European Springs Web Team, Author at European Springs Ireland

Space has been involved in many different experiments over the years. From space travel to exploring new galaxies and discovering new information about our solar system and beyond, it’s had quite an influence on some of the most established research ever undertaken.

Our work with space is far from done, however. A new study by the Scottish distillery Ardbeg has decided to use space as their new testing ground to find out how differently whiskey can taste when subjected to microgravity.

How Distillery Works

Before we delve into the study’s findings, we thought it might be a good idea to give you an idea of the distillery process that a whiskey goes through.

Whiskey is a clear, colourless liquid when it is freshly distilled with an extremely harsh taste. Its colouring and other flavours come from the maturing process in which it is stored in barrels which have held other alcoholic drinks; the wood of the barrel has been soaked with various flavours previously.

Some of the taste can come from the wood itself, which is where the oaky and charred undertones are derived from.

Space Whiskey

Ardbeg decided to send some of their whiskey into space to test the effects of microgravity on the molecules which affect the flavouring of whiskey and other foods known as terpenes.

The samples of freshly distilled whiskey were left to mature in a tube which contained shavings from the interior of a bourbon barrel and left to mature for 971 days- a period which is a lot shorter than normal whiskey is left to mature for.

The samples were compared to a controlled sample which was left at the distillery which were stored in the same tubes with the same shavings. Both samples were then analysed by gas chromatography, mass spectroscopy and taste.

The Results

In order to give an accurate representation of taste, Ardbeg used their own expert samplers who reported major differences in taste between the samples.

The controlled sample was said to have:

A woody aroma which was familiar to the aged Arberg style
Hints of cedar
Hints of sweet smoke
Balsamic vinegar
Raisins
Treacle toffee
Vanilla
Burnt oranges.

The expert tasters also noted that “its woody, balsamic flavours shone through, along with a distant fruitiness, some charcoal and antiseptic notes, leading to a long, lingering aftertaste, with flavours of gentle smoke, tar and creamy fudge.”

In comparison, the space sample was said to have the following taste:

Antiseptic smoke
Rubber
Smoked fish
A perfumed taste, much like violet or cassis
Powerful woody tones
A meaty aroma.

The taster commented that “The taste was very focused, with smoked fruits such as prunes, raisins, sugared plums and cherries, earthy peat smoke, peppermint, aniseed, cinnamon and smoked bacon or hickory-smoked ham. The aftertaste is intense and long, with hints of wood, antiseptic lozenges and rubbery smoke”

According to Ardbeg’s director of distilling has put this huge difference in taste down to different extraction of compounds from the wood.

We think we’re going to give space matured whiskey a miss for now, but we hope that the results have paved a path for new research into new flavours of not just whiskey, but food and drink in general.

We don’t supply space matured whiskey here at European Springs Ireland, but we do provide durable spring solutions for a wide range of applications. As leading gas spring manufacturers we know a thing or two about springs, so if you would like to find out more information, contact our team today by calling 028 9083 8605

We’ve got another animal to add to our list of engineering inspirations and in this time, it comes in the form of the adorable (or terrifying, depending on your stance on furry, flying mammals) bat!

Researchers at the University of Strathclyde have developed a new sensor that uses ultrasonic frequencies to detect cracks in important structures, such as gas and oil pipelines, aircraft engines and nuclear plants.

The Transducer and It’s Natural Inspired

The new device, which is called a transducer, mimics the hearing system which is found in bats, as well as dolphins, moths and cockroaches.

It has an extremely flexible structured based on fractals; irregular shapes which repeatedly occur to form a shape which looks inherently more complex than they actually are. This concept can be found in objects such as snowflakes, cauliflowers and ferns.

So Why is the Transducer Unique?

Most man-made transducers are created using regular geometry similar to that of a chess board in its make-up, which restricts its ability to use detect these cracks in structures which perform an extremely important job, and which pose a major safety risk if they are damaged or broken.

This is why the new transducer is such a breakthrough. The technology which is implemented can detect flaws and cracks at a very early stage, which reduces the risk of people being put in harm’s way when flaws and damage aren’t detected.

The use of varying ultrasonic frequencies not only increases the safety of these structures, but it also saves companies time and money when it comes to carrying out time consuming, essential inspections.

