Category: News & Updates

A study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology might have the answer, as they have discovered multiple reasons why women tend to leave engineering whilst they are still at university or when they have barely started a professional career.

1.  Menial Tasks

Women usually complain that during team-based university classes, or when they are doing a summer internship, they are left the most boring and non-important duties such as maintenance of the machinery and other routine tasks. This is very frustrating for them, as they see their male colleagues in charge of the more creative jobs such as participating in projects and designing prototypes.

2. Unfair Team Dynamic

Engineering is rarely a lonely profession: people work in groups where everyone shares ideas and test every single step of a process to assure success. Therefore, contrary to what many people think, engineering is a career that demands the necessary social skills to work within a team. However, women are often subjected to sexist attitudes when they are part of a group that is predominately male. They complain that their ideas are often questioned and many times not even taken into consideration.
Being a minority can be very hard for them, pushing them to the point where they prefer to quit their job.

3. Gender Wage

It is a sad reality but, even now, women still get paid less for doing the same work as their male colleagues – and it happens in almost every country. In engineering, the gap is quite notorious; in fact, another study found that women are underpaid when taking part in technical activities. Therefore, if women feel they are being paid less in the engineering field, they will probably try a career in other one that is more promising.

What Next?

Women leave engineering for very specific reasons, but the good news is that we can all do something to reverse this situation. Above all, the UK will benefit from an increased number of people working in the engineer sector.

One first step would be encouraging young girls to take engineering careers. They are not a men’s only area, as many examples of women who have significantly contributed to the engineering field can show.

Another step would be paying more attention to how the team dynamic works throughout the education system. Teachers and professors should fight against cultural prejudices and reinforce the value of individuals within a team, without taking their gender into consideration.

There are still many things to change in the engineering world, but here at European Springs we are ready to accept the challenge! We are a company that is always eager to incorporate the latest advance in both work dynamics and technology and champion women in STEM.

Looking for the perfect spring for your project? Contact our expert team today and we will be delighted to assist you.

The series included Tokyo Sky Tree, the Great Wall of China and the Millau Viaduct.

It’s been a while since we revisited this particular series, which is why we thought it would be good to bring it back.

However, this one has a special theme.

With Euro 2016 well underway, we thought it would be a fantastic time to look closely at one of the biggest engineered football stadiums in the world; Wembley Stadium.

About Wembley Stadium

Wembley stadium opened back in 2007 and is the largest stadium in the UK, and the second largest in the whole of Europe. It’s used for some of the biggest and most important games during the football season, including the FA Cup and League Cup final. And of course, to tie in with our theme, it’s also the ground in which the England national football team play all of their home matches.

Apart from football, it also hosts other important sporting events. It was where the Gold medal matches were held in the 2012 Olympics. Some of the biggest musicians also use the stadium as an arena during their tours!

Designing Wembley

The stadium was designed by architects Foster & Partners, HOK Sport and engineers Mott Stadium Consortium. It’s considered as being one of the most expensive stadiums, costing around £798 million.

The design is based on a bowl design; it has a sliding roof that doesn’t completely close. One of the main features includes a circular section lattice arch of 23ft internal diameter with a 1,033ft span. This rises up to 436ft and supports the entire weight of the north roof. The arch structure is reported as being 133m in height and has a span of 315m. It’s the longest single span roof structure in the entire world.

Constructing Wembley

The Roof

The roof is essential to the operation of the stadium! Standing at 50,000m2 and weighing  around 700ot, the roof has retractable sections that are there to let direct sunlight reach the entire pitch.

The Arch

The construction on the new Wembley Stadium (the other one was demolished in December 2002) started in 2003. The famous arch was fabricated on site using steel modules that were fabricated by a subcontractor. Structural engineers from the Mott Stadium Consortium worked closely with the subcontractor to transfer the load to the permanent cable net and cable.

The Pitch

The pitch at Wembley Stadium was designed to be lower than the previous pitch, measuring at 13ft. The size of the actual pitch is 105m long and 69m wide – as lined for association football. The turf was delivered in giant rolls measuring 12-16m long and took 25 lorry loads to bring it all. The grass was selected from 250 varieties!

The pitch has actually come under quite a lot of criticism and has been re-laid 11 times since opening in 2007.

