Engineering news
The best CEOs in the world are manufacturers according to Harvard Business Review
The Manufacturer
Five out of the top five (and seven out of the top 10) ‘Best-Performing CEOs’ in the 2018 Harvard Business Review list come from companies with a basis in manufacturing, report the Manufacturer. “With manufacturing still suffering an image problem and having trouble attracting new talent, perhaps this list can help improve the perception of the industry,” they suggest.
Businesses “watching in horror” as no-deal brexit risk rises
The Engineer
The CBI, EEF, Institute of Directors, Federation of Small Businesss and the British Chambers of Commerce – which between them represent hundreds of thousands of firms across the UK – claim that businesses have been “watching in horror” as politicians have focused on internal disputes rather than the practical steps that are required to protect the economy.
Bloodhound supersonic car project saved
BBC News
Yorkshire-based entrepreneur Ian Warhurst has bought the project for an "undisclosed amount". Mr Warhurst, who sold Barnsley engineering firm Melett earlier in December, said it would have been "criminal" not to continue with the record attempt. "There's a bit more sorting of the car to do, but nothing major, to get to that first step of testing it at high speed," he said. "That's what made it such a shame, because they had got as far as they had. It just had to carry on."
How engineers could tackle Gatwick’s drone problem
Professional Engineering
This is not the first time planes have been grounded by errant drones, while in the Middle East, cheap consumer drones are routinely turned into weapons of war. But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are simple measures drone manufacturers, governments, and engineers can take to lessen the threat of drones, and ensure they can’t be used to ground flights.
Chemical engineering pay dips but gender gap closes among young
Process Engineering
Chemical engineering salaries dropped slightly over the last year in Britain but there are signs that the gender pay gap is closing among younger employees. The Institution of Chemical Engineers' (IChemE) UK Salary Survey 2018 reports that the median salary was down from £55,000 in 2017 to £54,000 in 2018.
Elon Musk’s Boring Company unveils first Los Angeles tunnel and futuristic transport system
The Independent
Elon Musk’s tunnel-digging venture has unveiled a prototype of its next-generation transport system, complete with “ground to tunnel car elevators” . The Boring Company said the test tunnel is being used for the research and development of the firm’s proposed public transportation system.
How engineering students helped irrigate a town
Engineering.com
Amy Bilton’s student team took an engineering approach to international outreach, and developed a wind-powered pump to alleviate drought.
Graphene ‘could spark high-efficiency light-to-power conversion’
Energy Live News
That’s the verdict from an international research team, co-led by the University of California, Riverside (UCR), which claims to have discovered a new mechanism for ultra-efficient charge generation and energy flow in graphene.
HS1 and Crossrail suppliers admit to running ‘illegal cartel’ for 7 years
Rail Technology Magazine
Two UK rail suppliers to major projects such as HS1 and Crossrail have admitted to operating an illegal cartel for almost seven years with the goal of increasing prices and reducing competition in the drainage market. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) provisionally found that the two companies – Derbyshire-based Stanton Bonna Concrete Ltd and Somerset-based CPM Group Ltd – broke competition law by holding regular secret meetings to set up and operate an illegal cartel.
Autonomous robots could transport aircraft wings for Airbus in Wales
Aerospace Manufacturing Magazine
Entire aircraft wing assemblies could be transported by intelligent, autonomous robots at the Airbus production facility in North Wales following a collaborative research project with engineers at the AMRC’s Integrated Manufacturing Group.