Industrial Science

  The main concern for all engineers is to ensure that their machine or the appliance runs as efficiently as possible - to that end, vibration isolation systems are usually top of the list.  Every piece of machinery, from the smallest laptop to a huge band saw, vibrates. Obviously, the amplitude of these vibrations varies significantly. These vibrations can create friction, imbalances, excessive noise and even failure in some mechanical devices. For heavy industrial applications, these vibrations can pose a significant risk to productivity and safety. Causes of Abnormal Vibrations Before we can tackle minimising these vibrations, we need to understand the cause. These can vary and can result from combined factors. These factors generally include: Wear For example, a roller bearing can become pitted, a drive belt can break down or gears could chip. A result is a machine that is going to vibrate. Vibrations caused by additional factors can also result in wear and...

An atomic force microscope (AFM) is a type of high resolution scanning probe microscope that has a resolution that you can measure in fractions of a nanometer. This scientific technology was pioneered in 1986 by Nobel Prize Winner Gerd Binnig along with Calvin Quate and Christoph Gerber.  Atomic Force Microscopy One of the most important tools for imaging on the nanometer scale, AFM uses a cantilever with a sharp probe that scans the surface of the specimen. When the tip of the probe travels near to a surface, the forces between the tip and sample deflect the cantilever according to Hooke’s law. AFM will measure a number of different forces depending on the situation and the sample that you want to measure. As well as the forces, other microscopes can include a probe that performs more specialised measurements, such as temperature. The force deflects the cantilever, and this changes the reflection of a laser beam that shines on the top surface of the cantilever onto an array of ph...

As the 1.5 million UK consumers of heating oil Shropshire will know, there can be significant price fluctuations, which can mean paying a different price depending on what time of year it is. Oil and gas prices fluctuate regularly so it can be quite difficult to know when the best time to purchase heating oil is in order to get the best value or the cheapest price - particularly in the run up to the colder winter months when you’ll be using the most home heating oil. On average, a household that uses home heating oil will use two-thirds of its yearly heating oil consumption between October and March. There are many complex factors that influence the price you pay for your home heating oil, this does make it difficult to predict when the best time to buy your oil is. However, by understanding some of the main factors that affect the price of winter heating oil, you will be in a much better position to make an informed decision about when the best time to order is for you. Although, as...

AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy) is possibly the most versatile and powerful type of microscopy technology available for studying samples at the nanoscale. It is versatile because a budget atomic force microscope can not only image in three-dimensional topography, but it also provides various types of surface measurements to the needs of engineers and scientists. It is powerful because an AFM can easily generate images at atomic resolution with angstrom scale resolution height information, with minimum sample preparation.  AFM Principle - Surface Sensing An AFM uses a cantilever with a very sharp tip to scan over a sample surface. As the tip approaches the surface, the close-range, attractive force between the surface and the tip causes the cantilever to deflect towards the surface. However, as the cantilever is brought even closer to the surface, such that the tip makes contact with it, increasingly repulsive force takes over and causes the cantilever to deflect away from the surfac...

Electrical feedthroughs are components which enable the transfer of electrical power into or out of a hermetic chamber. Electrical feedthroughs consist of metal-ceramic-joints whereas the ceramic serves as an electrical insulator between the conductor and the connection flange. In addition to providing leak-tightness in high and ultra-high vacuum, many feedthroughs have to be resistant to high or cryogenic temperatures, high pressure and aggressive chemicals. Coaxial Feedthroughs Coaxial feedthroughs consist of two concentric conductor paths which are electrically isolated from each other by an alumina or glass-ceramic insulator in between. The inner pin-shaped conductor serves as current-carrying contact and is surrounded by a tubular outside conductor, which is usually at ground potential ("grounded shield"). The outer conductor shields the inner conductor from electromagnetic interference effects coming from outside. Coaxial feedthroughs can be used universally and are pa...

If you’re deciding on what type of heating you want for your home, keep reading to find out why home heating oil Shropshire is the best option for you. When reworking the heating system in your home, or simply planning out a newly-built home, weighing the pros and cons of different heating options can be tough. It used to be simple, you could throw some wood in the fireplace and be good to go. Now we are bombarded with hundreds of brands, systems, and pieces of information that tell us one is better than the other. For a number of reasons that we’ll go over, we advocate that oil is the best home heating fuel option. That isn’t to say that there are pros and cons to the others, because there certainly are. This article will go over some of the fine details in home heating options to help you choose the best one for your home. Most Common Home Heating Options While there are lots of heating options to choose from, we’re going to cover the ones that you’re most likely to consider. The Bo...