The fact that the transducer developed by the University of Strathclyde can detect these weaknesses a lot earlier than most other transducers means that they can be dealt with quicker, requiring less frequent inspections which may disrupt the service that a company may provide; something which some industries are expressing the need for.

Where Do Bats Come In?

Bats use a high frequency system which is known as echolocation. In essence, it works in a similar way to how sonar works; bouncing frequencies off objects to find out where and what they are.

Bats use this when they are flying to create a sonic image of their surroundings, as well as locate prey. They are able to tell how big an object is, and how far away it is, simply by emitting a high pitched frequency which bounces back to them.

These frequencies are often too high for the human ear to hear, and each species has a different frequency which they emit. As we have mentioned before, this is also seen elsewhere in the animal kingdom with another well known echolocation user; the dolphin.

This system is what inspired engineers and researchers to create a transducer which uses these sonic waves to create an image of a structure, allowing the user to see exactly where damage has occurred without having to put themselves in danger to check by themselves.

Here at European Springs Ireland, we love how much nature is inspiring some of the most unique and useful items created by engineers and researchers. After all, Mother Nature is probably one of the most successful engineers, it’s just up to us to research and replicate some of the fantastic engineering masterpieces that have been found in nature.

From compression springs to armour inspired by a fish, who knows what nature is going to inspire next; all we can say is… we can’t wait to find out! If you want to find out more about our nature-inspired spring designs, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team by calling 028 9083 8605 today.

In the past, we’ve talked about some pretty strange animals inspiring engineers all over the world; from the cartwheeling spiders to the intriguing seahorses and their amazing tails inspiring the future of our robots, you can’t deny that our planet has some pretty interesting creatures.

This time, we’re going to delve into a story that caught our eyes and had us hooked from the start; can the boxfish help us engineer a more effective type of body armour and what can we learn from them to adapt our electronics and robots even further?

With such an intriguing concept, let’s take a closer look at these impressive fish and what scientists and engineers have learnt from them.

Hexagonal Scales…or Scutes

Unlike a lot of other animals, it has been discovered that the boxfish has an outer shell made from hexagonal scales (or scutes as they are also known) which are connected to each other using a similar method to that of a baby’s head; the bones will fuse together as the baby grows.

This unique suture method uses zig-zag patterns which lock into each other when an impact hits the shell, stopping the shell from breaking apart and protecting the fish.

Every single scute on the fish’s body has a star shaped structure in the middle, distributing any pressure across the entire surface of the scale.

This structure is not something that we have seen before; most structures found in nature are of a triangular nature, rather than hexagonal and the teeth are rigid, thin and long compared to the boxfish’s smaller, wider locking teeth.

Impenetrable Armour?

The research that has been carried our has been part-funded by the U.S Air Force to find out how this tough shell can aid with the design of better body armour solutions to better the protection against impact.

These fish have survived for over 35 milliion years in the ocean, so we know that the design has proved to be very successful. The boxfish has been known to dwell at around 50 to 100 metres under the oceans where it will regularly come across larger, more aggressive predators, so it’s proof that the shell is doing a fantastic job of protecting the fish.

Scientists have even tried to pull apart the armoured shell, both horizontally and vertically to find any weaknesses. All this achieved was a crack in the outer layer of the shell, which allowed the researchers to discover a complex layer of interlocked collagen fibres in the inner layer of the structure for added penetration protection. This added collagen layer is thought to be what keeps the boxfish from falling apart if a predator did manage to penetrate the outer shell.

It’s not completely impenetrable, but it would take quite a lot to take down this sturdy sea creature.

Are We In For A Fishy Future?

The researchers looking into this study are hopeful that by analysing the structure of the boxfish’s shell, we will be able to apply the same principles to a wide variety of applications, including applying them to our electronics to make them more flexible, and looking into how they can be used to create safer body armour.

During the research, engineering principles were used to try and understand the design and find out why the shell was so strong, despite using a different scale pattern than the standard overlapping scales of most other fish.

Once more, the natural world hasn’t failed to amaze us. If it weren’t for the fantastic natural engineering that has been discovered in nature which inspired the engineering of a spring, we might not be one of the leading spring manufacturers today!

Intrigued about how we work here at European Springs Ireland? Simply contact our dedicated team today by calling 028 9083 8605 and we will be more than happy to help you.

