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Type approval procedures revised
International
news
Type approval procedures revised
Invention Machine launches into UK
Lloyds’ Register (LR) has revised its type approval procedures, reflecting advances in technology, changes in standards, including the introduction of EU directives, and variations in operational use. The revisions, which are included in a new set of LR publications, come into force on 1 September 1997. Until that date, manufacturers may use either the new arrangements or continue to use the existing system. LR Type Approval provides independent verification that an approved product is suitable for its intended application, complies with its stated specification, and conforms with specified relevant standards. Manufacturers who have successfully completed type Approval can then use the Type Approval logo on a product or its packaging: its use informs purchasers that LR has confirmed that a product meets specified standards. LR Type Approval is available for a wide range of products: from industrial plant and processes, through information technology, marine and offshore applications, to domestic and business usage. Components can range from the simple, such as pilot lights, to safety critical wellhead equipment and complex computerbased controls. The following publications have been revised, and are now available.
Invention Machine Corporation, the supplier of software to aid the process of invention, has announced its expansion into the UK market. The company has appointed its first UK reseller, the innovation consultancy, Next Step Associates, which has already received orders from its first customers, the Industrial Design including Consultancy, a 30-strong international design practice. This has helped to expand Invention Machine’s growing UK client base. The Industrial Design Consultancy provides original, mechanical and industrial engineering designs for major clients such as Smiths Industries, Philips, Hasbro and Reckitt and Colman. It will be using the Invention Machine system to help develop products ranging from domestic appliances to printing machines and control systems. ‘The Invention Machine system lifts our established lateral thinking capabilities on to a completely different plane. It comes up with numerous potential solutions to any problem and helps us to take a much broader approach,’ says John Stimpson, marketing manager, the Industrial Design Consultancy. ‘The system doesn’t just stick to the inventive principles associated with a particular field but draws on solutions from completely different disciplines, coming up with ideas that would never have occurred to us, or would have taken weeks of brainstorming among multi-disciplined teams.’
LR Type Approval System Procedures TA96 LR Type Approval System Procedures Test Specification Number I 1996 LR Type Approval System Procedures Test Specification Number 4 1996 LR Type Approval System Procedures Test Specification Number 3 1996 The stages in Type Approval 0
0 0
0 0
consist of:
reviewing the full design data submitted by the producer to establish that the design complies with codes and specifications; inspecting the product to confirm that it is manufactured in accordance with the design data; witnessing tests in accordance with a test programme agreed between the producer and LR to confirm claimed performance and suitability for the proposed application; issuing a Type Approval certificate, normally valid for five years; entering the product in the relevant part of the List of LR Type Approved Products.
310
Wind-up radio designed with AutoCAD design software A radio that needs no battery or mainssupplied electricity has been designed using Autodesk’s design software. The BayGen Freeplay, the wind-up radio, won the 1996 BBC Design Awards for Best Product and Most Popular Product. It was invented by Trevor Baylis, who saw the need in the developing world for radios that run at a low cost. Baylis was inspired by a TV news bulletin about the importance of radios as an educational tool to combat the spread of AIDS in Africa. The programme showed that expensive batteries and lack of electricity hampered radio usage. Baylis realized that a solution was a radio with an internal wind-up generator which would eradicate the need for batteries or mainssupplied electricity. TKO, a product design consultancy, used Autodesk’s AutoCAD to help tramlate Baylis’ invention into a commercial product. ‘Designing the radio was a bit like building a Russian doll - every component had to fit into order. By feeding all
Materials & Design Volume 17 Number 5/6 1996
the component dimensions into AutoCAD, we were able to reconcile any incompatibilities that arose more quickly than if we had stayed on the drawing board,’ explained Andy Davey, principal, TKO. He added, ‘Although we were first-time users of AutoCAD, we found it very intuitive and straightforward.’ For further information on Autodesk visit the World Wide Web site://www.autodesk.com. To contact Baygen Power Europe for trade and retail enquiries, telephone 0181 878 3093.
CD-ROM for mechanical engineers A free multimedia CD-ROM is available from Algor, a maker of finite element analysis and event simulation software. This CD-ROM is designed to introduce mechanical engineers to the company’s software products. Engineers can use Algor software to predict and prevent failure of existing parts, products and structures. ‘The graphics, animations and videos on our CD-ROM bring to life how Algor solves some of the most complex problems and events of mechanical engineering in easy-to-view dynamic formats,’ explained Michael L. Bussler, president of Algor. ‘Algor’s “virtual engineering” displays bending, buckling, breaking, contact in a critical or unexpected location and other mechanical failure on the computer screen, so you don’t have to study numbers to know when a part will fail.’ The CD-ROM features videos which compare results from Algor analyses with what occurs in the real-world. ‘The videos and animations provide the viewer with a virtually live demonstration of how our software can predict when and where stress occurs in a part, product or structure.’ said Bussler. ‘The viewer gets a series of easy-to-access two- to fourminute documentary films on advanced mechanical engineering techniques.’ Besides the video-action demonstrations, the CD-ROM features:
l 0 0 0
animations which show how the software can predict or prevent product failure; free demo software to download and tryi success stories from engineers who use Algo software; an introduction to the company’s finite element analysis and event simulation technology.
