Category: News & Updates

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.

When it comes to the future of engineering, we must rely on the youngsters of our generation, and as one of the UK’s leading spring manufacturers, we are so excited to discover the brain child of 18 year old Colum McNally at this year’s Young Scientist and Engineers Fair, Birmingham.

The prestigious competition, year on year, sees over 2,000 entrants, who all come to promote their inventions and share their latest discoveries with a panel of industry professionals and bright sparks. This is where Colum McNally, a teenager from Newry, Northern Ireland, was discovered.

His invention? A machine designed to prevent farm accidents. Seems simple? Not quite. His impressive creation started out as an idea that materialised from “adapting grass-fed paddock grazing” for his father’s new farm shop, and after months of hard work, the ‘Agri-Hammer’ was created.

The Agri-Hammer, a hydraulic machine designed to split logs and build fences, is the adaption of what should normally be the work of two machines, yet it combines both functions in one very nicely designed and sought-after device.

As a youngster with a dedicated interest in the farming world, his invention was something that was lacking from current machine designs, and his passion for health and safety is tremendously reputable. McNally says “It has dual purpose with the health and safety aspect, whereby we create identified danger zones, where the post and hammer are colliding, so when the operator is not in position, they can’t operate those controls unless they’re behind a safety cage” when referencing the safety and function of his product.

McNally states to have been interested in engineering from a young age, and has always had a keen eye for safety and the creation of ideas. This is where the basis for his innovative invention began, highlighting the machine’s key function and safety values clearly in its slogan: “It takes the safety off the farmer’s hands rather than taking the hands off the farmers.”

The Future?

With comments from Kate Bellingham, chair of the judging panel, including “His project will make his work so much better, more accessible and really it is making the world a better place”, and “Winning the competition is a wonderful opportunity for him, and I am convinced he will be a great ambassador for science and engineering in the future”, it is understandable that we, as an industry professional, strongly believe that these competitions and opportunities for young people are key in the promotion of science and engineering in the coming months and years.

Here at European Springs Ireland, we too offer a unique and specialist programme for the engineers of the future, and are passionate about encouraging and aiding these young minds to achieve their potential. So, on behalf of all the team here, we’d like to congratulate Colum in his achievement, and look forward to his bright future in the engineering industry.

For more information – or to speak to one of our helpful and professional team – please do not hesitate to contact us on 028 9083 8605 today!