Blog

30 Jun 2017

Medical Technology – The future is now

The world we live in changes every single day. Whether it’s a new breakthrough medical technology, advances in energy storage or space travel. Our future is becoming harder to predict. I mean, who knows where we will be at the end of 2017? What treatments or life altering medicines will be available to us in only a few short months?

Many of the breakthroughs we have today weren’t available 5 years ago; some weren’t even around last year. Scientists, researchers and doctors are working tirelessly to find new ways to treat different diseases, conditions or ailments. Some of the new medical advances will certainly improve your life but others might even save you.

23 Jun 2017

The new Rotorcraft Airbus Racer from CleanSky 2 initiative is a great example of how far we’ve come but did you know that the concept of vertical flight has been around for centuries? In fact, it was first recorded in China, 400 B.C based merely on a children’s toy made from bamboo. This has certainly led to bigger and better things.

What is the CleanSky 2 Initiative? In a nutshell, it’s the largest European research program aimed at the development of innovative, cutting edge technologies to reduce environmental impact from aviation. 

16 Jun 2017

From Tesla’s self-driving cars to an autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle called the Echo Voyager. This is where we are at the moment. Technology, human ingenuity and curiosity are what make these projects a reality.

Early adaptations of what lies beneath the big blue have been around for decades. Our interest and curiosity about ocean life and underwater technology were inspired by movies like 20 000 Leagues under the sea, James Bond’s submarine car to more recent deep sea documentaries.

It is a fact that we’ve only discovered about 5% of the world’s oceans. So why are we so focused on space travel if we haven’t even explored most our own planet? Maybe Boeing has the answer with

9 Jun 2017

Military institutions all over the world are constantly looking for ways to develop the next generation of weapons. These include tech like new combat helmets with HUD (heads-up display), improved body armor, future battleships, drones capable of delivering a deadly punch. Or what about a prototype hoverboard called the Flyboard Air for personal flight?

It’s also referred to as an Independent Propulsion Unit (IPU). It’s the result of a 4 year long research and development project headed by inventor Franky Zapata. Better known for the Water Flyboard he invented five years ago, more recent projects include

2 Jun 2017

History of Waterjet cutting

Waterjet cutting is often used during the fabrication process of machine parts. A waterjet cutter, also known as a waterjet, is an industrial tool capable of cutting a wide variety of materials using a very high-pressure jet or stream of water. A mixture of water and an abrasive substance is also used in many applications.

Early waterjet machines could only cut softer materials as they had low pressure and could not handle harder materials and metals. They added an abrasive to the waterjet cutting nozzle in an attempt

26 May 2017

PRV will be at Subcon Birmingham NEC

On Tuesday 6th of June, the Subcon show for 2017 kicks off at the Birmingham NEC. Subcon is the UK’s premier subcontract manufacturing supply chain show and this year is not to be missed. The Subcon show will run alongside the Advanced Manufacturing and The Engineer Design & Innovation Show. The show is until 8 June so you have plenty of time to rub shoulders with the best of the best.

19 May 2017

Futurologist Jeremy Rifkin claimed that 3D printing is the beginning of a third industrial revolution. This means it would subsequently succeed the production line assembly that dominated manufacturing which started in the late 19th century. What if he’s right? Imagine printing a new valve for a broken tap or a brake disc for your car. In contrast, perhaps something simpler like a new plate when your little ones drop the good dishes. The possibilities are essentially endless given the right materials and machines.

12 May 2017

Military Technology: Applications of Autonomous Systems

Whether it’s conspiracy theories, Hollywood or reality; there’s certainly no shortage of newsworthy mentions of new military technology being developed. Autonomous systems, for example, is vital to solve many of the most difficult problems we currently face. These include exploring uncharted oceans, deep space, providing aid in emergency situations and probably more applications in the defense industry.

Already we have Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Microsoft with Cortana. These systems all operate on autonomous technology and the demand

5 May 2017

In recent times there has been an even bigger drive for renewable energy than ever before. This has also given rise once again to the solar power car. It could be due to the global warming phenomena or maybe we finally realised that the sun is in fact our biggest energy source and it’s free. At least in theory it is but putting in place the technology to store sufficient amounts of energy is the challenging part.

28 Apr 2017

What is Shot Blasting?

Shot blasting can be described as a method used to clean, strengthen or polish metal surfaces getting it ready for the application of overlays or coatings. Industries using this method include automotive, aerospace, construction, rail and ship building among others. It removes rust or old layers of paint which is important when preparing surfaces for further processing like paint application, powder coating and welding work.

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