Due to Good Friday, we’re a day ahead with this weeks ‘Friday Fact’ – it’s not an April Fools’ trick to try and catch you out honest! Much as we love an engineering-based fact, we fancy a change this week and are going for a more personal touch. With Spring Read more…
When I hear the name Nintendo I recall patiently waiting for my turn on the Game Boy – this passed as soon as it came! Most recently, I’m baffled by how a five-year-old trumps me playing tennis on the Wii! Either way, it’s not what Nintendo first sold when they Read more…
We’re starting this week’s Fun Friday Fact with a quote, “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” These words are attributed to T.J Watson, President of IBM, in 1943. The prediction seems off the mark compared to today’s world, where computers are commonplace. Although, given the Read more…
It’s time for our Friday Fact… Let’s start by setting the scene… it’s the 1980s, with some questionable fashion choices and great tunes on the workshop radio. I had just started my career in engineering and learning my trade. Lots of hands-on tools and machines to get to grips with Read more…
For today’s Fun Friday Fact, we take a virtual trip to Egypt, home to a man named Imhotep. The belief is he is the first person in the world credited as an engineer. Imhotep was probably the first person to use stone columns to support a building in the design Read more…
We are inspired by an everyday item for this week’s Friday Fact. Can you guess what it is from these clues? This item has many practical uses on earth and in space. It was invented by a Swiss electrical engineer named George de Mestral. It was inspired on a walk Read more…
Did you know the world’s first cast-iron bridge was built here in the UK? The Iron Bridge in Shropshire opened in 1781 and significantly influenced bridge designs globally. The bridge’s history suggests it was quite a team effort to design, fund, and construct. As with many engineering projects, communication plays Read more…
Fun Fact Friday – Invention of bank cards In 1960, while at IBM, Forrest Parry invented the magnetic stripe used on bank cards. His idea was to glue short pieces of magnetic tape to each plastic card, but they didn’t stay on. When he returned home, his wife was ironing Read more…
And just like that, it’s Friday again! And our SLA 3D printer is in full action, from minute plastic fittings to fantasy figurines! The breadth and intricate detail we create with the printer are astounding. I enjoy the variety of designs we work with, and we’re always ready to welcome Read more…
For this week’s Fun Fact, we head back to 1452. A Hungarian engineer, Orban, offered to sell a mighty cannon to the Roman Emperor. He refused, so Orban instead sold the cannon to the Ottoman emperor, who used it to breach the walls of Constantinople in 1453. This brought the Read more…