What Makes a Great Engineer?

Engineers are able to invent, innovate, design and build. But what makes a great engineer? We made a top-10 list that tells you exactly that!

1. Technical KnowledgeIn order to be a great engineer, an infinitive pool of knowledge much be possessed. This would include an understanding of a variety of computer programs. As well as other systems and processes that are commonly used during an engineering project.
2. Team PlayerAn engineer will be aware that they are part of a large team and that they have to work together to make a project successful.
3. Problem Solver
   They would possess the ability to quickly solve problems by figuring out where the problem stemmed from and developing a solution from that.
4. Maths BrainEngineering involves complex calculations and an engineer has to be able to understand and solve them effectively.
5. Think LogicallyLogical skills should be second nature to a great engineer. They should be able to make sense of complex systems, understand how things work and how problems arise.
6. CreativeA level of creatively needs to be possessed by an engineer to make them great. This would entail coming up with great ways to develop new systems and effective ways to work more efficiently.
7. EducationEngineering is a great engineer's biggest passion. This would mean that they stay on top of the developments in the industry. This is as well as being open to going on new courses or expanding their education.
8. Great Communication SkillsAs well as being a good team player, a great engineer should have great communication skills. This would include translating complex jargon when necessary and being able to communicate effectively with fellow engineers and clients alike.
9. Attention to DetailPaying a meticulous attention to detail should be second nature to a great engineer. They would avoid any errors, as they know a slight error could cause a whole structure to collapse.
10. Strong Analytical AptitudeThe ability to examine things and thinking of how to make them better would be a process that would be natural to a great engineer, as they are naturally inquisitive.

How many of these attributes do you possess and what would you add to the list?

How Hydraulic Cylinders work

Hydraulic Cylinders, used to help with the lifting, pushing, dumping, hauling, crushing, drilling and digging they're maybe one of the most important mechanical inventions which has fitted around us.

When manufacturing a hydraulic cylinder the process is now a lot more streamline with much tighter tolerances, the sheer amazing amount of force a hydraulic cylinder can produce is based upon a mechanical principle of pressure. The way the pressure is worked out is by this formula - Area X Psi = Force.

Hydraulic Cylinder - More Explanation

The hydraulic cylinder has main parts which make up the mechanism which includes the Piston, a piston seals, rod and the gland and butt.

The Rod which the piston is attached to is attached to a large nut at one end, as one of the hardest working component it's extremely strong to resist bending and is also made out of steel. The piston inside the hydraulic cylinder is used to help build pressure and is done by using a piston seals to keep pressure from bypassing each other.

The Gland is also known as the head of the cylinder and helpes the rod retract and extend, this part contains wiper and rod seals to help keep contamination out of the hydraulic cylinder.

So there you have it, this simple but yet extremely useful mechanism is built using simple parts with very good accuracy in determining the amount of pressure each hydraulic cylinder can produce.

Find more about Hydraulic Cylinder, Otto Parts and Tipping Equipment on Taylor's site, the Steel Fabricators Birmingham.

Some basic Welding techniques for the hobbyist

A few basic welding techniques for those common tasks we often get asked about by hobbyists and home users.

Earth Clamps
A poor contact between the earth clamp and your vehicle can make it very difficult to weld consistently.

Welding an edge
I had to weld an edge today, and it had to be neat so I practiced on some scrap metal to develop a technique.

The problem with welding edges is that there is nowhere for the excess heat to go, so it's easy to melt the edge away making the end result blobby. I found that turning the wire speed down very low was the answer.  Problem is the wire vaporised as it left the torch. My technique was to hold the torch very close to the steel, so close that the outer shield touched the metal. This resulted in a neat weld, but overheated the welding tip so I could only do short sections at a time.

Welding thick metal to thin metal
It's tricky welding a 1mm thick sheet of steel onto 4mm plate. The problem is that you'll need to use a high amp setting to get the weld to penetrate into the 4mm sheet, but this setting would vaporize the 1mm sheet.

My approach is to use the high amp setting. Strike an arc against the thicker sheet and get a weld pool going, then dip across into the thinner sheet and immediately back to the thicker sheet. The center of the weld will be on the thick sheet side of the join with the thin sheet just at the edge of the weld. Good contact between the sheets makes the job much easier.

If you'd like more information on welding and engineering, please contact Taylor on 0121 326 9035