Gadget boys and girls are in heaven. How the world has changed for people making their second largest purchase after a house. Fifteen years ago we had cars which had become dramatically more reliable, lasted eighteen years and any corner garage could repair them with pattern parts. We have had a massive change in the [...]
Will the sort of home automation that was showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas January 6-9 th give us slick and dependable products? Once again, we all had our annual glimpse into the future of home electronics, with a daily dose of the next big thing in our newspapers and on the web. [...]
Will the low oil price cause a blow out in the UK Oil and Gas hydraulics sector? Deciding whether the fall in oil and gas prices will have business implications for hydraulics manufacturers. The Oil and Gas hydraulics sector has undoubtedly been a strong growth area for some years. Some businesses have done very [...]
As someone who has more than once been left unconvinced that a thickness called up on a drawing was what had been produced, I was interested to read of last week’s awful legal case where a new yacht had run aground, the hull split and the owner brought an action against the yacht builder claiming that [...]
Just a simple round up from what we have learnt about seal materials over thirty years. There are no end of sites on the Web on seal materials and compatibility. There are manufacturers like Parker on www.parker.com . There are lots of great distributors. As usual, feel free to comment, even if something is wrong. [...]
When is "cheap and throwaway" a total waste of time if you are relying on something to work? Whether you need it to work reliably on a job in order to pay the mortgage or you need it to work after three years in an emergency situation, will a throwaway component fit the bill? If [...]
The Vasa reminds us that nothing changes with a muddled design process. image source:ulkotours,com Much as we read about Public Sector IT contracts which have been a disaster when specifications are continually changed, has design ever been any different? It is just so risky to change your mind once the show is on the [...]
The customer wants you to add a hand pump for a ridiculously low cost. You will win the order if you can supply the pack immediately with a hand pump. The customer wants to upgrade some systems to standby power but won’t pay for your service guy to travel to site. Unfortunately, these are everyday [...]
Particularly in smaller businesses, I think partnerships with suppliers are what make the business. We have some incredibly long relationships. There is more to it than price. Service and know-how are big things as well. However much information is on a drawing for a machined part, processed component or even in a description on a [...]
After thirty years of manufacturing our Micropac pressure and hydrostatic test pumps, we know a thing or two about leaks. The easy job is pressure testing your job up to a “proof pressure”, checking that it does not leak or has not permanently deformed and signing it off. Job done! The science is in diagnosing [...]
