Hi Feathers inspire turbulence avoidance system:

Hi Feathers inspire turbulence avoidance system:

Researchers have taken inspiration from bird 

feathers to develop a system that could end 

turbulence on flights.

The group, from the Unmanned Systems Research Team at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, have lodged a provisional patent on the system, which is based on the concept of phase-advanced sensing, in which flow disturbance is sensed before it results in aircraft movement. 

This can be achieved by early sensing of the pressures from gust effects on the leading parts of the wing or by measuring the gusts ahead of the wing.

Research supervisor Prof Simon Watkins said flight-testing on a micro-plane showed the system significantly reduced the effects of turbulence.

‘By sensing gusts and disturbances in air flow through their feathers, birds are able to fly gracefully rather than bouncing around in turbulent air,’ he said in a statement. 

‘The system we have developed replicates this natural technology, with the aim of enabling planes to fly smoothly through even severe turbulence – just like birds.’ 

Prof Watkins said the system had great potential for all sizes of aircraft and could not only reduce the effects of turbulence on passengers but also reduce loads on plane wings, leading to lower fatigue and longer life.

’While we need to explore new sensor arrangements to apply this technology to larger and faster aircraft, we have proven the idea on the most challenging problem of keeping small, lightweight planes steady – since these are the ones that get bounced around the most,’ he said.

The patent submission for a turbulence mitigation system for aircraft represents the successful outcome of PhD research by Abdulghani Mohamed, supervised by Prof Watkins and Dr Reece Clothier in RMIT’s School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering.

Hi Top Five Reasons to Integrate 3D Printing into your Product Development Life-cycle:

Hi Top Five Reasons to Integrate 3D Printing into your Product Development Life-cycle:

Rapid prototyping with PolyJet technology has become a game-changing innovation for designers, engineers and manufacturers since it was introduced two decades ago. 

While new lower costs and time savings are the primary drivers for incorporating 3D printing into the product development process, this report details and identifies the Hi Top Five Reasons to Integrate 3D Printing into Your Product Development Life-cycle. 

In this 5-page White Paper, you will learn why you too should consider using 3D printing technology as part of your product development process.

!!!THANK YOU FOR VIEWING OUR Hi WHITEPAPER!!!

Hi Engineers design ‘living materials’.

An artist's rendering of a bacterial cell engineered to produce amyloid nanofibers that incorporate particles such as quantum dots (red and green spheres) or gold nano particles.

Hi Engineers design ‘living materials’.

Hybrid materials combine bacterial cells with nonliving elements that can conduct electricity or emit light.

Inspired by natural materials such as bone — a matrix of minerals and other substances, including living cells — MIT engineers have coaxed bacterial cells to produce biofilms that can incorporate nonliving materials, such as gold nanoparticles and quantum dots.

These “living materials” combine the advantages of live cells, which respond to their environment, produce complex biological molecules, and span multiple length scales, with the benefits of nonliving materials, which add functions such as conducting electricity or emitting light.

The new materials represent a simple demonstration of the power of this approach, which could one day be used to design more complex devices such as solar cells, self-healing materials, or diagnostic sensors, says Timothy Lu, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and biological engineering. Lu is the senior author of a paper describing the living functional materials in the March 23 issue of Nature Materials.

“Our idea is to put the living and the nonliving worlds together to make hybrid materials that have living cells in them and are functional,” Lu says. “It’s an interesting way of thinking about materials synthesis, which is very different from what people do now, which is usually a top-down approach.”

The paper’s lead author is Allen Chen, an MIT-Harvard MD-PhD student. Other authors are postdocs Zhengtao Deng, Amanda Billings, Urartu Seker, and Bijan Zakeri; recent MIT graduate Michelle Lu; and graduate student Robert Citorik.

Self-assembling materials:

Lu and his colleagues chose to work with the bacterium E. coli because it naturally produces biofilms that contain so-called “curli fibers” — amyloid proteins that help E. coli attach to surfaces. Each curli fiber is made from a repeating chain of identical protein subunits called CsgA, which can be modified by adding protein fragments called peptides. These peptides can capture nonliving materials such as gold nanoparticles, incorporating them into the biofilms.

