Gearboxes for vehicle steering systems are an essential component whose reliability must be tested under a wide range of environmental conditions (+120 to –40°C is not uncommon). Realistic testing requires that gearboxes are connected to other mechanical assemblies and then operated. To perform such testing under controlled conditions, the gearbox must be inside an environmental

Events in recent years have highlighted the important issue of transporting temperature-sensitive items around the world, in particular medicines such as vaccines. As these often have limited lifetimes, air travel is frequently the only practical option, but this raises other issues in that aircraft cannot usually carry the heavy refrigeration systems needed to maintain cold

Fume cupboards (also known as fume hoods) are an essential part of almost any laboratory, as they allow chemical or biological substances to be handled without causing exposure to the operator. They provide an enclosed workspace through which an airflow is drawn continuously from front to back, carrying any fumes or dusts away from the

Controlling the moisture content of products can often be critical to ensuring that they meet their specifications. It’s not only the final percentage of water that is of importance; the speed at which the product is conditioned can also be a factor. This is especially relevant in foodstuffs, where texture and other physical characteristics are

Air-source heat pumps are emerging as a key solution for moving our energy systems away from their current dependency on fossil fuels. Nevertheless, a big question when considering whether or not to install heat pumps is: how effective and efficient are they at extracting thermal energy from the air? It’s not a straightforward question to