Whatever team you’re supporting during this exciting football tournament; the team here at European Springs would like to wish them luck.

Whilst we can’t do anything to help your team score more goals, we can help you achieve your own. As specialist spring manufacturers and experts in high speed press technology, we could play an important role in your project.

Contact us today on 0208 663 1800 for more information.

You might remember our tweets about this fantastic event.

We had good reason to be excited! Subcon is a perfect opportunity to connect buyers with suppliers, meaning everyone will always find what they need here. With such an ideal environment, it doesn’t come as a surprise that we made sure to attend at all costs and enjoy everything the event has to offer!

The Importance of Subcon
At European Springs we’re still brimming with excitement after the show. We believe this kind of event is extremely important for the manufacturing world, as it creates new relationships and cements old ones, all within the same industry. It also covers a wide number of fields, from design engineering to new manufacturing technologies, and ensures that different companies, from SMEs to large enterprises, are represented.

The Event Itself
This outstanding trade show allowed people in the engineering field to network and learn about a wide variety of products and services specific to their sector – and many others. We spotted companies from all over the world, not just the UK, including Spain, China and Italy, which further showcases the global nature of engineering.
The sheer number of suppliers and vendors also makes Subcon worthwhile to competitors, partners and clients, with the chance to take a look at what’s being developed and created by each company, making it easier to form new business relationships.
Everyone who visited Subcon also had the chance to attend a fantastic conference with authorities from the industry, with the opportunity to gain insight into innovative techniques and materials, as well as stay up to date with market changes.

What We Found at Subcon
Due to the number of vendors and buyers who visited Subcon this year, a large amount of business was conducted here. A lot of orders were taken and we dealt with a lot of enquiries, proving once again how important it is to have shows like this in the industry. We had a good show from beginning to end!
Everyone seemed to be kept busy during the three days of the event, so it was good news all around. And guess who we spotted in the Castings Zone? The fantastic manufacturer Dean Group, specialists in investment casting in the UK. Just like ourselves, they also manufacture small parts and components for a wide range of industries, so it’s fair to say we were thrilled to talk to them about this.

We had a great chat about the industry we’re in, which we found fascinating. After all, few things compare to having a conversation with people who not only understand where you’re coming from and share the same passions as you, but also know the ins and outs of the business and are more than happy to discuss them.
A significant part of Subcon’s value is how it attracts like-minded people and companies, so our encounter with Dean Group only strengthens the notion that Subcon can help make important business connections – and help each other connect and grow!

Subcon’s turnout was great this year, and everyone here at European Springs feels very happy to have participated in such an event. We’re already looking forwards to Subcon 2017!

European Springs

We’re capable of offering many types of springs, each with its own range of applications. This diversity is incredibly useful, since it generally means you can use them in a lot of different industries, which include the medical, mechanical engineering, automotive and even the toy industry.

And, as our latest project shows, retail. Our location in Redruth worked together with Liberty in London to produce and deliver 80 springs for their fantastic window displays. While it would be expected that springs are mostly used as components for machines, here their versatility is clearly on show.

In Clear Sight

Compression springs are known for their ability to be used in machinery with moving parts, as they can be compressed and expanded at will, although here we used them for something slightly different. To showcase the stunning high end purses, sunglasses and shoes that greatly characterise the luxury of Liberty in London, we provided the client with large, sturdy compression springs capable of holding the items in place.

Although this is their main purpose, these two metre white suspended springs also work extremely well as fashionable adornments, offering a touch of style and contemporary fashion that complements the client’s brand.

Suspended Lights

The high couture emporium also commissioned us to create wire frames for their stunning, world-famous haberdashery section. These bespoke frames were installed in such a way as to allow them to function as light fixtures and, just as with the compression springs, add a touch of style! They also let Liberty of London add yarn and strings as a feature, which further complements the overall design of the haberdashery.

This exciting partnership clearly showcases what superior quality springs are capable of, and we couldn’t be happier with how they were integrated and used by Liberty in London. Our venture into the retail industry has also confirmed just how vast the range of applications of springs is, and it was a true pleasure to be able to create useful and beautiful pieces that made our client very happy!

So proud to have been a part of the recent production of @LibertyLondon‘s window display! Have you seen it yet? pic.twitter.com/PX6bmdlaZP

— European Springs (@europeansprings) May 18, 2016