By programming cells to produce different types of curli fibers under certain conditions, the researchers were able to control the biofilms’ properties and create gold nanowires, conducting biofilms, and films studded with quantum dots, or tiny crystals that exhibit quantum mechanical properties. They also engineered the cells so they could communicate with each other and change the composition of the biofilm over time.

First, the MIT team disabled the bacterial cells’ natural ability to produce CsgA, then replaced it with an engineered genetic circuit that produces CsgA but only under certain conditions — specifically, when a molecule called AHL is present. This puts control of curli fiber production in the hands of the researchers, who can adjust the amount of AHL in the cells’ environment. When AHL is present, the cells secrete CsgA, which forms curli fibers that coalesce into a biofilm, coating the surface where the bacteria are growing.

The researchers then engineered E. coli cells to produce CsgA tagged with peptides composed of clusters of the amino acid histidine, but only when a molecule called aTc is present. The two types of engineered cells can be grown together in a colony, allowing researchers to control the material composition of the biofilm by varying the amounts of AHL and aTc in the environment. If both are present, the film will contain a mix of tagged and untagged fibers. If gold nanoparticles are added to the environment, the histidine tags will grab onto them, creating rows of gold nanowires, and a network that conducts electricity.

‘Cells that talk to each other’:

The researchers also demonstrated that the cells can coordinate with each other to control the composition of the biofilm. They designed cells that produce untagged CsgA and also AHL, which then stimulates other cells to start producing histidine-tagged CsgA.

“It’s a really simple system but what happens over time is you get curli that’s increasingly labeled by gold particles. It shows that indeed you can make cells that talk to each other and they can change the composition of the material over time,” Lu says. “Ultimately, we hope to emulate how natural systems, like bone, form. No one tells bone what to do, but it generates a material in response to environmental signals.”

To add quantum dots to the curli fibers, the researchers engineered cells that produce curli fibers along with a different peptide tag, called SpyTag, which binds to quantum dots that are coated with SpyCatcher, a protein that is SpyTag’s partner. These cells can be grown along with the bacteria that produce histidine-tagged fibers, resulting in a material that contains both quantum dots and gold nanoparticles.

These hybrid materials could be worth exploring for use in energy applications such as batteries and solar cells, Lu says. The researchers are also interested in coating the biofilms with enzymes that catalyze the breakdown of cellulose, which could be useful for converting agricultural waste to biofuels. Other potential applications include diagnostic devices and scaffolds for tissue engineering.

“I think this is really fantastic work that represents a great integration of synthetic biology and materials engineering,” says Lingchong You, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Duke University who was not part of the research team.

The research was funded by the Office of Naval Research, the Army Research Office, the National Science Foundation, the Hertz Foundation, the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Hi 16 Ways To Use FLIR's Incredibly Fun Predator-Vision iPhone Camera.

Hi 16 Ways To Use FLIR's Incredibly Fun Predator-Vision iPhone Camera.

There's no doubt about it, being able to see more than just the visible spectrum is the closest thing most of us will ever have to superpowers. Seeing the world through its heat signature is almost like having x-ray vision, and let's not forget, even the Predator made sure to bring his thermal camera with him on his hunting trip to earth.

However, spending $350 on a case that probably cost more than your subsidized iPhone is a tough call. If you can write it off as a work expense, then congratulations, you beat the system. But the rest of us need to find other ways to justify its cost. So as a service to our readers, we spent a week with the FLIR ONE and have come up with a list of other uses and reasons why you can't possibly go another day without pre-ordering one.

Knowing what's too hot to touch when climbing into a warm car on a sunny day.

Avoiding subway handrails that have recently been pawed by other riders.

Dodging sketchy end-of-day discounted sushi that hasn't been properly refrigerated.

Using science and technology to unequivocally find the coolest side of your pillows.

Determining where your car's engine might be overheating.

Finding which of Ikea's cinnamon buns were freshly baked.

Dousing a campfire and knowing for sure all the embers are extinguished.

