Author: European Springs Web Team

At European Springs Ireland, we do our best to keep abreast of the latest innovations and inventions in the engineering world. Lately, we were astounded by the leaps and bounds being made in the field of prosthetics. In early history, there was little that could be done beyond the basic peg leg and hook hand that were more befitting a pirate than any average person.

As medicine has advanced, however, we have started to see great leaps forward in prosthetic technology. At one time, the humble beginning to this technology was simply an early spring based design, but over time it’s evolved into the sleek flexible carbon fibre blades that are often seen during the grand spectacle that is the Olympics. However, the science of prosthetics has also been used in plenty of other ingenious ways too. Here are a few of our favourites…

The likes of this invention has given new life to thousands, and in fact, due to radical developments in the field, some postulate that these limbs may well be more effective than ever before, with outright advantages over “able-bodied” individuals. Additionally, it’s not only human kind that’s benefitting from these new innovations in 3D design, as even injured animals are starting to reap the rewards of this astounding new science.

This brilliant application of science and engineering doesn’t stop there though, as new developments have made what was considered fantasy a reality! Cybernetics, once thought the province of science fiction, is proving to be very real, as new strides in medical science have led to fully-functioning robotic limbs. The field varies from inbuilt sensors, to the surgical procedure called targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) that allows wireless signals from the brain itself!

This is just one of the many new designs that are starting to appear as more and more companies invest in this brilliant innovation. Young company Open Bionics has taken further steps to make this technology more available for both amputees and medical labs, as they’ve designed and produced the first 3D printable robot prosthetic. This, combined with the early research of South Korea’s Seoul National University into fully-functioning synthetic skin that would allow amputees to actually ‘feel’ with their new limbs, is astonishing, and it only boggles the mind to what the future might hold.

Being forward thinkers like these giants of innovation, our very own engineers strive for excellence in our products, as we’re proud suppliers of everything from spring clips to compression springs and anything in-between. We are privileged to be able to supply such a wide range of products in a time in which such great leaps forward are being made. For more information about our high quality spring products, please contact us or call on 028 9083 8605. Our friendly support staff will be happy to help with any enquiries.

With their long bodies, bulging eyes and twig like limbs, praying mantises don’t exactly have the look of grace and agility, but looks can be deceiving.

The praying mantis is, in fact, a real aerial acrobat and, if there was an Animal Olympics, these odd-looking creatures would win the long jump, hands down. They’re able to make precision leaps and perfect landings faster than the blink of an eye, and have their own unique style too.

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Aerial Acrobatics

The level of control displayed by these amazing creatures is pretty rare in the insect world. Whilst most other jumping insects spin uncontrollably when airborne, the praying mantis remains perfectly balanced.

The secret of the praying mantis’ jumping talent was recently discovered by researchers from Cambridge and Bristol universities, who examined the mechanics of the mantises’ jump using high-speed camera technologies.

They found that in order to ensure their journey through the air is both smooth and accurate; the mantis relies on a unique trick, rotating their abdomen and legs independently, in a complex sequence of movements.

Crucially, as they sail through the air, the spin is transferred from one body segment to the next. This keeps the body level, and bang on target.

These fascinating creatures also look before they leap. When preparing for take-off they sway their head from side to side, scanning their surroundings for potential landing targets.

 

 

The Challenge of Small Robotics

The team behind this new research believe that what works for the mantis might also work for certain robots too and as such, the praying mantis might just be the answer to roboticists’ prayers.

For many years roboticists have been grappling with the challenges they encounter as they aim to build ever smaller robots.

As something gets smaller, it’s harder to control its rotation when airborne, so managing the spin of a small robot as it jumps from one spot to another can be tricky.

This had remained an intractable problem, but these quirky insects may have just solved this quandary. By imitating the unique movement of a mantis, tiny leaping robots may soon be able to rival the natural skill of these amazing jumpers.

This story is another awe-inspiring example of biomimetics in action, and shows how engineers can find inspiration in the most unusual of places.

We’re incredibly excited by the biomimetics revolution, and how it’ll shape the field of robots.

As a leading spring manufacturers, many of our innovative springs are used for a variety of applications in the field of engineering. For more information about our high quality spring products please don’t hesitate to contact us today by giving us a call 0044 7889 171 165.

 

The engineering and manufacturing sectors are hugely innovative fields, constantly evolving in line with the development of new technologies.

Interestingly, according to a recent article from The Engineer, we may be on the brink of another such ground-breaking innovation, thanks to the development of an emerging technology known a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), which has the potential to transform the production of bespoke products.

At one time, bespoke products were considered a luxury and the standardisation of products on assembly lines was very much the done thing. In the immortal words of the motoring giant Henry Ford: ‘You can get in it any colour, as long as it is black.’

However, in more recent years, thanks to the development of ever-more sophisticated factory robots and software programmes, production lines are more flexible than ever before. Customers, too, increasingly demand more bespoke products and the race is very much on for manufacturers to find ways of producing such products, whilst also keeping production costs low, which is where this pioneering technology comes in.

