Detecting and deflecting the asteroid threat
Engineers around the world are developing technology to protect our planet from potentially catastrophic asteroid collisions. Every year, around 40,000 tonnes of space rock falls to the earth. This is mostly in the form of dust and small meteorites but occasionally something more substantial will enter our atmosphere. The Chelyabinsk meteor - a 20 metre diameter meteorite which travelled at an estimated 12 miles per second which exploded with a force equivalent to 30 Hiroshima bombs - was thought to be the largest object of its kind since the so-called 1908 Tunguska event, when an asteroid of around 40m diameter devastated a 2000km2 area of remote Siberian forest. Read more...
Northern Manufacturing & Electronics exhibition heads back to Manchester
Industrial technology show Northern Manufacturing & Electronics 2017 returns to Manchester’s EventCity from 27-28 September. The free-to-attend event covers virtually every branch of engineering, from the latest machining centres, tooling, production hardware, components, test and inspection equipment to consumables, stock management and much more. Read more...
Boeing to construct first European production site in UK
Airplane designer and manufacturer, Boeing, has broken ground at the Sheffield Business Park site where its first European manufacturing facility will be built. Boeing employs more than 2,200 people across the UK at numerous sites, from Glasgow to Gosport – image courtesy of Boeing The 66,700 square feet production site, due to open in late 2018, will manufacture actuation system components for Boeing’s Next-Generation 737, 737 MAX and 777 aeroplanes. Read more...
Rolls-Royce develops new snake-like robot to remotely repair engines
Tom Danvers has a rare set of skills. He’s one of a handful of people – no more than 20 worldwide – who are qualified to perform ‘keyhole surgery’ on Rolls-Royce jet engines. These skilled engineers travel all over the world to reach stricken planes, but their exotic lifestyle could soon come to an end. Rolls-Royce is working with the University of Nottingham to develop mini remote-controlled robots that can snake their way inside engines, allowing Danvers and his colleagues to perform their delicate operations without travelling to the aircraft. It’s a fascinating engineering challenge. Read more...
World's biggest offshore windfarm approved as prices drop to record low
The government has awarded the contract for the world’s biggest offshore windfarm as wind energy price drops to record low. Dong Energy will build the 1,386MW-capacity Hornsea Project Two windfarm in the North Sea, 89km off the Yorkshire coast. The farm, which is expected to power more than 1.3 million homes from 2022, will surpass Dong’s Hornsea Project One to become the biggest offshore windfarm. The new project will support more than 2,000 jobs during construction, with up to 130 permanent jobs during its lifetime of up to 25 years. Read more...
UK Govt to accelerate autonomous vehicle technology
Climate change and industry minister Claire Perry has announced the launch of MERIDIAN – a new co-ordination hub for Connected Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) technologies testing. Meridian will create a cluster of excellence in driverless car testing, along the M40 corridor between Coventry and London. MERIDIAN, funded jointly by the Government’s flagship £100m CAV investment programme and by industry, will create a cluster of excellence in autonomous vehicle testing, along the M40 corridor between Coventry and London. Read more...