Pinpointing the coldest spots in your freezer.

Confirming if that juggling busker is indeed using real flaming torches and worthy of your pocket change.

Figuring out what side of your frying pan heats up the fastest.

Making sure your cheap knock-off iPhone charger isn't about to burst into flames. (Please don't buy cheap knock-off iPhone chargers.)

Spotting a Sasquatch in the woods. (Or a random hiker, who canreally say?)

Confirming a campfire-toasted marshmallow Peep is far too hot to just pop in your mouth.

Finding the least scorching place to stand on a subway platform in the summer.

Totally dominating kids at hide and go seek.

Finding the best spot in a campfire to toast a marshmallow. (Hint: anywhere.)

THAT'S Hi 16 Ways...,

Hi Technical note: thermal-imaging cameras — a fast and reliable tool for testing solar panels.

Hi Technical note: thermal-imaging cameras — a fast and reliable tool for testing solar panels.

‘Thermal-imaging cameras: a fast and reliable tool for testing 

solar panels’

The use of thermal-imaging cameras for solar panel evaluation offers several advantages. Anomalies can clearly be seen on a crisp thermal image and — unlike most other methods — thermal cameras can be used to scan installed solar panels during normal operation. Thermal cameras also allow large areas to be scanned within a short time frame.

!!!THANK YOU FOR VIEWING!!!

Hi Smart chopsticks tell you if your food is safe to eat:

Hi Smart chopsticks tell you if your food is safe to eat:

Nobody wants to eat expired chicken parts or other mystery meats and oils. Currently in China, people are faced with food safety issues that can be life threatening.

On Wednesday Baidu, a Chinese Internet and tech company, revealed a set of high-tech chopsticks to combat one of China’s dangerous food scandals. It seems that “gutter oil” (cooking oil prepared from the waste oil of slaughterhouses, sewage and fryers) is being used in restaurants and by street vendors.

Baidu image of smart chopsticks. (Image via Wall Street Journal).

According to the Wall Street Journal, the product was announced at the company’s annual technology conference in which Baidu CEO Robin Li gave a brief introduction of the new product, which he called “a new way to sense the world.”

The smart chopsticks, called Kuaisou, come equipped with sensors and pair up to a smartphone app that can detect contamination levels in oil and water, as well as report nutritional value by measuring pH levels, calories, and temperatures. 

Baidu released a promotional video earlier in the year that showed a man using the chopsticks to pick up food when suddenly the light turns red on the utensils, proving contamination. You can watch the video below. The video is in English, but the text throughout the clip is written in Chinese.

The product is not yet released and a price has not been set.

!!!THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIEWING!!!

(Hi) A battery-less cardiac pacemaker based on self-winding wristwatch.

(Hi) A battery-less cardiac pacemaker based on self-winding wristwatch.

The energy harvesting device is sutured directly onto the myocardium (credit: European Society of Cardiology).

A new batteryless cardiac pacemaker controlled by a self-winding wristwatch mechanism that is powered by heart motion has been developed by researchers in the Cardiovascular Engineering Group at ARTORG,University of Bern, Switzerland.

The device was presented at European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2014 by Adrian Zurbuchen a PhD candidate.

“Batteries are a limiting factor in today’s medical implants,” he said. “Once they reach a critically low energy level, physicians [are] forced to replace a correctly functioning medical device in a surgical intervention. This is an unpleasant scenario which increases costs and the risk of complications for patients.”

Four years ago Professor Rolf Vogel, a cardiologist and engineer at the University of Bern, had the idea of using a self-winding wristwatch mechanism to harvest the energy of heart motion. “The heart seems to be a very promising energy source because its contractions are repetitive and present for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” said Zurbuchen. ” Furthermore the automatic clockwork, invented in the year 1777, has a good reputation as a reliable technology to scavenge energy from motion.”

The researchers’ first prototype is based on a commercially available automatic wristwatch. All unnecessary parts were removed to reduce weight and size. They also developed a custom-made housing with eyelets that allows suturing the device directly onto the myocardium.

