Category: Engineering

3D printing allows for fast and affordable prototyping; it has been used in engineering in order to create accurate representations of designs in a shorter period of time. CAD design is utilised in conjunction, helping to produce streamlined results with fewer errors in the finished product.

By reducing the cost of prototypes, 3D is allowing for the construction of optimised robots that are increasingly more durable. With 3D printing in the engineering industry, engineers are able to apply its advantages to several sectors.

 

QuadBot

3D printable and programmable, QuadBot is presently still running a Kickstarter campaign in order to fund its first production run. Students from Manchester University and Engimake founders, Jack Scott-Reeve and Josh Elijah, utilised their master’s degrees in engineering from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering to develop the Quadbot. Its primary function is to be a learning tool, guaranteeing groups and workshops have an easy-to-use tool that needs little maths, electronics, 3D design, and coding experience.

The robot is completely open source with Arduino C++ and Ardublockly Graphical as main recommended software. It contains approximately 27 hours of 3D printed parts, Bluetooth module, servo motors, cables, and cords. The QuadBot is capable of dancing, walking, avoid obstacles, and much more, allowing for endless creations due to its open source platform.

 

Mars Medical Challenge

This challenge is seeking K-12 United States students to create a 3D design of a medical device capable of sustaining the physical health of an astronaut on a 3-year mission to Mars. The requirement? It needs to be 3D printable for use in emergency situations, diagnostics, first-aid, and other medical solutions.

Hoping to develop technology that will allow humans to travel in space for long-term missions of exploration, the entries are required to be six inches by six inches. The winners of this project will be announced on 28^th March, with the big prize being a tour of NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston.

3D printing is here to stay, allowing both engineering professionals and students to create optimised designs that are faster to manufacture and more affordable. As leaders in spring and high-speed press technology, here at European Springs we can help you find the perfect springs for you 3D printed project. Get in touch with us by giving us a call on 028 9083 8605 to speak to our skilled team. We’re always happy to answer any query you might have!

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Springs are everywhere; if you want to turn your light on, sit on your comfortable settee or even go for a drive in your brand new car, then springs are involved. They have been around for hundreds of years and they aren’t going away anytime soon.

We at European Springs Ireland understand the importance of all types of springs, from the popular extension and compression springs to the weird and wonderful array of wire forms. To help you understand what we do a little more, here is a great selection of less commonly known springs and their uses.

Constant Force Springs

The most important thing in regards to a constant force spring is that it is a spring for which the force it exerts over a period of time is continual. Because of this, the spring does not obey Hooke’s Law, where the force applied or exerted by a spring is proportional to the extension that is applied to the spring.

The anatomy of is traditionally a rolled ribbon of carbon steel that, when fully rolled up, is relaxed. This means that when the spring is unrolled, the centre of the roll tries to force the spring back to its original position.

These springs are typically used in applications where a smooth return is required, counterbalancing, tension and loading applications. Some industries that would use them include industrial tools, window counterbalances and point of purchase machines.

Wave Springs

Wave springs are one of the most uniquely designed springs present within the industry. In essence, it is made of a coiled flat wire that have ‘waves’ or minute turns added to give it an overall spring effect.

The main advantage they have over other varieties of coiled springs, is that they can offer the same amount of extension and compression as traditional compression springs, but they can be as much as 50% of the axial height of normal compression springs.

This means that wave springs are essentially the same as compression springs but just smaller. This is great for applications where the load is relatively large but it is constricted by space. They help with that by being able to provide a great load and minimise the space that is required.

Wire Forms

We at European Springs Ireland are wire form manufacturers. When it comes to the bare bones of it, a wire form is a technical name for a metal rod that has bends incorporated to it to create a unique design that can be used in many different scenarios.

The reason why they have become increasingly popular is due to the advancement of technology, especially in the manufacturing industry. With computer technology becoming more and more accurate, CNC machines can create the most exquisite parts for anything from use in headphones to computing.

It is important to understand the technical aspect of the things that we take for granted; how they work, what they are made of, and what they are used for. At European Springs Ireland, we are leading spring manufactures so we know how important it is to know as much as you can about the springs that we use in everyday life.

If you would like to know more, then please contact us today on 028 9083 8605 and we will be more than happy to answer any queries you may have.

There are many different types of springs, each with its own physical properties. Knowing which is the right one for your project can be challenging, then, as they can have very different applications due to this, which means that in order to make the right choice you need to know their key features.

Picking out the right spring for your project becomes a lot easier when you know its characteristics and common uses. Here at European Springs Ireland we aim to help you make the right decision at all times, so please don’t hesitate to talk to us if you wish to learn more about what we can do for you!

Needless to say, here at European Springs Ireland, we are passionate about the field of engineering, and the many ways it can impact for positive progress and overall benefit to humankind. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world of medical research.

Therefore we were thrilled to learn about the pioneering work being done by engineering researchers at the Polytechnique Montreal Nanorobotics Laboratory. Here, tests on mice with colorectal tumours have successfully used natural nanorobotic agents to travel through the bloodstream and target those cancerous tumours.

This precision injection method does no harm to healthy tissue and significantly reduces the toxic effect of strong drugs on the rest of the body.

How Do The Nanobots Function?

Self-propellent force is created by composition of millions of flagellated bacteria. The force is strong enough to allow travel by the most direct path deep into the area requiring treatment. On entering the tumour, the nanorobotic agents detect the hypoxic (oxygen deficient) zones and release the drug. Hypoxic zones are prone to being oxygen starved by aggressive cancer cells, and even radiotherapy has not been able to effectively reach them.

How Do They Navigate?

The travelling bacteria move in the direction of a magnetic field, controlled by computer, steered by a chain of magnetised nanoparticles. They are assisted by a sensor measuring the oxygen concentration levels, and this guides them to the worst affected areas, and allows them to remain there.

What Are The Future Implications?

The most exciting prospect is that chemotherapy, known to be destructive to the whole body, could use these nanorobots to target areas of disease. This would radically reduce harmful side effects and potentially prove more therapeutic. It also means drug doses for humans could be substantially reduced. Sylvain Martel, who has been leading this research, believes that this new innovation with nanotransporters could lead to more advances in engineering for medical intervention methods.

Bacteria Can Replicate Artificial Nanorobots

The breakthrough in this use of bacteria opens the way for more research possibilities. It begs the question of what other agents could be synthesised for such therapeutic ends. Any discovery which challenges the toxic misery caused by chemotherapy is very exciting news indeed.

If, like us here at European Springs, you are inspired by the possibilities for future engineering progress in medicine and other areas, why not get in touch? We are always open to new collaborations and would love to share your enthusiasm and ideas. Contact us today to find out how we can help you!