Even though copper is the most popular choice for use in busbars, and used very often in other electrical applications because it is more resistant to rust and corrosion than other metals, this doesn’t mean that it won’t oxidize over time.
When metals oxidize, the resistance in the conductive metal will increase, requiring more power to be used to carry current along the surface. When the copper oxidizes beyond a certain point, the metal can begin to flake and fall apart.
Manufacturing products for what is considered ‘normal,’ or everyday environments has become so commonplace that it can be all too easy to forget that there needs to be a number of considerations for manufacturing products that will be subjected to ‘harsh’ environments.
The specifications and the approach to manufacturing under these harsh conditions must be different. The components that are used, the metals, and other considerations are very often different when working on products that will be used in these harsher, more challenging environments.
In the modern of age of technology and innovation, it might seem as though there is no real need to offer any more inspiration than what currently exists naturally all around us. Yet in reality, when different groups are all chasing the same goals fierce competition can result. This can be considered a positive factor but it can also lead to missteps and a stagnant footing for some. This can hamper innovation and the creative mind.
When the country is looking for any signs of economic growth and stability, during the past few years those signs have been meagre, to say the least. Today, though, PRV Engineering has announced that due to considerable growth during the past two years that we will be expanding its capacities and operations, with the intent of creating up to thirty new jobs over the next few years.
The Queen’s Award for Innovation, along with other Queen’s awards, is granted every year on the Queen’s birthday. It is a celebration of the best that the United Kingdom’s citizens, engineers, and minds has to offer.
This year the award for innovation was granted to Simpleware from Exeter. This great honour was bestowed upon Simpleware for the software that it created that converts 3-dimensional images into computer models, which can then be used for engineering purposes.
The Olympics is a celebrated event around the world. When a nation earns the right to host these games of endurance, skill, and most importantly, positive competition, it becomes their burden to build venues and an atmosphere that is not only welcoming to all, but state of the art and environmentally friendly.
As an engineering challenge, the Crossrail is one of the finest examples of the need for not only highly skilled and well trained engineers in Great Britain, but it also highlights the need to remain focused on the education and training of future engineers. Even though the Crossrail is perhaps the most challenging task of its kind to date, in the future there will be other challenge that will likely be greater.
Who will head that project and ensure that it works out without an issue within the confines of the existing systems and networks in place?
Underneath the ground in London is one of the most complex networks of utility lines as well as rail systems in the world. Merely navigating the treacherous web of lines and tunnels can be a weeks’ long process, but when you couple that with the idea of adding a new rail system, affectionately known as the Crossrail, then you come across a logistical challenge that can put nearly any engineer to an early retirement.
Keeping costs down is generally considered an important caveat of a healthy industry, but when it comes to industries such as the railroad system, there are more issues at stake than merely keeping the cost of tickets down. Safety in an age of threats, both foreign and domestic, as well as the high rate of copper theft that has been affecting the railway industry are just two examples of the issues that are affecting the commuter railway world.
The idea of cutting costs is certainly one that will be agreeable to a number of people, but the plan has to pass a number of criteria before it can be determined to be effective in the long run.
Anthony Smith, who is the Chief Executive of Passenger Focus, a watchdog group that has the interest of the riding public in mind, believes that there is certainly a need to have a more cost-effective railroad for the consumers, but he isn’t convinced yet that the simple act of cutting costs is going to have the right impact on the public at large.
He states, ‘How will it affect the way we travel? [The plan] need[s] to pass two tests: will passengers find the changes both affordable and acceptable?’ If consumers don’t find these cost cutting plans to be either, or preferably both, the long-term effects, such as reduced ridership, revenue, and more can have a greater bearing on those long-term costs that the government is aiming to save.
Regulations that will go into effect in the future under this cost cutting plan will also be a factor in impacting how the major companies deal with the shared costs of operating their rail lines. Some of the proposed regulations also indicate the potential for mismanagement and misuse, such as allowing individual operators to charge more for busier times. During the commuter rush hours, there are currently no provisions in place with this cost cutting plan to limit or cap the amount that can be charged for specific fare times.
However, it is important to note that while the government plan is to cut 3.5 billion pounds from the cost of operating the railway throughout the UK, as reported by The BBC, they are exploring all of the options available to them in order to ensure that they not only achieve the greatest cost savings, but that it also benefits the riding public as well. One final doomsday note comes from RMT general secretary Bob Crow who admonishes this proposed legislation, stating that it will return the industry to the days of disasters, such as Hatfield and Potters Bar.
The coming months of debate will highlight the full potential impact of this proposed cost cutting legislation.
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