How it works

The prototype works the same way it would on a person’s wrist. When it is exposed to an external acceleration, the eccentric mass of the clockwork starts rotating. This rotation progressively winds a mechanical spring. After the spring is fully charged it unwinds and thereby spins an electrical micro-generator.

To test the prototype, the researchers developed an electronic circuit to transform and store the signal. They then connected the system to a custom-made cardiac pacemaker. The system worked in three steps. First, the harvesting prototype acquired energy from the heart. Second, the energy was temporarily stored in the buffer. And finally, the buffered energy was used by the pacemaker to apply minute stimuli to the heart.

The researchers successfully tested the system in in vivo experiments with domestic pigs. The newly developed system allowed them for the first time to perform batteryless overdrive-pacing at 130 beats per minute.

“The next step … is to integrate both the electronic circuit for energy storage and the custom-made pacemaker directly into the harvesting device. This will eliminate the need for leads.

“Our new pacemaker tackles the two major disadvantages of today’s pacemakers. Pacemaker leads are prone to fracture and can pose an imminent threat to the patient. And the lifetime of a pacemaker battery is limited. Our energy harvesting system is located directly on the heart and has the potential to avoid both disadvantages by providing the world with a batteryless and leadless pacemaker.”

Hi October 1960: High speed wind tunnels.

Hi October 1960: High speed wind tunnels.

In October 1960, The Engineer reported on the opening of two new high speed wind tunnels at the Warton Aerodrome, near Preston.

With computing ability advancing rapidly, the 1960s saw some key advances in the application of wind tunnel testing.  And in October 1960, The Engineer reported on the opening of two new high speed wind tunnels at the Warton Aerodrome, near Preston.

"An overhead view of the facility."

The facility, which was owned and operated by English Electric, was already home to four other wind tunnels but the two new tunnels introduced a valuable new capability for aircraft and weapons development.

With a speed range from Mach 0·4 to 4·0 and a working section 4ft square, the larger of the two tunnels – M4 - was intended mainly for aircraft development.  The smaller tunnel – which had have a speed range of Mach 1·5 to 6·0, and a working section 18in square was  described as a guided weapons tunnel.

"Schematic of M6 tunnel working section."

Because of its wide working speed range, the design of the control system for the larger tunnel proved particularly challenging wrote The Engineer. ’The characteristics of the control valve ….called for a two-stage device in which the first stage opened to an extent inversely proportional to the upstream pressure the  constant of proportionality being varied with the desired density and the second stage  responded to errors in the selected pressure drop along the tunnel.  The article explained that the smaller tunnel had separate shut-off  and control valves developed by US firm Compudyne Corporation.

Given the vast computing power available to today’s engineers, the article’s description of how the system’s data was recorded and analysed is perhaps particularly notable. ‘The instrumentation of the larger tunnel is  a conventional digital system with all inputs from strain gauges,’ wrote The Engineer. ‘The nine one-second chart recorders include digitisers, and the outputs of the latter are transferred to  punched cards up to 100 times per minute.’

"Today, Warton’s wind tunnels are used to evaluate a range of advanced new aircraft, includng UAVs."

The smaller tunnel had a higher speed recording system. ‘Eight  quantities, including the balance measurements if being observed, are continuously presented by d.c. amplifiers. At intervals separated by one-eightieth second, sampling  amplifiers store these eight values and present  them in sequence to a Packard Bell ” Multiverter ” which converts them from analogue to digital form and transfers them  in binary code to a high-speed store  of magnetic tape. Subsequently the tape record is transferred to punched cards, which, with those from the other tunnel, are processed by a ” Deuce ” computer..’

Amongst other projects, the tunnels, which had been developed and installed at a cost of £750,000 were used in projects as the TSR-2 (Tactical Strike and Reconnaissance aircraft) and the  “Blue Water” surface to surface missile.

"The tunnels were used by the British Bobsleigh team ahead of the 2014 winter Olympics."

