Engineeringtalk's improved "Request Free Details from the supplier" service

Our "Request Free Details from the supplier" service has been one of the biggest success stories of this newsletter, consistently receiving over 1,000 requests a week. It allows you to make an information request to a manufacturer without having to rummage around a manufacturer's website looking for contact details or an enquiry form. More importantly, because your request gets forwarded to the manufacturer in a nice consistent format, it tends to get dealt with (unlike when you phone up and some overworked telephonist ends up jotting down your details on a Post-It note).
This week we're completing the introduction of our new improved service. You'll only now need to identify yourself the first time you use the system. After that, it's just a single click on any of the "Request Free Details from the supplier" links below, and your request is sent to the manufacturer. Click ...request made. That's all there is to it. I don't think our IT guys could have made it any simpler.
One more thing: I have to apologise if occasionally one of the items in the Engineeringtalk newsletter doesn't have a "Request Free Details from the supplier" link, but in the end, it's down to the individual manufacturer whether or not they offer you one. We do make a small charge to the manufacturers for running the service for them, and some would rather spend their money on other things. You can always follow the link through to the Engineeringtalk website and from there to the manufacturer's own website ...and find their contact details from there. Best of luck.
Engineeringtalk Newsletter Archive

It's Art, and it's made completely out of WEEE

I know that if you want Art, you'll go to a gallery, but I'm going to talk Art now anyway. That's because tomorrow sees the unveiling in London of the remarkable "Weee Man", the name of which alone is guaranteed to get it plenty of media coverage.
The Weee Man is a sculpture, and doubtless as switched-on engineers, you'll guess it's got something to with the European Union's WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directive. You're probably ahead of me already: yes, it's made completely out of WEEE.
But here's what makes it great: the creators have built the Weee Man from the amount of electrical waste one UK citizen consumes in a lifetime: washing machines, mobile phones, electronic toys - they're all in there. It's a staggering seven metres tall, and weighs three tonnes. It's a superb illustration of how much we consume, and why waste electrical and electronic equipment is such a problem. Around 90% of Europe's WEEE goes to landfill or is incinerated, and the delayed EU directive is just one step in encouraging more recycling, reuse, repair, refurbishment, and sustainable manufacturing.
I know many engineers are enthusiastic about designing for dismantling or recycling, and designing out hazardous materials, but their enthusiasm isn't shared by less socially-minded management. Perhaps a combination of public pressure and international legislation will make things easier.
The Weee Man has been produced by the RSA and Canon Europe, and will be at City Hall, South Bank, London, during May, before being taken to other venues such as the Eden Project in Cornwall. Naturally, it will eventually be disposed of responsibly.

Getting closer to an EU-wide system for the mutual recognition of professional qualifications

A major success was achieved this week within the sometimes tortuous legal and political machinations of the European Union, moving us closer to an EU-wide system for the mutual recognition of professional qualifications. The European Parliament has voted to recommend implementation of a new directive covering professions such as engineers, architects, accountants and doctors. It's regarded as a good compromise between making it more straightforward for those wishing to work in other states, and "protecting consumers" (which I'd guess means not allowing professionals with lower standard qualifications from being able to move to a country with higher standards and claim they're suitably qualified).
After debate in parliament, significant amendments were made to the initial proposal, and control of required standards will now be in the "host country", rather than leaving supervision in the professional's country of origin. There will be five levels of recognised education and training, and the introduction of an individual professional card with information on a professional's career (training, experience and any penalties imposed).
This is a typical example of the thousands of issues which have to be addressed if we're to achieve the aim of creating a European union which would be an economic "superstate" to rival the US, whilst retaining the individuality of nations. If that could be achieved, it would be a fantastic thing. Some would say it's an impossible dream, and when you look at the efforts required just to take small steps forward like the one above, you can sympathise with those who think it's not worth the expense and upheaval of trying. The many UK engineers I know who would like to work on "the continent" will, I imagine, be supporters of what's being done to make that easier.

Write about science heroes!

So have we moved on from the situation in the 1990s, when an IMechE survey asked the Great British Public to name an engineer, and the most popular answer was the car mechanic from Coronation Street? Another survey suggests not really.
Less than a quarter of over 1000 people contacted could name a living scientist or engineer. The figure dropped to 19% amongst women, and just 12% overall in Scotland, birthplace of some of history's greatest inventors. Older people, perhaps surprisingly, also fared badly.
The survey was commissioned to draw attention to a competition for young people in the UK, the Dan David prize for students. Entrants are asked to write about their science heroes, and the first prize is a remarkable ten thousand pounds. However, there's less than a fortnight left to enter, so if you know any 16 to 18 year old who could put together a decent 500-1000 words in that time, it'd be well worth them having a go.

But let's hear it for the Skylark - a magnificent piece of engineering

In the rocketry hall of fame, the Skylark hasn't ever been in the same league as the Saturn V ...or even the Black Knight. But let's hear it for this magnificent piece of engineering, which has outlasted almost every other rocket design ever, and which had its 441st - and last - launch on Monday. The 13-metre rocket lifted off from the Esrange launchpad in Sweden carrying scientific experiments, and flew for 16 minutes to a height of 158 miles. Skylark was launched firstly from Woomera in Australia, and subsequently from Wales, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Norway and Sweden. It has been the workhorse of British space science, an instrument-carrying sub-orbital vehicle designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its flight. Government funding of the programme ended in 1977 and it has since operated on a commercial basis. Production of the UK-designed motors ended in November 1994, but a stockpile allowed at least one Skylark launch a year. Hugh Whitfield, of the operators, Sounding Rocket Services, said: "Skylark is one of the most successful rocket programmes of all time, but this British achievement is largely unknown. We should be immensely proud of the contribution to science that Skylark has made and it is a testament to the skill of British engineers that the programme has lasted nearly half a century." We thoroughly agree.