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Manufacturing 'could slip into recession'
BBC
Manufacturers stockpiled more raw materials than ever in January as they prepare for Brexit, a survey by IHS Markit/ CIPS found today (1 February). Employment in the sector fell, and the surveyors warned the sector could slip into recession.
Steam trains returning to UK?
Professional Engineering
With a goal of taking all diesel-only trains off the tracks by 2040, this week the government announced £350,000 each for five low-carbon rail technology projects. Innovative ideas to receive funding include track-side solar installations to power trains and a modern makeover for steam power.
'Less talk, more action' needed to plug skills gap
Professional Engineering
A damning report found “scant progress in addressing the UK’s chronic engineering skills gap” since the landmark Perkins Review six years ago. The UK education system cannot produce enough engineers to support the economy, the follow-up report said, especially with a predicted increased reliance on home-grown talent post-Brexit.
Space industry into orbit...
The Manufacturer
It wasn't all doom and gloom for engineering and manufacturing this week, with income, exports and employment all up for the UK space sector in 2018. Companies could see further growth following the opening of the new spaceport in Sutherland, Scotland.
and aerospace flying high
Aerospace Manufacturing
Globally, the wider aerospace sector is also on a high. 1,618 aircraft were delivered to customers in 2018, a new record for the eighth year in a row. The number was up 120 on 2017 – but there is still a huge backlog of orders, with customers waiting for more than 14,000.
Flying cars need more fibre
Wired
While large manufacturers pump out more giant airliners than ever before, smaller companies hoping to revolutionise the sector with an entirely new class of aircraft are apparently struggling due to the challenges of manufacturing and working with carbon fibre. Icon Aircraft's production and pricing issues with the amphibious A5 aircraft should serve as a warning to others, reports Wired.
This 'wood' be good
The Engineer
Researchers from the Universities of Pennsylvania, Illinois and Cambridge have made nickel with nanoscale pores similar to those found in wood, creating something "as strong as titanium but four to five times lighter." The material could be infused with other substances for innovative applications, such as a prosthetic leg that also acts as a battery.
High cost of decommissioning
Energy Live News
A new report from the National Audit Office found decommissioning of offshore oil and gas infrastructure could cost UK taxpayers up to £24bn by 2063. Decommissioning is an industry in its own right after reserves dwindled and tax revenue declined.
Carbon capture going underground
Professional Engieering
The slow leak of gas from an underground reservoir in Arizona adds further evidence that a potentially vital technology to combat climate change is reliable, researchers said. A team from the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Freiburg and Heidelberg studied the naturally occurring carbon dioxide repository to investigate the potential of carbon capture and storage (CCS).
From sea to sky
New Atlas
High altitude weather observations over oceans are a challenge, to say the least. Rockets and balloons are used, but the Chinese Academy of Sciences said neither is perfect thanks to launching issues, timescales and costs. To tackle the problem, the academy designed and deployed a semi-submersible vehicle capable of launching rockets from the ocean. The marine vehicle could also carry out its own observations.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily reflect the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

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