Today, the facility is owned and operated by BAE Systems, and it continues to play a major role in the development of aircraft and weapons systems. It has been used by engineers working on the  Tornado, and the Eurofighter Typhoon as well as host of UAV (Unmanned aerial vehicle)  projects.  The tunnels were even used by the British Bobsleigh team, who, ahead of the 2014 winter Olympics, used them to simulate full racing conditions and examine how different sled set ups and crew positions affect wind resistance. 

Hi Regenerating Teeth.

Hi Regenerating Teeth.

A false-color image from a scanning electron microscope depicting the scaffold seeded with cells used to assess laser treatment effects.

No more veneers? Maybe. This blog post is timely considering my sister fell last week while running and chipped her front tooth in half. 

I wish I had known to suggest that she seek laser treatment to encourage regrowth of her broken tooth (although I doubt she would have wanted to wait so long).

Research shows that lasers can help regenerate heart, skin, and nerve tissues. Low levels of laser light can trigger chemical reactions that promote wound healing, reduce inflammation, and treat pain.

New research in Science Translational Medicine shows that lasers can help regrow parts of broken teeth and potentially make fillings, crowns, and other dental necessities obsolete.

For the study, scientists at Harvard University looked at dentin, the tissue that makes up the bulk of human teeth. 

Dentin is harder than bone but softer than the enamel that coats teeth. 

The goal of the research was to encourage dental stem cells to regenerate as dentin, but instead of implanting modified dental stem cells or injecting chemicals to control dental stems cells in patients, the researchers wanted to activate proteins, known as growth factors, that are already in the body and use them to manipulate dental stem cells through the use of lasers.

Instead of using synthetic materials, such as ceramics, to repair a tooth, a laser would be shone on the tooth and soft pulp underneath (from damage). 

The laser generates chemicals known as reactive oxygen species which activate a growth factor called transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-b1) in the body. 

This molecule stimulates dental stem cells to repair teeth as well as many other tissues.

Experiments have been done on rats and adult dental stem cells extracted from human teeth. Results show that low levels of laser light activated TGF-b1 and led to the generation of dentin-forming cells. 

- "The next step is taking their work to human clinical trials."

Hi Engineer Challange:

Hi Engineer Challange:

Hi Your chance to question the team developing the world’s fastest car.

Engineering projects don’t come much more challenging than building a 1000mph car. 

That’s the target set by the team at Bloodhound SSC, who hope to inspire a generation of engineers by setting a new land speed record by. 

With the manufacturing and assembly stage of the project reaching the halfway mark and just 12 months until the first record attempt.

Hi Engineers have important role in helping to combat Ebola.

Hi Engineers have important role in helping to combat Ebola.

Engineers are urgently required to help relieve the Ebola crisis in the West African countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Ebola viral disease (EVD) is a severe and often fatal illness that in Liberia alone has infected approximately 3,600 people and killed over 2,000 during the current outbreak. According to the World Health Organisation, it is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads among people through human-to-human transmission.

Carmen Paradiso, global advisor on water and sanitation for the International Medical Corps told The Engineer that the crisis requires engineers that can assist with the design, construction, maintenance and operation of health facilities, plus proposed isolation units in areas where there is a lack of treatment centers.

Outside of such health facilities, engineering skills are seen as essential in the communities where outbreaks occur, providing expertise and support following procedures such as contact tracing.

Paradiso said that her organisation - one of only two international NGOs treating Ebola patients - takes a close interest in civil engineers who may have a background in water and sanitation solutions and can apply them in new healthcare facilities.

‘There is a high demand for disinfection solutions, so there’s a high demand for water supply in such a unit. Obviously, wastewater needs to be taken care of as well, ‘ she said. ‘We also have a need for construction engineers who perhaps have experience with infection control measures and health facilities.’

Site engineers – who Paradiso said would be looking after the smooth operation and maintenance of systems within a facility - would be required on the ground at all times.

‘Then there are what we call WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) engineers or technicians [who] are also required to supervise various infection control teams.’

The highly infectious nature of Ebola requires those working in high-risk areas to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), parts of which need to be disposed of or disinfected for reuse.

