Timeline 40 years of DesignSolutions
Alongside the changes to industry and technology over the years, Design Solutions (formerly OEM Design) has evolved – both in looks and content. Here, Rachael Morling takes a look back at a selection of magazines from over the years, and the hot topics of the time
June 1972: A year after its launch, OEM Design, which was published by Mercury House Business Publications, was printed entirely in black and white – other than the front cover, which was an image showing a selection of low-cost steel and moulded plastic bearings.
The issue covered a wide range of topics, including a review of the ‘21st International Exhibition of Inventions and New Products’ which was held in Brussels and featured a flexible sun visor and a wing mirror wiper for cars; a system for inspecting underground
piping; and a high accuracy pocket slide rule. Also featured were the latest in power transmission products, control and instrumentation devices, and a feature article comparing the properties of fluidic and electronic elements.
October 1991: Now being published by Wilmington Publishing, this still included many black and white images with just the occasional colour photo. The cover image and story was
provided by Hengstler and looked at sensors and counters. The news at the time focused on a conference organised by The Smallpeice Trust and supported by the Design Council on the theme ‘Design as a competitive weapon’. CAD was a featured area, with the main article commenting on whether to purchase a CAD program with more capabilities, or a proper workstation to speed thinks up – it stated: “Most people investing in PC-based CAD probably realise that the computer technology they are buying is relatively primitive.” A focus on Advances in Plastics commented on the use of plastic materials and the emerging applications, including the Lotus Elan, which was reported to be the first car in the world with a plastic fuel tank.
October 1992:With its new design of front cover – featuring Omega’s pressure transduc- ers – OEM Design was entirely in colour by now. The news covered a contract for Pilgrim Moorside to supply hydraulic bolt tensioners for 34 wind turbines being built for the Greek Public Power Corporation, and how Control Techniques supplied drives to move the scenery on the 1992 Genesis world tour. Feature articles at the time included how rebuilding machine tools may be more beneficial than buying new, as typical machining centre costs ranged from £100,000
to £250,000, with special models around £800,000. Another area of interest was an article looking at the benefits of software based engineering analysis; and a Drives feature commented on the choices faced by specifiers. New products included displacement transducers for heavy industrial, submersible and severe environments; a one-piece flexible coupling; and the world’s smallest cooling fan, which measured just 25 x 25 x 10mm.
Design Solutions 1971-2011
January 2003: Having been re-designed again, the magazine had an NSK front cover in which the company promoted its SPACEA corrosion resistant bearings, designed to provide reliable performance in harsh environments. The news at the time included a conference organised by the British Stainless Steel Association (BSSA) on ‘Stainless Solutions for a Sustainable Future’, and Festo’s new Pneumatic Specifiers Toolkit; while a topic of interest was the use of a new technol- ogy developed to enable the creation of car windows that could be produced in the same
colour as the vehicle chassis. Other articles covered intelligent relays to ensure network reliability; a guide to hydraulic pumps and suitable applications; and rechargeable batteries for a solar powered cycle light.
June 2003: Now re-named Design Solutions, Holroyd had the cover and their article looked into superabrasive machining and turning systems.
The main news item at the time was about a breakthrough in radar safety systems, which could see reversing and anti-collision safety aids becoming an affordable accessory for vehicles. One of the main topics in this issue was the shift from 2D to 3D CAD, and the benefits this would give designers. The magazine also looked at the development of glow-in-the-dark materials, which it said may find uses in electronics and safety equipment; SAW non-contact torque measurement and its applications; and in Motion Control Aerotech commented on why ‘various technologies can be used to attain motion on the nanometer scale, but each has different characteristics’. Also featured were the use of flat wire springs, and the development of a resilient seal designed to stop leakage in miniature solenoid valves.
September 2007: By now the magazine was being published by Datateam Publishing (now Datateam Business Media), and this month had a front cover focusing on Burkert’s AIRLINE EX integrated pneumatic/electronic control system which reduced wiring in ATEX applications. The news focused on the launch of a new exhibition – Auto Aero Farnborough 08 – and a report on how the market for pre- assembled rodless actuators was growing at a faster rate than linear motion components. Features this month looked at: a new generation of high capacity bearings that
would offer benefits to high load, high speed applications; the design of rotating electrical machines and how a generic modelling tool has been developed that will enable FEA models of these to be created in just minutes; why properly specifying enclosures is essential if they are to be used in unfriendly environments; and the use of touch technology as a way for humans to interact with electronic systems. Also included was an article on designing wireless systems using model-based design processes.
- 40TH ANNIVERSARY SUPPLEMENT - S5
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