These days, most of us don’t think twice about the towering buildings that fill our cities’ skylines; most skyscrapers barely get a second glance, and we don’t give a second thought to stepping into an elevator and travelling dozens of stories upwards. However, it wasn’t always that way.

Until the 19^th century, it was rare to find a building over six stories high. They simply weren’t practical; water pressure made it difficult to bring running water above 50m from ground level, and the sheer number of stairs made it impractical for tenants. Interestingly, this meant that higher floors were usually the domain of the poor – if you had money, you had no time for stairs – unlike today’s penthouse culture!

The Development of Skyscrapers

So what changed? There are a number of factors, but essentially it all comes down to space in the cities becoming increasingly scarce and technology advancing to make higher buildings more practical.

One invention which contributed greatly was the safety elevator. Although lifts had been in use for some time, they were largely used for hauling goods rather than people, because safety was a serious concern. If the rope broke, there was nothing stopping the car from falling to the ground. In 1852, Elisha Otis invented a safety mechanism using a wagon spring meshing with a ratchet. If the rope broke, the spring would catch and hold the car. He dramatically demonstrated its effectiveness in 1854 at the Crystal Palace exhibition in New York, ascending in an open-sided car and having the hoisting rope cut with an axe halfway up!

Next, architectural advancements allowed for the stable construction of ever-taller buildings, using steel frames to reinforce the concrete structures. The Home Insurance Building in Chicago, built in 1884, is sometimes considered to be the first skyscraper, standing at a then-staggering ten stories.

Rivalry grew between Chicago and New York – both land-strapped cities with growing populations – as they competed to build the tallest buildings possible. Even once New York had thoroughly outpaced its competition, individual builders competed to build ever higher, culminating in the stunning skyscrapers of the 1930s; the Chrysler Building (which was the tallest building in the world for all of 11 months) and the Empire State Building, which held the title for almost forty years.

Tallest Buildings in the World

It’s the Chrysler Building which makes today the perfect day to talk about skyscrapers. The 10^th August was the birthday of its architect, William Van Alen, and these days it’s celebrated as Skyscraper Appreciation Day!

Competition between skyscraper buildings was fierce at the time; whilst the Chrysler Building was being built, the Manhattan Trust Bank Building was also under construction, and both aimed for the title of tallest building in the world. The Manhattan Trust Bank Building looked to be ahead in the race most of the way; first announcing that their design was two feet taller than the Chrysler building, then raising the bar from 260m (840ft) to 283m (927ft), its height at completion in April 1930. Their celebrations were short-lived, however – Van Alen had secretly obtained permission for a 38m (125 ft) long spire, which had been constructed in four parts, kept out of sight within the frame of the building. These four parts were hoisted to the top and riveted in place in just 90 minutes, taking the Chrysler Building past the 300m mark to an astounding 319m.

This made the Chrysler Building not only the tallest building in the world at that time, but the tallest structure of any kind, as it surpassed the height of the Eiffel Tower.

Van Alen’s victory was similarly short-lived; not only was his design surpassed within a year by the Empire State Building, but he also faced difficulties in getting paid. He had failed to enter into a contract for his work, and when he requested a payment of 6% of the building’s $14million construction budget – a standard rate for the time – he was refused. He had to sue Walter Chrysler for the payment, and although he won, the suit damaged his architectural reputation. Van Alen focussed instead on teaching sculpture for the rest of his career.

Of course, as spring manufacturers, we’re pleased to note that both the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building had something in common – their elevators were made by the Otis Elevator Company, meaning that both buildings were made possibly by Elisha Otis and his humble wagon spring!

So, as you appreciate the wonders of the modern skyscraper on this day of celebration, should you be struck with inspiration and require further information about our products and services, simply get in touch with us on 028 9083 8605.

At European Springs Ireland, we aren’t your average spring manufacturer and we love seeing how engineering benefits other industries, and how a single spring can really make a difference.

One engineering masterpiece that has caught our eye is the idea of robotic surgery. We’ve put together a quick slideshare to look further into this revolutionary type of surgery and discover how it works.

Robotic surgery is a fantastic example of how engineering can benefit other industries. With great benefits for the patients and greater control from the surgeons, we can’t wait to see how this technology progresses. Springs have been used in tools used in precision surgery for many years, so who knows where this robotic advancement will take us!

We provide only the best springs to out clients, no matter what industry you are in. If you’d like more information on how we can help you, don’t hesitate to contact us on 028 9083 8605.

