William Hughes embraces Institute of Spring Technology’s new approach to learning
The Institute of Spring Technology has released a series of bite-sized videos that will help address training and knowledge transfer in the design, test and application of springs in multiple industrial and consumer applications.
With global engineering and industry revelling in a digital age bought about by technological advances and Industry 4.0, it's easy to see why consideration, exposure and appreciation for some more traditional engineering components is sadly waning.
How does a roller bearing hold up against a pair of VR goggles, or a tensioning bolt against an IoT-enabled sensor? It's not that they don't have important roles to play – indeed one could argue that bearings and bolts are more important, vital even – it's just that they don't have the same 'tech' appeal in the modern age, no matter how important their function.
Emma Burgon, Engineering Director at William Hughes, and Institute of Spring Technology (IST) working group committee member elaborates: "The same, unfortunately, can be said for springs. To the untrained observer springs may just appear to be a simple coil of wire, but they really do represent a cornerstone of engineering. Their versatility and functionality make them vital across so many different applications, from the intricate mechanisms in a watch, through in-car systems to the massive suspension mechanisms of a bridge.
Emma Burgon, Engineering Director, William Hughes.
"They are often almost an afterthought… entering late in the design process and cropping up way down the bill of materials. But if you look behind the scenes at the physics, the metallurgy, the testing and the fabrication – coupled to the hugely impressive knowledge and domain expertise of teams like ours that design, fabricate, and promote them – you will discover a new-found level of respect."
And it is this level of respect and understanding that the IST (https://ist.org.uk/) is looking to foster with the release of a new series of videos that deep dives into myriad facets of spring design and operation.
According to Chris Hopkins, Commercial Director at the IST: "The creation of the video series is a culmination of various things. In Europe and North America – like many engineering disciplines – we are seeing a huge industry-wide problem of a very knowledgeable but ageing workforce retiring and not being replaced by new blood; and this issue is compounded by the fact that the industry is traditionally very bad at sharing best practice. As a result of these pressures, and in our role as a global entity supporting the spring industry, we asked ourselves 'how can we help bring engineers closer together and inspire the next generation?"
Richard Dignall, Technical Director at the IST adds: "We wanted to deliver a balance of technology and knowledge – from the basic day-to-day concepts up to the complicated physics and metallurgy. We knew we couldn't undertake traditional school- or university-level engagement, so we needed to come up with something more readily available and with a good global reach. Given the younger generation's proclivity for bite-sized, easy-to-digest videos, we decided that a series of video shorts would be a great introduction, giving people an understanding of what goes on behind the scenes, to whet their appetites."
Richard Dignall, IST Technical Director and Chris Hopkins, IST Commercial Director.
Emma Burgon explains the rationale and benefits from a manufacturer's perspective: "These 'soundbite' videos are the perfect vehicle for distilling and sharing content. As a full-service spring specialist, we are already putting all of them to great use, not just to augment the existing training we give to our apprentices, but for our customers too, to try and foster a little more appreciation into the role of springs – ideally to get them introduced earlier in the design process and higher up the bill of materials.
"The IST committee which I am a part of realised that there was a real need for this type of dissemination, as member companies were worried about training and the knowledge transfer necessary to address the imminent skills gap bought about by multiple retirements. Once the first few had been storyboarded, the potential became clearer and the wider benefits more apparent. To date they have been incredibly well received."
The first batch of videos sit under five headings, with multiple episodes under each. These headings include: spring design, spring manufacture, spring materials, spring testing & measurement, and spring failure.
Chris Hopkins elaborates: "The videos have gained enormous traction, with over 2,000 views in the first month. We have also been talking with other associations around the world who are forwarding and sharing with the memberships in their native countries. The next phase will be more of the same."
Richard Dignall adds: "The original scope was for 100 videos, with 50 launched so far. The second phase will comprise another 40 or 50 based on inputs from the various working groups, made up of Institute members. We will also introduce ‘talking heads' that will, for example, discuss the five reasons why springs may fail, or the importance of springs in the design phase. The video series will also act as a springboard into the Institute's wider offering of longer videos, tailored and on-demand training and its spring design software."
Emma Burgon concludes: "It's a fascinating industry and any kind of wider engagement we can create can only be good news, not just for manufacturers like William Hughes, and the IST, but also for the wider engineering community. A better understanding of the physics, metallurgy and functionality of what are often perceived as commodity products, will actually provide a superb foundation for wider engineering education and appreciation."
