Author: European Springs Web Team

With the rising popularity of robots and robotic engineering, the UK is set to hold their first ever Robotics Week in mid 2016, aiming to attract and inspire the next generation of engineers to get involved through a series of events and competitions.

As avid fans of the engineering industry, we’ve decided to take a look at what the introduction of this robotic-themed week means for engineering, and find out how they are aiming to target the young people of today.

The Future of Robotics

We’ve already started to see the demand for more robotic technology and it is expected that that demand will rise even further by the year 2020, with predictions of the service and industrial robot markets reaching $49.5 billion in just 5 years time.

Many industries are expected to start relying on their robotic counterparts to carry out complex tasks in a shorter amount of time, making their industries much more productive, as well as helping to produce more innovative inventions and designs.

The Inaugural Robotics Week

The creation of this celebratory week of robotics has been backed by some of the largest names in science and engineering.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers have all pledged backing of the event, hoping that more young people are inspired and compelled to take up a career in such a competitive yet satisfying industry.

Professor Dame Ann Dowling, the president of the Royal Academy of Engineering has stated that “The UK needs to recruit over a million engineers over the next decade to deliver the technology solutions that will drive economic growth and transform our quality of life”

“The launch of an annual UK Robotics Week is an exciting way of broadening public engagement in the beneficial impact of robotics for the future of the UK.”

Getting Young People Involved

The backers are encouraging schools all over the UK to get involved with their main events- the School Robot Challenge in which children aged from 4-17 will be able to submit artwork and essays which are based upon bio-inspired robots, and will also have the chance to design and build their very own bug robots using 3D printing and robot kits.

There will also be other events happening throughout the UK, with showcases and events where experts and competition finalists can present their robotic projects to the world.

The Robotics Week project is expected to become an annual event, getting more people involved in science, technology, engineering and maths related industries to help build the inevitable, technology-filled future of the UK.

The event is scheduled for the 25^th of June to the 1^st of July 2016, and we can’t wait to see some of the fantastic engineering feats that have been accomplished by some of the most talented individuals in the UK.

For all you gifted engineers out there who are looking for high quality springs for your projects, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at European Springs Ireland. From compression springs to constant force springs we are sure that we will have a solution for you.

Contact our team today by calling 028 9083 8605 today and we will be delighted to help you find the perfect product for your needs. Remember to follow us on our Facebook, Twitter and Google+ pages to keep up to date with all the goings on here at European Springs Ireland!

There has been a lot of talk about robots in the last few years, and although many people are fearing that iRobot is a projection of our robot-dominated future, there are robots have been designed to aid humans with their jobs.

One recent example that has caught our eye is the NiLiBoRo (Non-Linear Drilling Robot) which has been created to aid surgeons in the removal of inner ear tumours. As you may have already guessed, this procedure is incredibly delicate, requiring a huge amount of precision to remove the mastoid bone from the ear.

So, how can this robot increase the control and precision of those surgeons who need to perform this delicate surgery?

Flexibility Is Key

The more science savvy of you out there may already know that there are already drills which are capable of drilling through bone that exist. Surely that’s not what makes this worm-like robot special, right?

The beauty of the NiLiBoRo – yes we know it sounds like something that you would hear the Judoon from Doctor Who say– is that it is incredibly flexible and it is the first robotic drill that can not only drill through bone straight on, but drill into bone around corners as well.

How Does It Work?

According to the German researchers who have designed the surgical robot, the drill cuts a 5mm tunnel through the bone using a system which propels the robot gently through the ear.

The drilling and precision is monitored closely by an electromagnetic system which tracks the precise movements and functions that the drill if performing, while the direction is controlled by the surgeon who will adjust the direction through filling bladders with fluid which are located at the front of the robot.

 

Lennart Kastensen, one of the scientists who are working on the project describes this control as “For instance, if we wanted to move left then we fill the left bladder with less fluid than the right, which will cause the robot to veer to the left,”

The Future of Ear Surgery?

Although an actual size robot hasn’t been created yet, the team has produced a prototype of the NiLiBoRo which is five times the size of the proposed robot.

This has enabled them to iron out any potential problems before miniaturising the final robot.

As always, we are always interested in learning how engineering is aiding other crucial occupations such as surgeons and other medical professions. The more help these talented people can get, the more people that they will be able to save when performing tricky and delicate operations.

