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1 May 2015

New Train Carriage Design wins a Share of Funding

Being involved in the rail industry, we at PRV like to keep an eye on the latest developments and innovations coming over the horizon, whether it’s to do with passenger travel, the moving of freight or the development of the trains of the future. So the recent headline about a UK company winning funding to develop a solution for passenger travel and the movement of freight for the future caught our eye.

A St Ives based company has won a share of £2.2m through the Tomorrow’s Train Design Today (TTDT) programme.

Their train carriage design, where passenger carriages can be reconfigured to carry freight or passengers at different times, is one of 3 designs that won a share of the funds to develop the rolling stock of the future.

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24 Apr 2015

What next for the auto industry?

The auto industry has come a long way since the introduction of the first car.

Electric and hybrid cars were once thought to be futuristic (along with flying cars). Now electric cars are on every forecourt of major showrooms across the country. Increasing numbers of super fast chargers are being put in place which means that electric and hybrid cars are able to travel much further than when first introduced. In many areas it now only takes 30 minutes to recharge a battery – just enough time to stretch your legs and get a cup of coffee, but a big enough charge to take you another 100 – 300 miles (depending on the model and make of your car).

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17 Apr 2015

5 Axis Machining in Modern Engineering

When considering 5 axis machining, it is important to look at the differences between it, and the more common 3 axis cnc system. The most apparent is that a 5 axis system has the normal X, Y, and Z axis but can also rotate on it’s X and Y axis. This leads to a number of distinct benefits.

A major advantage of the 5 axis system is set up, as complex parts can be machined without having to re-set the work piece. This has the two fold effect of firstly, speeding up the machining process as the work piece does not need to be re-set; and secondly accuracy. The zero datum remains undisturbed during the process so reducing the likelihood of production tolerance errors.

Five axis machines can also utilise shorter, more rigid tooling, which is suitable for higher cutting speeds and lower vibration allowing more complex three dimensional profiles and deeper pockets to be cut without the need for a re-set, or a change of tooling. This again helps to ensure the accuracy of the finished part.

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10 Apr 2015

Advantages of Steel Framed Building Construction

Advances in building construction have introduced many new and improved options including the use of steel framed building construction. These steel structures are formed through steel framework fabrication. The advantages of steel as a structural design material are well documented. Advantages include the strength-weight ratio that allows steel to bear great weights and ductility, which is the ability to withstand stress for a long period of time and bend without breaking.

Why go for steel framework?
All these same advantages are found in steel frameworks, however the use of steel frames in general has many advantages.

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3 Apr 2015

Siemens has recently landed a contract

Siemens has recently landed a contract to provide and maintain trains for the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area. The Rhine-Ruhr Express (RRX) is being hailed as the project of the century for the region, whose rail connections and public transport systems have been heavily burdened for years.

The region is one of the largest metropolitan areas in Europe with a population of approximately 10 million, many of which commute along the Rhine and Ruhr rivers in Germany. It is hoped that the RRX project will steadily ease the conditions for commuters from 2018 when delivery of the new trains begins by eliminating thousands of car trips, shifting traffic from the roads and on to rail.

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27 Mar 2015

PRV Gearing up for Subcon Show 2015

With only 2 months to go, PRV is preparing for this year’s Subcon Show.
Subcon is the UK’s only event completely focused on contract and subcontract manufacturing, including machining, moulding, fabrication, electronics assembly, casting and forging, finishing and treatments.

In it’s 32nd year, the Subcon Show makes it possible for buyers, specifiers and decision makers from all industry sectors to come together. The ability to compare suppliers, source solutions, develop partnerships and ultimately, do business in one place helps those people remain competitive in a global market. This year there are many overseas countries being represented including; Spain, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, Greece, Latvia, Czech Rep, India, Taiwan, China and the USA.

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19 Mar 2015

Investment announced for UK Rail Industry

This week saw 2 announcements of funding for the UK Rail Industry

First came the announcement by UK Rail Minister Claire Perry of a £6m funded train operator competition aimed at encouraging innovation among operators and improving services for passengers.

Organised by FutureRailway and funded by the Department for Transport, it is hoped the competition will accelerate research, innovation and development in the rail industry. Passenger numbers continue to increase and expectations of service continue to rise so it is hoped that operators and their supply chains will come up with innovative solutions to address the issues and demands of rail users. In addition, any project will also need to address the future challenges of the rail industry, providing long term solutions. Each project will have to deliver innovative services, processes, designs and technology, from concept to working operational prototype and beyond.

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11 Mar 2015

A report

A report by Oil & Gas consultant Mark MacArthur of EC Harris Built Asset Consultancy detailed the difficulties of decommissioning in the North Sea. In it he talks about the risks and the cost burdens on operators. The strains of balancing the intricate engineering

He also predicted that of the 600 plus offshore platforms in the North Sea, approximately 50 of these would cease production by 2016, with a further 250 also scheduled to be decommissioned in the coming years.

However, an article in The Engineer yesterday moves things on a step announcing that almost a thousand North Sea oil wells will be decommissioned over the next decade. This is going to be one of the biggest technical challenges in recent years involving large scale engineering.

There have already been several decommissioning projects in the North Sea and industry body Oil & Gas UK is pointing out the dangers of decommissioning too early based on falling oil prices. However, the questions about what happens when the hydrocarbons run out are already being asked and it’s clear we’re closer to the end than the beginning. But how do we manage the end of this era?

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5 Mar 2015

Google’s Lunar X Prize

Space travel used to be all about politics, research and development. It was all about, could we get to the moon and set foot there?

Since the first moon landing in 1969, research has gone further. There have been satellites launched that orbit and feed back information and data. There are space stations and there have even been attempts to land vehicles on Mars.

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26 Feb 2015

5 Axis metal cutting and additive manufacturing in one

PRV engineering like to move with the times and have invested heavily over the last few years in more modern, improved 5 axis machines. We keep an eye on developments as we want to be able to provide the best service possible.

There are a whole host of reasons why 5 axis machining improves our service. These range from overall time reductions in production to better drilling and programming.
However, technology and development moves on and the latest development is in additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing (increasingly being known by the more common term 3D printing) is the process of making 3D objects from data by joining successful layers of materials.

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