Author: European Springs Web Team

At European Springs, we always like to keep the perspective that we’re just one small part of the great worldwide canvas of engineering, and that means we like looking back over the past as well as the future. Recently, we started thinking about the industrial revolution. Products like our tension springs all have roots in this movement, which set us wondering about what the future may hold.

The industrial revolution is probably one of the most important periods in the history of our world, and its significance and appeal has never really dimmed. Because of that, a good many observers have been wondering when the next ‘revolution’ will strike our industry. Several ideas have been proposed over the years, with the following being some of the most popular suggestions…

3D Printing

This is one of the most common talking points when the next industrial revolution is debated, and it’s definitely worth bearing in mind. In theory, products could simply be downloaded from the internet and then ‘printed’ out in the confines of the home, and there’s even been speculation about 3D printing in the field of medicine (replacement organs and the like). Is it possible? Who knows.

Renewable Energy

Solar power, wind power, wave power, bio fuels… we could literally go on forever. The last industrial revolution revolved around the adoption of steam as an energy source, so why shouldn’t one of our modern day innovations trigger a similar movement? Sure, some work is necessary to refine the efficiency of many renewable energy processes, but we are talking in future terms. There’s still time.

Futuristic Robots

These days, artificial intelligence and robotics are at their peak thus far. From computer programs that arguably match up to the Turing Test, to space age robots with prototype synthetic muscles, there are plenty of reasons to suspect robots and A.I might be the instigators of the next industrial revolution. We just hope it doesn’t follow the whole ‘robot-take-over’ pattern from the movies!

The Verdict…?

So, what do we reckon? Will there ever be another industrial revolution? That’s something that is liable to keep people speculating until it happens, but many analysts think that it could result from the increased connectivity of a range of existing technologies; not necessarily a brand new wonder-concept, but a greater level of integration. That’s certainly our approach, as our own manufacturing facilities combine cutting-edge processes like CAD and CAM solutions to invariably great effect.

You may not yet know when the next industrial revolution will strike, but you definitely should know who to come to when you have a need for quality springs and pressings in the here and now. To find out more about how European Springs Ireland can help you today, call our team on 028 9083 8605.

Engineers are capable of accomplishing extraordinary things, and at European Springs Ireland, we believe that these are worth celebrating. For the next instalment in our series that celebrates the greatest feats in engineering, we will be taking a look at the marvel that is the Trans-Siberian Railway.

The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting the Russian capital of Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It was built between 1891 and 1916, and spans 5,772 miles.

The Need for Transportation

Towards the late 1800s, the development of Siberia was hindered by poor transportation links. The region was only accessible by river or by horse-drawn cart, both of which were difficult, unsafe and impractical.

There was a clear need for a railway to connect Siberia with Central Russia, and after a 10 year-long design process, the plans for the Trans-Siberian Railway were born.

Construction

Tsar Nicholas II inaugurated the construction of the Far East segment of the railway in March 1890, with full-time construction beginning in 1891.

Similar to the construction of the First Transcontinental Railway of the United States, the engineers of the project began building the railway at either end and worked towards the centre.

Among the most phenomenal achievements during the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway were the bridges that were built over the Ural River and the Ob River. These not only signified the entrance of the railway into Asia and Siberia respectively, but were themselves excellent feats of engineering.

War, Revolution and a Railway

The Russians suffered a bitter defeat in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), and the Trans-Siberian Railway was seen as one of the main causes of the loss, as at the time the railway was just a single track that only allowed travel in one direction, and therefore it caused continuous supply difficulties for the Russians.

The railway also served a great purpose in the Russian Revolution, as it was used by White Russian supporters to fight the Bolsheviks on the Ural front. However, after the victory of the Bolsheviks, many parts of the railway were blown up or destroyed.

The Trans-Siberian Railway played a vital role in World War II, where many used the railway to escape Europe and Nazi occupation. It also became the safest connection between the United States and the USSR due to the eagerness of the Japanese to maintain good relations with the latter.

We hope you enjoyed reading about yet another fascinating feat of engineering. At European Springs Ireland, we love to celebrate all feats of engineering, no matter what they are, and that’s why we put such attention to detail into our springs. Engineers pride themselves on their high standards, and we certainly wouldn’t want to let the side down! Therefore, if you require tension or compression springs, we can help to ensure that your project is a success. For more information, contact us today by calling 028 9083 8605.

Ants might just be the perfect workers.

