Engineers have an influential position within society for championing sustainability. In some cases this means reusing materials, but it may also mean designing a device so that it is suitable for its market and not thrown away or unused. In some cases, sustainability involves re-tasking old equipment, like using a supersonic fighter-bomber to further our knowledge of concrete… Happy reading.
This Super-Cheap Paper Centrifuge Can Spin 125,000 Times Per Minute
Sometimes the elegance of an engineering solution lies in its simplicity. Upfront effort pays off with an improved end solution, appropriate for the ultimate user. This low cost, robust design allows blood samples to be tested for malaria with a minimum of outside infrastructure.
Popular Science, January 2017
Light Weight Champion
This is an update on technology introduced in the April 2015 Bannerman Consultants newsletter.
The Engineer, December 2016
The Value of Remanufacturing
“Remanufacturing is not a wash down and a coat of paint,” and is distinct from refurbishing or recycling. Caterpillar is recovering significant value from this approach, as well as improving sustainability. However, research into automating the process highlights the difficulties involved.
The Engineer, October 2016
How to Beat Procrastination
“Recognize that your brain needs help if it’s going to be less short-sighted.” One needs to defeat “present bias,” which is the predominance of short term effort over long term reward. (It isn’t the inclination kids have to open larger presents first.) I meant to share this article ages ago…
Harvard Business Review, July 2016
Officials Crashed a Jet into Nuclear Reactor Facility to Test its Walls
“Clearly, the best way to [know just how strong reinforced concrete is] is to launch an F4 Phantom jet at 500 MPH and slam it head-on directly into a slab of concrete.” As it turns out, concrete is stronger than thin aerospace metals. How do governments keep their budgets so low?
Interesting Engineering, January 2017