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16 Feb 2015

Battery powered trains are back

At a time when development within the rail industry is gathering pace, battery powered trains are poised to make a comeback. Battery powered trains have been used for around 100 years, but expanded use has been held back by battery technologies.

Now, the first passenger train of its kind in over 50 years has recently undergone a five-week trial in a bid to prove the viability of more eco-friendly alternatives to diesel-powered locomotives.

Back in 2013, The Independently Powered Electric Multiple Unit (IPEMU) came into force. It draws power from overhead lines and then lowers its pantograph to allow it to run on its batteries instead, so enabling it to run over non electrified lines. The challenge was in finding an effective energy storage system or battery.

2 years and much development later,  the IPEMU will now run a weekday service between Harwich International and Manningtree stations in Essex.

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9 Feb 2015

Good news for Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon

  • February 9, 2015
  • News

There was further good news for The Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon plan this week.

The £1billion tidal lagoon plan now has full equity funding following a decision by InfraRed Capital Partners to pump up to £100m into the project.

Led by Tidal Lagoon Power Ltd, the project is expected to generate around 500GWh of electricity every year for 120 years, helping to save more than 236,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.

The project will also create almost 2000 jobs.

Werner von Guionneau, chief executive, InfraRed Capital Partners, said: “We are proud to be playing a key role in securing the future of this world-leading renewable energy project.

“The power station is unique in that it not only leverages the estuary’s second highest tidal range in the world, but it will also make a material contribution towards both the local economy in South Wales and the long term stability of sustainable energy supply in the UK.”

It is the second piece of positive news for the tidal lagoon project, within the space of three months. At the end of 2014, the plan was named in the National Infrastructure Plan published ahead of the chancellor’s Autumn Statement.

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3 Feb 2015

The Importance of Machinery Maintenance

For many companies, machinery maintenance is seen as boring and dirty but machinery maintenance is something that should not be taken lightly. Your ability to run an effective lean manufacturing business is reliant upon the effective and efficient running of your machinery.

While the cost of a regular maintenance plan may initially feel like as though it’s costly, it will be nowhere near as costly as a major equipment breakdown resulting in an inability to continue with production or service.

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26 Jan 2015

UK rail industry gets huge boost

The United Kingdom’s rail industry can afford to smile with the news that the first completed pre-series Class 800 train is on its way.

The train, built by Hitachi in Japan, is the first of a fleet of 122 trains set for the Great Western Main Line and the East Coast Main Line, as part of the Department for Transport’s Intercity Express programme.

Even better news for the rail industry in the UK is that the bulk of the fleet will be manufactured in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. The factory is currently under construction and will employ over 700 staff.

Simon Jones, managing director of PRV Engineering www.prv-engineering.co.uk said; “It’s good news all round for the rail industry and manufacturing industry in the UK.”

The current pre-series Class 800 comprises many parts and components, manufactured here in the UK.

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19 Jan 2015

PRV set for Southern Manufacturing 2015

Are you looking to improve production, increase profitability and ultimately grow your business in 2015? If so, why not venture down to Southern Manufacturing 2015?

This year’s show, based over three days (February 10-12) will open its doors to around 800 companies, from all over the world.

The show will comprise live demonstrations, technical seminars and an opportunity to speak with many of the world’s market leaders. It’s a must visit for any manufacturing business seeking to develop and progress over the coming months and years.

Following on from last year’s successful show where PRV Engineering was amongst the exhibitors, the show will include displays of industrial technology, machinery, electronic, production hardware, automation and specialist engineering services.

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10 Jan 2015

PRV Engineering ready to face the challenges in 2015

The year has started well with good news about the manufacturing economy. Indicators show that things continued to improve throughout 2014 and the trend is likely to continue into 2015. However, there are still concerns about a shortage of engineers in the UK.

PRV Engineering pride ourselves on being pro active in the industry. We keep an eye on trends and developments to make sure that we can provide the best service possible to our existing clients while attracting new ones at the same time. We want to stay at the cutting edge of engineering.

Continued investment in machinery and staff, means we get the best from both. We keep down time to a minimum, our operations effective and give the best customer service possible. We also continue to expand into wider markets due to our investment in state of the art CNC and 5 axis milling machines.

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3 Jan 2015

UK manufacturing on the up

2014 saw a healthy growth across the sectors, regions and nations that make up the UK, providing evidence of a broad-based economic recovery.

In November, it was reported that Britain had recently solidified its position as one of the fastest growing economies in the industrial world with a third quarter growth of 0.7 per cent.

The news followed on from the confirmation in August that UK manufacturing output was up 3.9%, compared with the previous year. Construction output was up 2.6% on the same time last year.

On top of that, unemployment, a key indicator of how the economy is performing, fell to 6.2% in July compared to 7.7% the year before, with the number of people in employment increasing by 774,000 compared to the same time in 2013.

All in all, there were positive signs in 2014 despite the normal concerns across the manufacturing industry.

Below is a summary of some of the key points made in a recent article by The Week.

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27 Dec 2014

Robotic arm controlled by thoughts

The sight of a paralysed woman controlling a robotic arm, using just her thoughts, was enough to dominate the headlines in 2012.

At the time, experts in the field said it was an “unprecedented performance” and a “remarkable achievement”.

Two years on, the same woman has taken another significant step towards restoring her natural movements by controlling the arm with a range of complex hand movements.

Jan Scheuermann, who has longstanding quadriplegia, is now able to give high fives and thumbs up.

The plaudits go to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, who have increased the manoeuvrability of the robotic arm from seven to 10 dimensions.

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20 Dec 2014

Does automation reduce the need for engineering knowledge?

The automation of any manufacturing process always raises questions about whether we will lose the engineering knowledge associated with the tasks. But all indications are that automation will need to increase in manufacturing in the UK if we are to keep up with the rest of Europe.

We’ve seen 3D printing grow hugely in the last few years. To start with it was only simple 3D models that were printed. Now we are using 3D printers to produce aircraft parts, prosthetic limbs and there are even food printers now. There are also ongoing developments into printing using metals and other materials. Last week saw the designs for a socket set being emailed to the space station where it was then printed out and is currently in use.

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12 Dec 2014

Developments in Driverless Cars

When plans for the state-of-the-art Driverless Cars were first mooted, there were plenty of raised eyebrows and an equal number of genuine sceptics. However, the plans went ahead with experts claiming that driverless car would be an important step for road safety.

They could take over driving on roads, just like autopilots take control of airplanes, while the pilot often has nothing to do but just sit and wait for landing. There would be fewer car accidents and road fatalities.

Experts also believe cars that drive themselves would represent the most significant transformation in road travel since the introduction of the internal combustion engine.

Five years on and four sites in England have been earmarked for trials of driverless cars. The process will begin in the New Year. The trials have been made possible with £10m of funding from Innovate UK, the government’s Technology Strategy Board.

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