And if recent reports are to be believed, then Bionic ants the size of a human hand could one day be the factory operators of the future!

Don’t believe us? Then read on as we take a closer look at these awesome bionic ants.

 

 

Ant Antics

Small, yet mighty, ants are a force to be reckoned with. And when these little guys work together they’re capable of some pretty amazing feats.

Since the time of the great fable teller Aesop, these industrious insects have been used to symbolise the virtues of hard work.

This is something that hasn’t gone unnoticed either, and now robotics experts have emulated these tiny beasties to create an army of amazing bionic ants – know as BionicANTS.

These tiny bionic beasts come fully equipped with some pretty sharp looking pincers (used for gripping and manipulating objects), stereo cameras, sensors that feel the floor beneath their feet, and a face that bears more than just a hint of a grin!

 

Working Together

It’s not just the unique anatomy of ants that developers have attempted to copy either, it’s their remarkable cooperative behaviours too.

Just like the ants found in your back garden, these ant machines are able to work together in harmony to accomplish a variety of tasks, from the simple to the complex.

Each ant acts autonomously, but they’re also constantly in communication with one another via a radio module.

So, for example, say this army of ants was given the task of moving a particularly heavy object – if this object was too weighty for one ant to move on their own, it could communicate with its co-workers to ask them to come lend a hand – pretty amazing really!

Together, the ants could then coordinate their movements so four ants carry the object rather than just one.

If you’re wondering how this is possible, turns out there are some pretty complex computer algorithms at play – enough said!

These enable each individual bot to determine how to contribute to a given task.

You can check out a video of this ant army in action below:

 

 

These BionicANTS work tirelessly too and when they need to recharge, they simply have to lean their steel frame against a charging station. Oh and they can also be produced using a 3D printer too… of course they can !

 

These artificial ants aren’t for sale just yet, but their potential applications are certainly intriguing. And who knows, maybe one day these innovative bionic insects will be scuttling around the floors of a factory near you!

Here at European Springs, we appreciate amazing feats of design and engineering such as this, and we can’t wait to see what the future may hold for these big bionic copy cats. As leading spring manufactures we like to come up with our fair share of innovations too, such as our terrific tension springs.

Want to know more? Then contact us today, by giving us a call on 028 9083 8605.

 

Ah springs, they’re an engineering wonder.

As leading suppliers of high quality compression springs and a range of other innovative products, here at Europeans Springs we like to think we know a thing or two about these mechanical marvels!

Springs are used for a wide range of exciting applications and this list is forever growing. In fact, only last week saw the news that biomechanical engineers have developed a way of putting a spring in your step – literally ! They’ve done this by harnessing the power of the spring to create an unpowered ankle exoskeleton.

Brace yourself- it’s pretty amazing!

 

 

 

What is it?

Simply put, this revolutionary piece of kit is a spring-loaded leg brace, fitted with a straightforward spring and ratchet system.

The device may sound a little cumbersome, but it’s actually pretty sleek. Its design is remarkably simple too, and consists of only a spring, wire, and clutch attached to a carbon fibre frame.

Tests have shown that the exoskeleton is able to reduce the amount of energy needed for walking by 7% – that’s the equivalent of shedding almost half a stone of body weight – incredible, right?!

If you’re wondering how it works, the device acts to boost the performance of the calf muscles and Achilles tendon.

 

For years, engineers have been attempting to create powered exoskeletons, and to be fair they’ve had some success. But these previous efforts have all been tainted by one major flaw – they’re heavy. Very heavy.

This is because they’re powered, and that entails the use of complicated motors and batteries that need recharging.

What’s unique about this latest device is that it doesn’t require the use of any power aids and is lightweight to boot!

 

What Could it be Used For?

There are still a few wrinkles that need to be ironed out – stairs still pose a bit of a challenge – but there’s no denying the potential of this revolutionary bit of kit.

The market for this kind of device is undoubtedly there too. A walk in the park. Shopping trips. A stroll near the sea. How much easier would all these be with a little help from an energy-saving leg brace?!

The device is thought to have some rather remarkable prospective applications too. For example, it could be used to aid those who have difficulty walking for long periods of time and those with disabilities.

With a little tweaking, this technology could even help runners and hikers – allowing them to reach the top of their game.

It could also help take a load off those who spend a long time on their feet, such as nurses and airport staff.

All told, this spring-powered gadget is pretty awesome, and it will be interesting to see what the future will hold for this brilliant brace!