‘That’s quite a potentially risky task to do so there’s different teams with different tasks around the facility and the engineers would be training, [and] supervising them and basically putting those teams to work in the facility,’ said Paradiso.

She added that work does not begin on a new health facility until all necessary measures are in place, and that ‘absolute priority’ is given to the health and safety of people that work in them.

Work schedules depend on whether a person is entering a high-risk facility or not, and IMC currently has people working on six week rotations.

‘People who are not entering a high-risk zone obviously have a different    level of potential exposure to risk and they could potentially be staying for a longer period of time,’ she said.

‘Awareness raising is something that we often do through hygiene promotion and health promotion so there is quiet a big need, even outside of the facilities,’ added Paradiso. ‘If there are people out there who feel that they don’t have the necessary experience or knowledge about what is required in the facilities then they can still be really helpful out there in the communities.’

Click here or the image below, to find out how your engineering skills can assist International Medical Corps in dealing with the Ebola crisis.

Key facts about EVD:

• The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks.
• The first EVD outbreaks occurred in remote villages in Central Africa, near tropical rainforests, but the most recent outbreak in west Africa has involved major urban as well as rural areas.
• Community engagement is key to successfully controlling outbreaks. Good outbreak control relies on applying a package of interventions, namely case management, surveillance and contact tracing, a good laboratory service, safe burials and social mobilisation.
• Early supportive care with rehydration and symptomatic treatment improves survival. There is as yet no licensed treatment proven to neutralise the virus but a range of blood, immunological and drug therapies are under development.
• There are currently no licensed Ebola vaccines but 2 potential candidates are undergoing evaluation.

Source: World Health Organisation. More details about the Ebola virus can be found here.

Hi Ebola Outbreak Watch! Feature Video's:

Watch Dr. Adam Levine talk about International Medical Corps' Ebola Response:

International Medical Corps Opens Liberia’s Sixth Ebola Treatment Unit, Bringing New Hope to Liberians. Watch Video Below:

Thank You.

Hi Whitepaper Download List: 1) Mine Rescue Robot. 2) A Comparison of DC Linear Actuators with DC Linear Motors.

Hi Whitepaper Download List: 1) Mine Rescue Robot.  2) A Comparison of DC Linear Actuators with DC Linear Motors.

1) Mine Rescue Robot:

Hi Reliability, ability to travel across varied terrains, and accurate operation are essential elements for the drive system and camera controls on mining rescue robots. 

The Intelligent Systems, Robotics, and Cybernetics (ISRC) group at Sandia developed the Gemini-Scout as a platform designed to be scalable—from smaller, more compact robots to larger robots able to handle very heavy payloads.

A Comparison of DC Linear Actuators with DC Linear Motors:

Hi Factory automation and robotic application engineers are often faced with the challenge of requiring fast, accurate and powerful linear actuation within a small allocated volume. 

The two most commonly available technologies are rotary DC motor driven actuators and linear DC motor actuators. 

This article provides details on the advantages and disadvantages with all technologies.

Hi Click Here For More Similar Article Link Posts...,

Hi UAE super-rich seek luxury experiences.

Hi UAE super-rich seek luxury experiences.

"Do you know what the super-rich UAE residents are spending their money on?"

Luxury or life-enriching experiences – such as going to a motor racing event, dining in a glitzy restaurant or travelling to expensive holiday destinations – top the list, according to research.

The American Express Spending Survey 2014 reveals that nearly two thirds (59 per cent) of Mena luxury consumers spend most of their money on luxury experiences, instead of premium goods.

Meanwhile, 47 per cent, 45 per cent and 35 per cent of UAE respondents ranked holidays, social calendar events and fine dining as the most rewarding luxury experiences, respectively.

The reasons why the affluent enjoy spending on such experiences include the need for being relaxed, entertained and for personal well-being, the survey adds.

Mazin Khoury, CEO of American Express Middle East, says: “In recent years, although we’ve seen a major shift in the way people spend and make luxury purchases and investments, they increasingly prioritise buying luxury experiences and the memories that go with them.

