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26 Jun 2015

University of Bristol partners with Airbus

Airbus signed a partnership agreement with the University of Bristol last week, formalising their commitment to build on training, education and diversity. The agreement was signed at the International Air Show in Paris last week.

Talking about the partnership Thierry Baril, Chief Human Resources Officer of Airbus Group, said: “These partnership agreements underline our commitment to work hand-in-hand with academics and engineering education leaders to develop and secure the competences that the aerospace industry will need in the future.”

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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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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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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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21 Nov 2014

Engineering apprenticeships are the way forward

A lack of young engineers and in particular female engineers, has caused genuine concerns within the engineering industry in recent years.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has given the whole of British industry a significant boost by claiming that young people who choose apprenticeships and vocational training over academic studies will form the country’s ‘economic backbone’.

Speaking at the Skills Show at Birmingham’s NEC, Mr Clegg said; “We need to get beyond this rather fusty, old-fashioned view that the only good thing for a young person to do after school or a college education is to take an academic qualification.

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17 Oct 2014

Women in Engineering

Earlier this year we reported on the lack of Women in Engineering. This is due, in some part, to the perceptions of what a career in engineering involves.

Studies have shown that many female students believe engineering is all about fixing cars, getting their hands dirty and coming home with black faces and dirty nails. As a result, they steer clear.

It has caused widespread concern. So much so, that earlier this year, business secretary Vince Cable suggested the shortage of engineers, and in particular a shortage of women in engineering, provided a serious threat to recovery.

At that stage – and figures are understood to have changed very little – only 8 per cent of British engineers were women. That compares unfavourably with 15 per cent in Germany, 25 per cent in Sweden and 30 per cent in Latvia.

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7 Jul 2014

Plans agreed for downdraft tower

It’s a fact that around 20% of global final energy consumption comes from renewable sources with more than 10% of all energy from traditional biomass, being used for heating.

At national level, at least 30 countries already have renewable energy contributing more than 20% of energy supply. Furthermore, national renewable energy markets are projected to continue to grow strongly in the coming decade and beyond.

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23 May 2014

What does the word engineering mean?

What does the word engineering mean and what does an engineer do?

If you ask most youngsters these days, they will almost certainly paint the picture of a brown collar worker with dirty hands and overalls. The same goes for many adults too. Therein lies the problem for most engineering company managers who find it increasingly frustrating when it comes to recruitment.

As PRV Engineering managing director Simon Jones said recently; “The problem is this. Kids don’t do metalwork and woodwork in school because of health and safety issues. As a result, they not only don’t know anything about our industry, but they don’t have any desire to pursue a career in engineering. That is why we find it so difficult when it comes to recruitment.”

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24 Apr 2014

Engineering gets a much needed boost

Although the industry has suffered widespread criticism, there has been a general improvement in public attitude towards engineering.

Produced in March, the Public Attitudes report found that despite a lack of quality engineers, people now hold scientists and engineers in high regard. Ninety per cent not only believe engineers make a valuable contribution to society but view them as creative, interesting and open-minded people.

According to an article in The Engineer, this is borne out by Engineering UK’s annual Engineers and Engineering Brand Monitor, which found that for all age-groups ‘interesting’ has triumphed over previous descriptions for engineering, such as ‘dirty’ or ‘messy’ and even the more ambiguous term ‘challenging’.

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