Here at European Springs, we’re passionate about engineering and like to keep up to date with all the latest news and updates from this exciting field, such as this groundbreaking creation.

Want to know more about our services? Then contact us today by giving us a call on 028 9083 8605.

 

 

We’ve been spring manufacturers since 1948 – that’s 67 years of incredible experience in the industry, and in that time we’ve certainly seen some incredible changes. In fact, we’ve been around long enough to witness some seriously life-changing inventions – the spectacular innovations that make the world a better place.

So, in light of our outstanding heritage, we thought we’d look at all those wonderful inventions that we’ve seen since European Springs was first established. Inventions like…

The Transistor Radio

The first transistor – a semiconductor that amplifies electrical signals – was invented a year before our birth, but it wasn’t until 1954 that a couple of tech whizzes at Texas Instruments managed to parlay the invention into the world’s first commercial transistor radio. Though their popularity waned in the 1980s, and despite living in the good ol’ digital age, they still have a strong fan-base.

 

The Internet

Speaking of the digital age, there’s no way we couldn’t mention the internet. It’s probably the most life-defining invention since Henry Ford’s Model T. It originally started life as a US Government test to share data among different offices in the 1960s, and, in 1989, the potential was exploited by Tim Berners-Lee, a computer scientist at CERN – who proposed a system that could link texts to other pages, images and even video. Truly revolutionary!

 

The Laser

The concept of the laser was first proposed by some chap called Albert Einstein back in 1917. That was all theoretical, of course, until 1960, when the world’s first fully functioning laser was unveiled by Ted Maiman. The laser works on the principle of tightly focussing light into a single beam. These days, it has a whole variety of uses, from medical to construction. Oh, and the word laser stands for ‘light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.’ So now you know.

 

The Video Game

Video games consoles have been a mainstay in the home since the 1970s – and now it’s become a dominant form of entertainment, earning more money than all of Hollywood’s films combined. But it all started in 1948, with the primitive Cathode-Ray Amusement Device, which had gamers laying pictures on the screen to show the game’s targets. Then, in 1958, physicist William Higinbotham invented the world’s first truly graphical video game, Tennis for Two.

 

The Colour TV

Colour TVs have been around, in one form or another, since 1908 – well before even the first actual television broadcast. But colour TV as we know it was introduced in 1950 in the US. We’d have to wait another 17 years for colour TV in Britain. Yep, 1967, BBC 2 – check out…Wimbledon in colour (So much green!). Since then, we’ve seen some incredible leaps in the format, from the introduction of LED and LCD screens in 1970, to high definition TV in 2004.

 

The Barcode

Ah, the familiar soundtrack of the supermarket: Bleep. Like all great inventions, it took years to go from concept to completion. Bernard Silver and Norman Woodland first tried in 1948, and patented their plans in 1952; David Collins continued experimenting in the 1960s. But it wasn’t until tech giants IBM and the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) backed the idea of a design, made up of lines and spaces that could be optically scanned, that the barcode was born in 1973. Probably the biggest benefit to us was that, thanks to those bleeps, supermarket running costs lowered, meaning cheaper products.

 

The Personal Computer

Without a doubt, the biggest game-changer in the world of inventions, has been the PC. In 1975, the first PC – the MITS Altair 8800 – was released. And the tech has snowballed ever since. One year on, Jobs and Wozniak gave us the Apple I, followed by the Apple II just a year later. These days we can watch movies and TV, play games, chat to friends and family, make calls – all thanks to the PC.

 

The Car Seatbelt

Ok, we thought we’d end on an unsung hero. We barely even register the seatbelt when we enter a car – we just tug it around us and plug it in, keeping us safe. In fact, it’s hard to think of a world without seatbelts. They were introduced in 1949, with Ford bringing them into their cars in 1955 – when the first automotive seatbelt was patented. In 1959, Volvo created the first three-point seatbelt – and it’s been saving lives ever since. It’s a design that looks so effortless, you wonder why it took so long to invent. Clunk, click, every trip.

 

Having been in the industry for such a long time, we’ve certainly seen our fair share of innovation – and here at European Springs we’ve also come up with innovative solutions, from designing compression springs that can withstand extreme temperatures to removing the unwanted vibrations of the Oresund Bridge, and we just keep going! If you reckon we could help find the right solution for you, simply contact us on 028 9083 8605 and our professional, experienced team will be delighted to help.