The CD-ROM comes with a browser and a powerful search utility which enables users to locate data on specific subjects by entering keywords. The search utility provides a list of all references to
news
Type approval procedures revised
Invention Machine launches into UK
Lloyds’ Register (LR) has revised its type approval procedures, reflecting advances in technology, changes in standards, including the introduction of EU directives, and variations in operational use. The revisions, which are included in a new set of LR publications, come into force on 1 September 1997. Until that date, manufacturers may use either the new arrangements or continue to use the existing system. LR Type Approval provides independent verification that an approved product is suitable for its intended application, complies with its stated specification, and conforms with specified relevant standards. Manufacturers who have successfully completed type Approval can then use the Type Approval logo on a product or its packaging: its use informs purchasers that LR has confirmed that a product meets specified standards. LR Type Approval is available for a wide range of products: from industrial plant and processes, through information technology, marine and offshore applications, to domestic and business usage. Components can range from the simple, such as pilot lights, to safety critical wellhead equipment and complex computerbased controls. The following publications have been revised, and are now available.
Invention Machine Corporation, the supplier of software to aid the process of invention, has announced its expansion into the UK market. The company has appointed its first UK reseller, the innovation consultancy, Next Step Associates, which has already received orders from its first customers, the Industrial Design including Consultancy, a 30-strong international design practice. This has helped to expand Invention Machine’s growing UK client base. The Industrial Design Consultancy provides original, mechanical and industrial engineering designs for major clients such as Smiths Industries, Philips, Hasbro and Reckitt and Colman. It will be using the Invention Machine system to help develop products ranging from domestic appliances to printing machines and control systems. ‘The Invention Machine system lifts our established lateral thinking capabilities on to a completely different plane. It comes up with numerous potential solutions to any problem and helps us to take a much broader approach,’ says John Stimpson, marketing manager, the Industrial Design Consultancy. ‘The system doesn’t just stick to the inventive principles associated with a particular field but draws on solutions from completely different disciplines, coming up with ideas that would never have occurred to us, or would have taken weeks of brainstorming among multi-disciplined teams.’
LR Type Approval System Procedures TA96 LR Type Approval System Procedures Test Specification Number I 1996 LR Type Approval System Procedures Test Specification Number 4 1996 LR Type Approval System Procedures Test Specification Number 3 1996 The stages in Type Approval 0
0 0
0 0
consist of:
reviewing the full design data submitted by the producer to establish that the design complies with codes and specifications; inspecting the product to confirm that it is manufactured in accordance with the design data; witnessing tests in accordance with a test programme agreed between the producer and LR to confirm claimed performance and suitability for the proposed application; issuing a Type Approval certificate, normally valid for five years; entering the product in the relevant part of the List of LR Type Approved Products.
310
Wind-up radio designed with AutoCAD design software A radio that needs no battery or mainssupplied electricity has been designed using Autodesk’s design software. The BayGen Freeplay, the wind-up radio, won the 1996 BBC Design Awards for Best Product and Most Popular Product. It was invented by Trevor Baylis, who saw the need in the developing world for radios that run at a low cost. Baylis was inspired by a TV news bulletin about the importance of radios as an educational tool to combat the spread of AIDS in Africa. The programme showed that expensive batteries and lack of electricity hampered radio usage. Baylis realized that a solution was a radio with an internal wind-up generator which would eradicate the need for batteries or mainssupplied electricity. TKO, a product design consultancy, used Autodesk’s AutoCAD to help tramlate Baylis’ invention into a commercial product. ‘Designing the radio was a bit like building a Russian doll - every component had to fit into order. By feeding all
Materials & Design Volume 17 Number 5/6 1996
the component dimensions into AutoCAD, we were able to reconcile any incompatibilities that arose more quickly than if we had stayed on the drawing board,’ explained Andy Davey, principal, TKO. He added, ‘Although we were first-time users of AutoCAD, we found it very intuitive and straightforward.’ For further information on Autodesk visit the World Wide Web site://www.autodesk.com. To contact Baygen Power Europe for trade and retail enquiries, telephone 0181 878 3093.
CD-ROM for mechanical engineers A free multimedia CD-ROM is available from Algor, a maker of finite element analysis and event simulation software. This CD-ROM is designed to introduce mechanical engineers to the company’s software products. Engineers can use Algor software to predict and prevent failure of existing parts, products and structures. ‘The graphics, animations and videos on our CD-ROM bring to life how Algor solves some of the most complex problems and events of mechanical engineering in easy-to-view dynamic formats,’ explained Michael L. Bussler, president of Algor. ‘Algor’s “virtual engineering” displays bending, buckling, breaking, contact in a critical or unexpected location and other mechanical failure on the computer screen, so you don’t have to study numbers to know when a part will fail.’ The CD-ROM features videos which compare results from Algor analyses with what occurs in the real-world. ‘The videos and animations provide the viewer with a virtually live demonstration of how our software can predict when and where stress occurs in a part, product or structure.’ said Bussler. ‘The viewer gets a series of easy-to-access two- to fourminute documentary films on advanced mechanical engineering techniques.’ Besides the video-action demonstrations, the CD-ROM features:
l 0 0 0
animations which show how the software can predict or prevent product failure; free demo software to download and tryi success stories from engineers who use Algo software; an introduction to the company’s finite element analysis and event simulation technology.
The CD-ROM comes with a browser and a powerful search utility which enables users to locate data on specific subjects by entering keywords. The search utility provides a list of all references to