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Railway Industry

24 Jul 2018

We can all agree that there aren’t many products we use in everyday life that does not involve CNC machining. From cars, planes, household machines and appliances to medical parts and toys, all go through a CNC machine at some point during production.

Computer Numerically Controlled or CNC machining has become more versatile then ever. The number of axis has increased and the types of machines now available mean that increasingly smaller and more intricate parts are manufactured using a CNC machine. The development of CNC Machining has truly revolutionised the manufacturing industry.

It’s not just CNC machines making waves, further advances like

18 May 2018

Subcon Show 2018 is mere weeks away and this year may be the biggest event yet. UK’s premier subcontract manufacturing supply chain show will run alongside The Engineering Expo, a free to attend 3-day educational program.

Thursday 5 June sees the 2018 Subcon show kick off at the Birmingham NEC displaying the best of British manufacturing. Network with top industry leaders and international suppliers looking to help UK manufacturers optimise their supply chain strategies.

9 Mar 2018

Transport is changing rapidly at what seems to be on a daily basis. From the Hyperloop One, autonomous ships, self-driving cars to flying taxis and now, a high-performance maglev train. We’ve come so far in the last 5 years alone, it’s hard to imagine what will be next.

Elon Musk has already provided some insights with the Hyperloop One and now it’s time for China to shine. Let’s be honest, they’ve always been known for their impressive railway systems and outrageously fast trains. Their high-speed rail certainly remains one of the most

1 Sep 2017

The recent successful test of the Hyperloop One is proof that the future of transport is at our fingertips. The near-supersonic transit concept used magnetic levitation for the first time on the ‘DevLoop’ test track in a vacuum environment. Co-founder Shervin Pishevar claims that by achieving full vacuum, they’ve essentially created a sky in a tube as if traveling 200 000 feet in the air.

The latest test showed speeds of 308 km/h (192 mph) on the 500-meter (1,640-foot) test track in Nevada where all system components functioned as intended. The next phase is

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.

25 Feb 2017

Whilst things have been ticking along in the background for HS2, there haven’t been too many headlines recently – until now. After 3 years of work, the HS2 project received Royal Assent on February 23rd.

What exactly does this mean for HS2? Put simply, it means that work can start. Construction schedules can be drawn up, suppliers can begin to prepare their bid documents and also gear up their own supply chain requirements in preparation.
The project will not be without problems though. At every step of the way to date there have been objections to overcome. Issues around compulsory purchase of property, the environment and potential job losses in some areas have been, and will continue to be contentious issues. Those objections are counter balanced by the many that believe improved connections between the major cities will bring increased investment, business and jobs.

23 Dec 2016

As we approach the year end we thought we’d take a look back at some of the new and innovative engineering stories and reports that came out this year.

There were some astounding breakthroughs in the medical and healthcare sectors as well as enhancements in the more run of the mill procedures.

Osseo integration (the practice of using pins to implant directly into the bone) has been in the news throughout the year. Despite many successful surgeries overseas, growth in the use of the procedure has been relatively slow. A UK pilot of the procedure for military personnel who have lost limbs launched in September this year. If successful it is hoped the use of the procedure can be adopted more widely.

11 Nov 2016

Hyperloop One has agreed a deal with the Dubai Road Transport Authority to assess the delivery of a hyperloop system that will reduce the time taken to travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.

The system which works using a vacuum-sealed pod transport system could potentially reduce the time taken to travel the 90 miles from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in as little as 12 minutes. Whilst initially the aim is to concentrate on what a hyperloop system can achieve across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there is speculation that it could be expanded at a later date to build links with neighbouring Gulf countries. The current travel time by plane between Dubai and Saudi Arabia is 2 hours; with Hyperloop that travel time could be halved.

14 Oct 2016

The weather has turned positively autumnal with a drop in temperature and leaves starting to drop from the trees. At this time of year commuters across the country groan and begin to think about how often the weather is likely to disrupt their daily journey to work. Leaves on the track is frequently put forward as the major reason for causing seasonal disruption to services on our rail network, and whilst at face value the reason sounds a little far-fetched, leaves on the track are in fact, a real safety hazard.

So why do leaves on the rail network cause so many problems? There are 2 key areas where leaves cause problems:

  1. Trains lose their adhesion as the rails become more slippy
  2. Leaves act as an insulator and can disrupt electrical signals on the track.
21 Aug 2016

In 2014 South West trains introduced electrical multiple units (EMUS) on some routes from London Waterloo. This along with projects to lengthen platforms and trains on other services is just small part of an £800 million investment to improve rail services on the network. In 2015 South West trains ordered a number of Siemens class 707 EMUs for use on the Windsor to London Waterloo commuter service and the first body shell for the 707s was completed in October 2015 at the Siemen’s factory in Germany.

Last month testing of the 707s began in earnest at the Siemen’s dedicated test track in Widenrath, Germany. The state of the art testing site has been designed to test UK fleets to Network Rail standards and should keep disruption to UK train services to a minimum during the testing phase.

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