Posts Tagged ‘IMechE’

Engineering Heritage Nomination – Eigg Electric

Posted on: April 5th, 2013 by Robin

I am a strong supporter of the IMechE Engineering Heritage Award scheme. It highlights ‘good engineering’ that is either first of its kind or last in existence. I am writing an application for Eigg Electric as I think they should be recognised for their forward thinking approach to renewable energy generation.

“For the people who live on the Isle of Eigg, the noisy diesel generators that each house used to own are now are silent and suddenly they have leapt to the forefront of electricity generation using renewable energy resources.

The Eigg Electric project is a world leader in the integration of multiple renewable energy sources into a grid system to supply an isolated and scattered small community. Robin Smith a mechanical engineer whilst on holiday on Eigg with his family was inspired to produce this 4 min video to demonstrate what this community has achieved creating a micro grid that connects together hydroelectric, wind & sun into a battery bank and reserve generator.

This project has been conceived and driven by the enthusiasm of the whole community of the Isle of Eigg, and is the culmination of 10 years of achievement since the purchase of the island by the residents in 1997. It was recognised that conventional mains power was not a practicable proposition, the islanders decided to create and run their own all island electricity system; a system that was to depend as much as possible upon renewable resources.

The real story behind this project is an exemplary tale of project management and what a small number of highly motivated (and largely non technical) people can achieve when push comes to shove. The people off Eigg didn’t choose renewable energy because it was the cheap or ‘trendy’ option. They implemented this system because it was right for their environment. The limited capacity of the system requires that they limit demand, and with the approval of the residents, domestic and small business supplies have been capped at 5kW, and larger business supplies at 10kW. Everyone has adapted well to using power within these limits, and the concept make a very real contribution to energy economy and load spreading, a lesson that many of us power hungry ‘mainlanders’ should maybe absorb.”

What do you think of Eigg Electric?

Should the people behind Eigg Electric be given an Engineering Heritage Award ?

I’d be interested in hearing your comments below…

6 Comments

• Tags: Environment, IMechE, Mechanical Engineers • Categories: Engineering

‘Engineer’ as a collective noun

Posted on: January 22nd, 2013 by Michael Aldridge

In the Professional Engineer magazine this month, a reader makes the comment below on the subject of Making ‘Engineer’ a protected title (pg 11). We thought it was a good point that deserves consideration. What are your thoughts? (more…)

2 Comments

• Tags: IMechE, Mechanical Engineers • Categories: Engineering, Latest News

Truck-o-saurus TEREX

Posted on: October 5th, 2012 by Nick Czemerys

4c were out in force last night at IMechE’s factory visit to Terex Motherwell, the birthplace of some of their notoriously gargantuan trucks. Aside from communicating and networking with fellow engineers the night provided an insight into a titan manufacturing operation which works to surprisingly tight deadlines and utilises stringent quality control measures.

Fabrication

Utilising specialised plasma and gas cutters thick metal plates are formed into ‘airfix’ type components that are tack welded together by hand before given a thorough going over by the world’s oldest welding robot. After grinding, the resultant parts have a near perfect finish which is astounding considering they will soon be thrashing around some of the most hazardous work environments known to man.

Assembly

Component robustness is king in this industry as the trucks will often be used on a 24/7 basis to maximise production and provide a maximum return on investment. This results in some parts racking up a service life of over 3000 hours in the space of only 5 or 6 months. As Terex offer a 12 month bumper to bumper warranty, it is easy to understand why they enforce such rigorous quality control measures throughout their production process. Terex’s assembly process are backed up by a host of operations management procedures such as ‘kaizen’ and ‘lean’ to ensure that the right parts are in the right place and at the right time.

Testing and Transport

At the end of the line and after ensuring that each of its vehicles are as rugged as Chuck Norris on the onsite test track they are transported all over the world from the coal mines of Siberia to bridge building projects in South America. However, this can be a huge challenge in itself seen as these vehicles aren’t allowed to travel on roads and can often be going to places that truly define the term back and beyond!

This was a fantastic trip and gave a great opportunity to see some big trucks! Furthermore it was brilliant to see a big name heavy engineering company operating such a flourishing manufacturing base right here in the heart of Scotland. For more information on TEREX and “Scottish heavy metal” the discovery channel recently filed a fascinating documentary on their production process, well worth a gander!

In the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi – “these blast points are too accurate for sand people”

NEL Wind Turbine Visit

Posted on: May 7th, 2012 by Michael Aldridge

The IMechE put on an event last week alongside NEL which brought us to the wind turbine test facility at Myres Hill. We got a behind the scenes tour of the testing processes and got an up close and personal view of some of the latest wind technology. With all the press surrounding alternative energies it was great to witness the rigorous testing these machines must endure to achieve certification. We learnt that often in order to reach the specific wind requirements for a given test they often endure far worse. We were also able to see a broad range of wind technologies in one area. It was impressive how many different approaches were taken to tackle the problem and get an insight as to the merits and drawbacks of various designs.

A great evening for all involved.