Subcon (the sub-contractors exhibition that showcases the best of the UK high precision engineering machining industry) is about to get underway again at the NEC in Birmingham. This year it is being held from the 4th till the 6th of June. With a list of top class exhibitors , it promises to be a great exhibition!
The focus of Subcon is on advanced manufacturing. Exhibitors include the likes of:
5 Axis Milling technology takes the chequered flag as Formula 1 Team Lotus install 5 new HPU 450U machines at their workshop in Enstone, Oxfordshire. Team Lotus are one of the latest companies to give in to the promise and potential that the 5 axis milling process holds; a process that leading high precision machining specialists PRV-Engineering were quick to recognize the advantages of.They wre one of the first companies in the UK to invest in this latest state of the art engineering discipline.
The word “fabrication” means to make something from raw material. In the case of metal fabrication, that raw material is, unsurprisingly, metal. The material used in metal fabrication will however have already been processed from its true raw state into a usable raw material format such as metal sheet, rod, or bar.
Fabrication differs from assembling. Rather than using a processed raw material, the assembly process uses parts or components specifically made for the purpose. Assembly is however an operation that is included in the art of fabrication.
The new plating facility that PRV Engineering now has is yet another example of Simon Jones’ (Chief Exec of PRV) determination to offer the company’s clients the most comprehensive service through continuous investment into new areas.
Finishing is one of the most important areas in the engineering sector. Components that have been carefully machined to the highest standards and tightest specifications can still be scrapped if the finishing is not up to standard. It’s one of the reasons that PRV Engineering prefer to do as much manufacturing as possible in-house. The new plating facility, specialising in tin and silver plating, is another sure step in this direction.
The new steel framework fabrication and concreting service is yet another example of how PRV’s CEO Simon Jones won’t give the grass any chance to grow beneath the company’s feet. Following hot on the heels of recent new investments in the latest state of the art CNC machinery costing in excess of £1 million, this new venture demonstrates Simon’s passion and resolve for continuous expansion and diversification.
PRV have recently had their factory extended. But rather than waiting for someone else to provide the new steelwork frame and concreting, they took the bull by the horns and did it themselves. Drawings and specifications were provided by fully qualified architects, and PRV poured the concrete, and manufactured and erected the steelwork, all to specification. “It gives you more control over the process, including the timing”, said Simon, “and you know what they say? – If you want something doing right – do it yourself”!
Investment is the key to future success; so says Simon Jones, CEO of PRV Engineering, and after all, he should know. PRV Engineering are one of the fastest growing and most successful high precision engineering service providers in the UK. They owe it all to the fact that they are prepared to invest in their own future. In the same way that the government’s education policy was coined as being “education, education, education”, PRV’s philosophy would be coined as “investment, investment, investment!
The engineering sector is one of the fastest growing technical sectors in the economy. Recent advances in CAD/CAM, and new breakthroughs in programmable software packages are opening new pathways all the time. It’s vitally important that if an engineering company wishes to stay at the cutting edge of its industry, it understands that investment is the key. It must have the latest plant and machinery otherwise it will lose its competitive edge.
Pushing the boundaries of technology is always an exciting event, and there is no better place to be able to do it than within the Formula one Motorsport arena. The McLaren Group is one of the leading motorsport engineering companies, and at their engineering works in Woking, Surrey, they are constantly on the lookout for any technological advancements that can get them onto that winner’s podium.
Formula 1 is one of the highest, fastest innovators in the hi-tech engineering sector. Within the span of one racing season, over 90% of a car’s engine is redesigned by the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 racing team. Anything that can help them in pushing the boundaries of the technology is always pounced on and scrutinised with great alacrity. Just lately, the focus has been turned onto the inspection function.
The art of engineering has now reached the stage where it can produce engineered art. A new Powermill CAM software program is being used in the film industry, together with a 5 axis router, by film set maker Golden Era Productions. They use it to replicate works of art for film set props. It enables complex works of sculpture like Rodin’s “The Thinker” and “The Kiss” to be recreated in all their glorious detail – with one difference of course.
Whereas Monsieur Rodin would have taken many months to have completed one of his stunning works of sculpture, the latest application of the art of engineering can do it in hours. It’s surely enough to be making him turn in his grave.
