that  a self-driving car knows where to go and, at the same time, can avoid unexpected obstacles. Well, this is doable thanks to the Velodyne 64-beam laser that allows it to generate a detailed 3D map of its environment. The software in the car compares this information to its own high-resolution maps, producing the data that allows it to drive itself.

In this way, the car will be able to detect the colour of the traffic lights and also react if there are any unexpected obstacles in the middle of the road.

What Are its Advantages?

Perhaps you love driving, and you indulge in it as a hobby and a way to relax and forget the tensions of the day whilst you listen to your favourite band. But if you’re one of these people who just sees their car as an appliance – and get stressed whenever they have to drive somewhere – you will already be counting the days until you’re able to purchase your own self-driving car.

1. The End of Selfish Driving

It has been proved that traffic jams are a direct consequence of selfishness. If drivers allowed at least three to four car lengths of space between the car that is in front of them, traffic would flow smoothly – regardless of the quantity of cars on the road. But because people are anxious to arrive at their destination on time, they tend to drive very tightly together – which ultimately causes traffic congestion. Self-driving cars can be programmed to space out automatically, though, so this problem will be solved.

2. Protecting the Earth… and Your Pocket.

In an age when everyone is concerned about preserving the environment, a decrease in the use of fuel would be ideal to protect the natural resources of the planet – and your finances. A self-driving car can literally anticipate if the car in front of it is going to brake, and, ideally, this will allow all the cars following to brake simultaneously, too. This will protect the car’s engine and save fuel.

Fuel Pump

3. Cars Will Be for Everyone 

If you are blind or suffer from a disability, you might not be able to enjoy the benefits of having your own vehicle to travel whenever you need to go the healthcare centre, the mall or to visit your children living down south. Driving is also not accessible for children or elderly people. A programmed self-driving car, though, can pick up people and bring them to specified destinations. This will indeed bring freedom and better quality of life to many.

3D Printing Technology Car

Technology is evolving constantly, but here at European Springs Ireland we don’t want to be left behind. That is why our assorted catalogue of products is always being updated to make sure that every time you come to us you find exactly what your project needs. Contact our expert team today and we’ll be delighted to help. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep updated with the latest news.

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