“For UAE consumers, the personal fulfilment gained from a holiday or the special experience of attending a major sporting event creates enriching moments that are increasingly regarded as the most valuable when it comes to luxury spending,” he adds.

One thing seems likely, however; luxury spending on both goods and services is set to remain strong until the end of the year and well into 2015.

Hi Right track: Rail sector career guide for graduate engineers.

Hi Right track: Rail sector career guide for graduate engineers.

Both in the UK and overseas rail is a rapidly growing sector that offers great opportunities to engineers of all disciplines.

Why work in the sector?

It’s an exciting time:

Rapid growth in rail is fuelling a demand for engineers.

With record levels of investment and s hodt of major projects either on the horizon or happening now, there has perhaps never been a better time to consider a career in the UK rail sector.

Network Rail – the company that operates Britain’s train tracks and stations  - recently unveiled plans to invest £38bn in upgrades and improvements. Transport for London (TfL) is pumping billions into the capital’s constantly-evolving underground and overground rail systems. And  “big ticket” projects like Crossrail, HS2, and further into the future Crossrail 2, are helping the UK cement its reputation as one of the true global centres of excellence for the industry.

It offers you an opportunity to shape the UK’s future:         

A bit like the weather or the government, the state of Britain’s railways is one of those topics that most of us have an opinion on and that’s partly because it’s so critical to the way in which so many of us live our lives.

A career in rail gives you the chance to help shape Britain’s future.

In cities like London, transport systems must constantly evolve to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population, whilst schemes such as HS2 – which will see the creation of a new high-speed rail network between London and the Midlands - are viewed by many as vital to the growth of the British economy. A career in the rail sector gives you the opportunity to help shape Britain’s future.

Big ticket projects like Crossrail are helping to cement the UK’s reputation as a world leader.

It’s Crying out for a range of skills:

With so many different projects happening, and so many disciplines essential to the running of a rail system, there’s a growing requirement for a range of skills: from the civil engineering expertise required to dig tunnels through to the design and manufacturing skills needed to develop tomorrow’s trains. What’s more, because the sector is growing so rapidly, it has been particularly hard-hit by the well -publicised shortage of skilled engineers, and is actively looking to create a new generation of rail engineers.

It offers great long-term prospects.

Investing in the railways is a long-term business and with a number of big projects in the pipeline the UK sector is a pretty safe bet for long term job security.  ‘It is a very exciting time for graduates to be joining the industry,’ said Martin Wilson, a  chief engineer with the UK based train manufacturer Bombardier. ‘Mainline trains have 10 years of good orders; we are working towards supplying the trains for HS2, and London Underground are also looking for replacement rolling stock. Market security is very positive.’

Experience in the UK’s capital marks you out for a career anywhere you want to go in the world.

In addition, continued worldwide growth in rail means that there are numerous opportunities beyond these shores, and experience in the UK sector is the perfect springboard to an international career. ‘We are in a genuinely global industry,’ said David Waboso, Capital Programmes Director for London Underground.  ‘Rail is truly international. Metros in particular are an essential part of the armoury of all major cities around the world. Around the world cities in China, India, and the Middle East are investing billions of pounds in metros – so if you say you’ve worked in the world’s oldest metro – and I would say the world’s best metro – then it marks you out for a career anywhere you want to go in the world.’

What does the UK rail sector actually do?

It builds and maintains the UK’s rail infrastructure.

Maintaining and updating the UK’s existing rail infrastructure – much of which dates back to the Victorian era, is a major focus for the sector.

Network Rail is responsible for much of this activity, and key projects include the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street station, the completion of Thameslink, and a major upgrade and electrification of the Great Western route, one of Britain’s oldest railways.

Likewise in the Capital, TFL (Transport For London) has a challenging programme of upgrades including an extension to the Northern Line, and upgrades to a number of key stations, tunnels and bridges.

At the same time, engineers are in the process of developing new rail infrastructure, most notably Crossrail – which will begin operating in 2018, and the HS2 project, which is expected to kick off in 2017.

Key rail infrastructure contractors include Bechtel (Crossrail’s Key delivery partner) Amey / SECO, Balfour Beatty,  Babcock and Jarvis PLC.