A solar disruption threat has once again been made headline news in some science circles. It has become a major topic of conversation; so much so that a need has arisen to separate science fiction from science fact in order to see just how much of a threat a solar superstorm might pose
Solar Superstorms
The problem with events that take place in the world of astronomy is that the time space in between events is often too large to scientifically chronicle. Things like tracking the return of comets relies on previous sightings that sometimes took place centuries ago. The question then has to be asked as to how accurate the original information was, and therefore how accurate any extrapolations made from that data might be. The same is also true of solar storms, and in particular solar superstorms. Are they a real bona fide disruption threat, and if so, when might we expect the next one?
The Carrington Event
Scientists believe that solar superstorms only take place once every 100 or 200 years. In actual fact the largest ever superstorm on record was back in 1859. It was called the Carrington event after astrologer Richard Carrington. It was he who observed intense solar activity taking place on the sun’s surface, the effects of which would be felt on the Earth some hours later. Telegraph poles erupted in showers of sparks, as did telegraph machines, electrocuting operators and setting papers alight. All around the world, different coloured auroras were being reported. At the time, many people thought it was the end of the world!
In those days of course electrical engineering was in its infancy. But what effect would that sort of event have today, with our far more advanced and sometimes delicate electrical and electronically engineered infrastructure? Would it be the sort of catastrophic solar disruption threat that has recently been headlined, (perhaps misinterpreted), following the release of a recent report by the Royal Academy of Engineers.
Scaremongering
As with any sort of threat, be it a solar disruption threat or a pandemic disease, there is always a certain amount of scaremongering that takes place, particularly in the popular press. Irresponsible scaremongering can of course lean to panic setting in, and events can be blown out of proportion such as a complete communication blackout, aeroplanes losing GPS positioning and homing signals causing mid air collisions etc. It’s the real stuff that disaster movies are made from. However, when things are put into perspective, and analysed coolly and calmly, things would not be as catastrophic as they have been portrayed.
Canadian National Grid Partial Failure in 2003
One of the major ways in which the solar disruption threat of a solar superstorm would manifest itself, would be to induce more current into the national grid. In theory this would overload the transformers, knocking them out and bringing the grid down. Intense solar activity can also increase the amount of energy produced creating an induction effect which would also result in grid overload and failure. This actually happened on a small scale back in 2003 when the Canadian national grid was partially disabled. But the warning signs were heeded and since then transformer design has been modified and safeguards have been already been introduced into most networks. Here in the UK, the National Grid now forecast that more than 6 out of the 800 super grid transformers across the UK would be disabled.
Satellite Disruption
The other solar disruption threat that has received some publicity is the damage that would be done to satellites orbiting the Earth. Because these satellites operate outside the ionosphere, they would be more susceptible to damage from a major solar event. Situations have been publicised whereby we would lose over 90% of our satellite communication network. But it turns out that this too is a gross exaggeration.
Because satellites are designed to work in outer space, they already have in-built protection from a solar disruption threat. The reality is, according to most space engineering experts, that we might only temporarily lose approximately one out of every 10 satellites – a far cry from the doomsday predictions that some people would have us believe.
To Boldly Prepare……..
So the truth of the matter is that whilst the major solar disruption threat would undoubtedly create some problems for us down here on the Earth, it would not be catastrophic. However between now and the next major solar superstorm, the Royal Academy of Engineering advises that we should be planning ahead. They have proposed the formation of a body to be called the UK Space Weather Board. Its job, to monitor space weather, and to boldly propose the engineering of what no man has engineered before – stronger anti solar disruption threat safeguards!
New milling technology, that advances the traditional milling capability, has recently been announced. It comes courtesy of a new advancement from Vero UK in their Edgecam software range, and has been christened “Waveform Roughing Strategy”.
The New Milling Technology Deserves a few Plaudits
It’s a rare event when something new comes along in the engineering world, so this new milling technology deserves a few plaudits. Edgecam software is cutting edge stuff, if you’ll excuse the play on words. These software programs are specifically targeted at the high precision machining sector within the engineering industry. It’s state of the art CAM/CAD application which takes advanced tool-path engineering and seamlessly melds it with CAD output. The growing library of Edgecam software packages is intent on improving productivity through the manufacturing cycle.
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