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What is it Radio Frequency Identification?

RFID technology has existed since the 1940’s and was originally used for the identification of military aircraft. In later years, the technology was used extensively for inventory control applications. However, despite its relatively long history, the technology is still very much in its formative stages.

Simply put, RFID is a type of tagging technology which utilises radio waves to automatically keep track of products. RFID systems typically consist of three crucial elements: a tag which is essentially a data storage medium that reveals its information when prompted to do so; a reader which energise the tag by emitting a short range radio signal, prompting it to revel its stored information; and a control system. The reader passes on the information it receives from the tag to the control system, which can then act upon this data.

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Industries such as the automotive sector are already employing the technology. For example, RFID has been used on car assembly lines to verify the unique ID of a vehicle’s body body. Once the identity of the body has been verified, this information is then fed back to a control system that instructs the automated spray booth to paint the car with the appropriate colour.

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The pharmaceutical and aerospace industries are also adopting the technology to improve tracking and traceability. This is particularly important for companies within the pharmaceutical industry, who are required to trace products through the manufacturing process and keep detailed records, in order to comply with legislative requirements.

According to the article, with further development, the potential of this technology is huge and some experts have even predicted that the cost benefits of technologies such as RFDI could even usher in a new industrial revolution in the next decade or two, helping to make the creation of bespoke products on large production lines commonplace.

Here at European Springs, we’re passionate about engineering and like to keep up-to-date with all the latest innovations from this exciting field. We’re a leading spring manufacturer and many of our high-quality spring products are utilised for a broad range of applications within the engineering field. For more information please don’t hesitate to contact us today, by giving us a call on 0044 7889 171 165 and a member of our expert team will be happy to help you with your enquiries.

It’s incredible what we’re able to create. Our planet is decorated with impressive and wonderful man-made structures that tell the story of our history, and how our knowledge and skills have developed. Some of these structures are particularly impressive as great feats of engineering, so today, we shall look at just one of these – Dubai’s Palm Islands.

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Due to the geographic setting of this city, development is limited. It lies in the Arabian Desert with only 37 miles of coastline. Much of the coast is now taken over by towering skyscrapers, built in the 1990s, so when it came to advantageous coastline building, designers had to think a little outside the box. This is how the Palm Islands came into being.

The two islands are man-made constructions that consist of rock, sand and a water-permeable geo-textile that prevents erosion. Building began in 2001 when divers surveyed the sea bed and workers constructed a breakwater from blasted mountain rock. They then layered up sand and rocks to create the palm shaped jetties.

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Between each palm sits 16 narrow channels of water which never become stagnant due to two huge openings on each side of the breakwater to allow water to flow in and out. The first of the two islands, Palm Jumeirah is made up of 3,257,212,970.389 cubic feet of sand dredged up from the sea floor.

Although it doesn’t sound like the island is particularly secure, the designers are confident that the breakwater will be enough to protect the island from gulf weather and even large storms.

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The whole construction really is a great feat of engineering, as it uses unique designs, ingenious building methods and state of the art technology to ensure that the Palm Islands are completely perfect. Here at European Springs, we’re passionate about fantastic engineering, and as suppliers of compression springs in Ireland, we’re invested in the future of engineering technology. If you would like more information about any of our products or services, please don’t hesitate to contact us today by calling 028 9083 8605 to speak to a member of our team.

Here at European Springs, we’d like to offer you a warm welcome to our new website, specifically designed for the market in Ireland.

As Europe’s leading spring manufacturer, we pride ourselves not only on the quality of our springs, wire forms and pressings, but also on the excellent standard of our customer service. A dedicated Irish site allows us to improve that standard even further for our customers in Ireland, making it easier for you to purchase precision-made components from us.

On our contact page, you’ll find details for our office in Ireland, so you can deal directly with a local representative who can help you with the exact requirements of your project. This means that if you have very specific criteria for your project, you’ll be able to benefit from personal, local attention to your needs. From our manufacturing facilities in London and Cornwall, and our extensive stock facility in Yorkshire, we’ll be able to despatch your components quickly and efficiently so that you can enjoy truly unbeatable service.

With over 60 years of experience, European Springs and Pressings Ltd are well accustomed to meeting the needs of our customers in Ireland. We offer a vast catalogue of tension, torsion, compression and other kinds of springs, as well as wire forms and pressings, and can supply bespoke production for those circumstances when a standard item simply won’t do the job.

We support customers in a wide range of industries; Automotive, Aerospace and Defence, Electronics, Medical and many more, with components provided for major industrial environments all around the world.

From our new website, we aim to improve the experience of our customers in Ireland, offering a more direct and local approach that allows you to take advantage of our extensive experience and outstanding technology.

We hope that you’ll enjoy browsing through our site, and encourage you to return soon to read news from the world of engineering in general and, of course, springs in particular. If you’d like to speak to us about any of our products and services, please do get in touch – our team will be delighted to hear from you.

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