Birmingham New Street’s spectacular atrium takes shape.

It designs, builds and maintains trains:

The UK’s train building industry is currently centred around Bombardier’s historic Litchurch Lane facility in Derby, which employs around 2000 people in the production of trains and carriages for a number of operators. The state of the art factory is currently producing carriages for Southern Railways and trains for London’s Metropolitan and Victoria Lines but perhaps most notably recently won the £1bn contract to build the trains for the Crossrail network.

Although Bombardier is currently the only manufacturer of rolling stock in the UK, it will soon have some competition in the shape of Japanese industrial giant Hitachi, which is in the process of moving it’s global rail business here.

The firm hopes to be building trains for the Great Western and the East Coast main lines at its Newton Aycliffe facility County Durham by 2015, and, like Bombardier, intends to bid for the HS2 contract.

Bombardier’s historic Litchurch lane site.

Other rolling stock manufacturers with a major presence in the UK include Alstom – which employs around 2000 people in the UK to maintain and support its Pendolino fleet and underground trains – and Siemens, which employs around 750 staff to maintain the Siemens passenger trains used on Thameslink, Eurostar and a number of other networks.

Associated technology:

Through its Rail Automation business – which designs a range of control and signalling systems - Siemens is also one of hundreds of companies in a supply chain that provides a host of technologies and services to the industry.

Although this activity is spread all over the country, Derby – home to Bombardier – has a particularly high density of rail technology firms, including transportation data expert Tracsis, specialist software provider Delta Rail, and technology consultancy Interfleet Technology.

Other key suppliers with a base in the UK include Thales, ABB, Unipart and Schneider Electric.

What kinds of jobs are on offer?

There are opportunities throughout industry - both in the supply chain and with some of the bigger names, most of whom offer 2 – 3 year graduate programmes designed to expose new recruits to as many different areas of the business as possible, before they choose to specialize.

The Crossrail fleet is being built by Bombardier in Derby.

What’s more, because of the broad range of activity in the sector, there’s a requirement for most of the key engineering disciplines.

For instance, Network rail, which recruits around 50 graduate engineers every year; TFL, which takes on around 30, and Bombardier, which has an annual intake of around 15 graduate engineers, all recruit into disciplines including mechanical engineering, civil engineering, and electrical and electronic engineering.  HS2, which plans to launch its graduate scheme in 2015, also expects to take on engineers with a range of different specialisms.

Outlining what successful applicants might find themselves doing, TFL’s David Waboso said: ‘If you’re a civil engineer - You could be working on the Northern line extension to Battersea, you could be working on the bank station upgrade. If you’re an electronic engineer you could find yourself working on signalling and power projects’

The money’s not bad either:

Graduate engineer salaries in the rail sector tend to be well above the national average starting salary for UK graduates (£18 – 22K).  TFL offers a starting salary of £26k, whilst graduates at Network Rail can expect to earn £26,500.

What kind of skills are they looking for?

Clearly employers are looking for relevant degrees, and typically want a 2:1 or above. But employers are also looking for a range of “softer” skills, and evidence that students can get on well with people, communicate and, potentially, lead a team.

‘This is a demanding career,’ said TFL’s David Waboso. ‘At the pre interview stage we’re looking at what peoples’ prior experience is: have they done things that mark them out from the ordinary? Have they trekked across the amazon? Have they done voluntary work?’

HS2 plans to take on a high number of graduate engineers.

Peter Studd, a senior recruiter at Bombardier, agreed that interpersonal skills are critically important. ‘It’s not always the cleverest person that gets the offer,’ he said. ‘It’s the person who can think in a different way, look beyond the immediate challenge, and think about things from a customers’ point of view – we’re looking for someone who’s inquisitive.’

Studd added that the company deploys a range of techniques to find the right kind of people, including online psychometric tests, telephone interviews and on site assessment involving team exercises and a host of scenario tests.

And if you get invited on a site visit expect to be under observation. Studd said that the company want to see signs of enthusiasm, and is always impressed by inquisitive graduates asking intelligent questions.