Technology is evolving at an incredible rate, with new inventions constantly being developed. To see just how far technology has come, we only need to compare the tablets of today to the PCs of ten years ago. The vast majority of this accelerated technological development has come about as we have discovered new uses for some genuinely incredible materials.

Inspired by our very own passion for materials, we thought we would take a more in-depth look at some of the most incredible materials on the planet. In this article, we will take a look at 5 of the most marvellous materials, their uses and what makes them so special.

Graphene

Graphene is considered to be one of the most exciting discoveries to have emerged in recent years. It is the thinnest material known to man and is a million times thinner than the human hair, rendering it invisible to the human eye. It has been hailed by many as the ‘miracle material of the 21st century’ thanks to a number of awe-inspiring properties.

Despite being extremely thin, this material is incredibly strong and flexible. To put its strength into perspective, graphene is 200 times stronger than steel whilst also being an excellent thermal and electrical conductor. Thanks to these varied properties, the potential applications of graphene are pretty much endless, and the material is regularly used in the biomedical, electronics and engineering sectors.

It’s fair to say that graphene honestly has an unlimited potential and promises to be at the forefront of all technological developments for years to come.

Metamaterials

Whilst the use of invisibility cloaks may seem like something that is confined to fantasy films, one marvellous material could be close to making this technology a reality. Metamaterials are specifically engineered to have properties that cannot be found anywhere in the natural world, which gives them the ability to interfere with light and sound in ways you might have only thought possible in a Sci-Fi film.

Scientists and engineers are working with Metamaterials to develop cloaking devices that are able to render an object invisible. You may think this sounds a little far-fetched, but the technology has the ability to bend light waves around an object; think of it like a rock diverting water in a stream.

While this technology is still in its infancy, there is a good chance this material could find a common use in the engineering sector sometime in the near future.

Aerogel

This wonderful material recently stole the crown for being the lightest material known to man. A cubic meter of this material weighs in at 0.16 milligrams and Aerogel boasts a density lower than helium, and only twice that of hydrogen, meaning that it practically floats! To put things into perspective, you can balance a cubic inch of this material on a blade of grass or even the stamen of a flower.

Aerogel is created using a technique that involves freeze-drying solutions containing carbon nanotubes and graphene to create a sort of carbon sponge. The material produced by this process is both strong and elastic, which means Aerogel is in high demand across a wide range of industries. What’s more, it’s incredibly absorbent too, and can absorb almost 900 times its own weight in oil.

Whilst the material itself may be light, it’s hoped that it could help us to solve some pretty hefty problems in the future. One potential application of this material is in helping to clean up oil spills.

Metal Foam

This material pretty much does what it says on the tin; it’s quite literally metal foam. Simply put, it’s what you get when you add a foaming agent – titanium hydride – to a metal such as aluminium.

On the face of it, this material may not sound that incredible, but the end product provides a material that has super strength and is remarkably lightweight too. In fact, some varieties of this material are so lightweight they can even float on water.

The potential applications of this material are really rather exciting. Like metamaterials, this particular material is still being developed to uncover its full potential, but in the future, we could see metal foam being used to create floating cities and even space colonies. At present, the material is used mainly in applications including prosthetic bones and joints, construction, soundproofing and insulation.

Nanocellulose

If you ever so slightly change the chemical structure of cellulose – the material that makes up tree bark and plant stems – you will end up with nanocellulose, which happens to be one of the strongest materials on the planet. Not only is it exceptionally strong, but it’s also light and conducts electricity extremely well.

One of the most attractive benefits nanocellulose presents to businesses, is that it’s completely recyclable, as it is essentially wood pulp. It is currently being used to make lighter and more environmentally friendly vehicles, body armour and even flexible phones; however, there are plenty more applications this particular marvellous material could be used in once the technology is developed further.

While there is still a ways to go in finding the full potential of the materials mentioned in this article, the advancements they have brought about can already been seen around the world. We are confident that the engineering sector can benefit greatly from all of these marvellous materials. As leading spring manufacturers, we at European Springs Ireland know a thing or two about choosing the right materials for the job. All of our springs are made from only the highest quality materials, which are specifically chosen for their fantastic inherent properties.

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Author: European Springs Web Team

Graphene

Metamaterials

Aerogel

Metal Foam

Nanocellulose

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