Making positive predictions

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…

Precision and progress

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…

Stones, steps and inflatables

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…

Make your ideas stick

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…

The art of communication

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…

A hands-on approach goes a long way

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…

What do fittings, figurines and rings have in common?

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…

Game changer

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…

Add value not cost

This week’s Fun Friday Fact comes from the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. The lead structural engineer named Joseph Strauss insisted on installing a safety net even though its $130,000 (£94,948.30) cost was deemed excessive. Over the four years of its construction, the net saved 19 men, who named Read more…

Jpbowen, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Bring forth a challenge

Another busy week here and another thought-provoking Friday Fun Fact: ‘In 1891, Chicago issued a challenge to all engineers to build a structure that would surpass the Eiffel Tower. The engineer who won proposed a giant rotating wheel that will lift visitors high above the city. The inventor of this Read more…