DS-AUG26-PG03_Layout 1 17/08/2026 12:55 Page 3
COvER
1971: Edward Heath was UK Prime Minister, and unofficial strikes were protesting against his Industrial Relations Act, designed to restrict union power. Shell UK, meanwhile, discovered the Brent oilfield in the North Sea, which would eventually lead to huge investment in the offshore energy industry. Further afield, and the world was waiting to hear what Apollo 15 astronauts would discover while exploring the surface of the moon using a Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) for the first time; and the first email message was sent between two computers. That October, Walt Disney Land in Florida opened its doors for the first time. In the charts over the summer,
T.Rex was holding the number one spot with Get It On, and On the Buses, the spin-off to the popular
leespring.co.uk
television series of the time, was gaining massive footfall at the cinema. The Who and Led Zeppelin were touring the UK; and over 150,000 people descended on a small village in Essex to see Status Quo and Rod Stewart headline at the Weeley rock festival. That summer, however, also witnessed the launch of OEM Design, an industrial business to
business publication aimed at ‘designers of engineering products who have sufficient authority within their organisations to specify materials, components and services’. Back then, design engineers worked at drafting tables, creating engineering drawings with pencil
ElEsa: Over 75 years in the design and production of standard components for industrial machines
Please turn to page 15
Design Solutions is sent free of charge to individuals who meet the publisher’s strict terms of control.
Annual subscription rates are: UK - £103.00; Overseas - £137.00 ISSN 1740-2654
Tel: 01622 687031; Fax: 01622 757646;
www.datateam.co.uk
and paper, and used mechanical calculations and physical tools such as T-squares. Prototypes had to be physical models. This, however, was all revolutionised when computers became mainstream and companies began using 3D CAD systems for product design and development. Over the following 55 years, OEM Design evolved in line with reader and industry requirements,
eventually being re-named Design Solutions. It has witnessed the launch of the World Wide Web, 3D printing, Industry 4.0, the Industrial Internet of Things, digitalisation, and now the use of Artificial Intelligence, all of which are making the design and development process, as well as component procurement, a much faster and easier task. Design Solutions has been at the forefront of these developments, reporting on new technologies,
software, materials, product developments and solutions. It has seen the rise in digital design and prototyping, the growing need for more energy efficient solutions, and how sustainability is requiring a step change in product design. It has also continued to cover the ever-changing legislation and regulations faced by OEMs and machine builders, and to showcase the latest technologies. Despite this, the last 55 years have not been without their challenges – recessions, world
conflicts resulting in huge supply chain issues, the lasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic (although in Design Solutions we were immensely proud to report on all those companies who stepped up to the challenge of designing medical equipment during that time), and the ongoing skills shortages, among the issues faced. So, this issue is celebrating 55 years of Design Solutions by looking back over the years. We cover
Registered in England No 1771113 Total Average Net Circulation: 10,463 © 2026 Datateam Business Media Ltd London Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 8LY
such topics as how springmaking has evolved from a skilled manufacturing craft into a tightly controlled engineering discipline; the reinvention of motion plastics; how servo gearbox technology has developed to become a critical component in motion systems; how enclosures have evolved from simple metal boxes into advanced engineering ecosystems; and the transformation of industrial optical sensors. Outside of historical information we also look into today’s solutions – from trends in the enclosures market, and how software-defined networks are driving intelligent manufacturing, to how the vehicle thermal architecture is a crucial factor in enabling EVs to perform in real-world operating conditions. But, in addition to this, we also take a little look at future expectations. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed creating this issue and would like to send out a heartfelt thank you to all
those people and companies who have been kind enough to share such amazing content and find such great photographs! And, of course, I would like to thank the loyalty of our readers and the support of our advertisers – without you there would be no Design Solutions. Thank you for being part of our journey over the last 55 years and as we head into the future!
Rachael Morling - Editor
The statements and opinions expressed in Design Solutions magazine and
www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk are not those of the editor or Datateam Business Media Ltd unless described as such
EDITOR’s COMMENT 55thanniversary
CONTaCT us fOllOw ‘DEsIgN sOluTIONs MagazINE’
aDvERTIsINg MaNagER Jordan Tait aRTwORk EDITOR Claire Noe
CIRCulaTION ENquIRIEs Curwood CMS
www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk
EDITOR Rachael Morling T: 01622 687031 T: 01622 699139 T: 01622 607963 T: 01580 883844
E:
rmorling@datateam.co.uk E:
jtait@datateam.co.uk E:
cnoe@datateam.co.uk E:
datateam@c-cms.com
JULY/AUGUST 2026 DesiGn sOLUtiOns 1971-2026 3
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