Like many mechanical objects, compression springs are one of the integral parts of an objects design, and we just so happen to have them available here at European Springs Ireland. If you would like to find out more about how our springs can benefit you, contact our team today on 028 9083 8605.

Keep up to date with all our news over on Facebook, Twitter and Google+!

You’ll no doubt be aware that today is Origami Day…
No? Well, it is! While we may be involved in the manufacturing of high quality products, from our constant force springs to our wire forms, we like to pay respect to other engineering marvels throughout the ages. To celebrate Origami Day we felt it apt to address the influence of origami on engineering, looking at its implication on space technology.

The Influence of Origami on Space Technology

Origami has become inspirational for the mechanical engineers at Brigham Young University who have been considering the implications of origami-like structures for use in space. Teaming up with an origami expert, BYU are looking at taking their partnership with NASA to the next level in an attempt to address some issues which can impact and limit space exploration. The issue in question is the ability to send larger structures into space.

A team of mechanical students have been working with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to design a solar array which can be compacted down during launch to be later released and deployed once the craft reaches its destination. Here these solar panels can enable the generation of energy for the station. As you can imagine, a larger solar panel means a greater amount of energy, so through utilising origami they can begin to make the most of the sunlight available to them and power the station much more effectively.

The Story Unfolds

Through the use of rigid silicon, they can utilise the paper origami principles to create solid, working solar panels. As you can imagine it is essential that the material is considerably thicker than paper as paper wouldn’t last very long! However, the financial and practical implication of getting a larger structure in space becomes much more difficult; so through utilising these origami principles they can expand the solar panels to 10 times the size at which they are originally transported.

As such you can imagine we are quite excited by the potential of implementing such origami-influences on space exploration; it can only take it further. So watch this *ahem* space.

Next time you see someone creating a paper crane or a flower with origami, you can truly appreciate just how far this art form has come. Origami is very similar to springs in that they have influence on the most basic of objects – such as a slinky – to helping out with, well… space travel!

So if you find your project is in need of the influence of one of our high quality and versatile springs, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our team of engineering professionals are always available to put a spring in your project’s step, so contact us on +447889171165!

Back in September, we were invited to attend one of the biggest agricultural events in the world. The National Ploughing Championships were being held in Ratheniska, Stradbally in County Laois and naturally, we went along to see how we could help the participants with our springs, pressings and wire form products- after all, we are one of the leading spring manufacturers in Ireland!

So, what is the National Ploughing Championship all about?

One of the Largest Agricultural Events Worldwide

According to the National Ploughing Association (yes, that is a thing!) the National Ploughing Championships is one of the most popular agricultural exhibitions worldwide; attracting crowds of nearly 300,000 visitors over the 3 day event and hosts around 1,500 exhibitors like ourselves who have strong links with the agricultural community and provide essential parts and products to them.

This year, the visitors to the championships parted with €36.5 million during the 3 day event, with trade related purchases making over €9.6 million.

Our Exhibition Stand

Now that you have some idea of the scale of this event, you can see why we were excited to  participate in this incredibly popular experience.

On our stand, we displayed a range of springs, pressings and wire form products that we have on offer which can benefit the agricultural community and equipment manufacturers. This gave us the opportunity to show off our expertise to some of the biggest agricultural machine manufacturers in the world, many of whom require springs within their products!

It also allowed us to catch up with some of our existing customers who have dealt with us before. It’s always a great feeling to see customers who are happy with the product that you have supplied to them, especially those who attend such a prestigious event.

We were extremely happy with the popularity of our stand, with a variety of people coming over to see what we had to offer and discuss our products with us.

A Great Opportunity for Networking

Because there were so many customers and businesses in one area, all of whom were interested in farming and agriculture, it made sense to take the opportunity to network with other people and really ramp up the interest in what we do here at European Springs Ireland.

This definitely paid off and we have made hundreds of new contacts, simply by talking to people and discussing how we can help. Networking is a great way to get people interested, and it’s definitely paying off!

We really enjoyed our time at the National Ploughing Championships and learning even more about the agricultural industry! This experience has allowed us to reach a wider range of people to show off what we do best; springs, pressings and wire form products!

If you would like to take advantage of our vast knowledge and need help finding the perfect pressing, spring or wire form for you, don’t hesitate to contact us on 028 9083 8605 and a member of our friendly team will be happy to help you.

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