We’re currently in the midst of world Coronavirus pandemic meaning that many countries have had to ‘lock-down’ their residents – especially here in Europe – to stop the spread of the virus. Here in the UK, workers have been told to work from home if possible, and certainly not travel unless necessary & important. As a result of this, many factories and other industries have simply had to close down for the foreseeable future, either following the government advice, to protect their workers or simply because their customers aren’t using their services anymore. However, one of the effects of this huge slow-down in manufacturing and industry has been a massive reduction in pollution.

residents of Punjab in India are able to see the peaks of the Himalayas for the first time in 30 years

For example, on the news today, apparently residents of Punjab in India are able to see the peaks of the Himalayas for the first time in 30 years, after a massive drop in pollution caused by the country’s Coronavirus lock-down (implemented on 22nd March 2020). In China, NASA and European Space Agency pollution monitoring satellites have detected a significant decrease in nitrogen dioxide over China. The evidence points to the economic slowdown following the outbreak of Coronavirus. And here in the UK, some cities have seen levels of nitrogen dioxide plummet by up-to 60% compared to the same period last year due to people simply not using their cars since the country went into ‘lock-down’.

According to the website Offshore Technology, one important impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on the downstream oil industry is that the price of crude oil has fallen significantly in a short time

However, has this also had an effect on oil producers? According to the website Offshore Technology, one important impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on the downstream oil industry is that the price of crude oil has fallen significantly in a short time, taking billions off the stock prices of major oil and gas companies. Demand has dropped, oil workers travel has been restricted, and infections from Coronavirus have been found on some oil rigs. However, what about the long-term effects of this? What happens when this is all over? For example, in recent years, many oil & gas companies have been looking towards more non-traditional methods areas of oil production such as deep-water offshore exploration. On the one hand, these unconventional resources are said to contain at least as much as the total conventional oil reserves extracted since the start of the oil industry, so the potential profits are there. However, on the other hand, developing these new, large-scale sites comes with significant cost associated with R&D and the new technology required for extraction. What happens if demand for oil never goes back to pre-Coronavirus levels? If, for example, many workers simply find they prefer working from home and continue to do this even when they have the choice to commute? This, in conjunction with things like the ongoing development of alternative forms of transport and the large-scale changes to government policies on things such as home heating may mean this is indeed the beginning of the end for the traditional oil industry. Whatever happens it’s going to be an interesting time!

Some days, certainly in my line of work, you learn something new and interesting about a new industry. On the other hand, sometimes when you investigate a new industry you’re simply overwhelmed and inundated with new, apparently meaningless phrases, words, acronyms, jargon, and lingo simply leaving you confused none-the-wiser. If you consider yourself to be someone firmly based in the former camp, now might be a good opportunity to go and make yourself a cup of tea with a biscuit. For fans of the latter, you’re in for a treat as we delve fearlessly into the subject of grinding media!

According to their marketing material, the Magotteaux Group are the global solution provider to ‘high abrasion extracting industries’ with their unique ‘grinding media’ brand Ecomax. You’ll also be pleased to discover that Magotteaux has also recently extended its offering to ‘Ecomax Forged’ meaning their grinding media is now available in both cast and forged!

As solution provider to high abrasion extracting industries, they start with a cross section insight into their customers value chain before combining all relevant levers from expert advice, service, resources, products & equipment to help their customers save money and optimise cash generation. Although it’s hard to believe, some people don’t yet know that Magotteaux developed their first cast chromium balls in 1950 in in their foundry in Vaux, Belgium. Roll on to 2020 and the firm now, according to their website, produce more than 250,000 tonnes of grinding media per year! Apparently, grinding media, or in this instance, grinding balls help reduce wear in some crushing and grinding processes. Coupled with special chemical compositions and heat treatments, they can now remove 150 alloys.

These ‘grinding media’ are used in a very diverse range of industries such as mines, cement plants and quarries all over the world including far-flung places like Alaska, Southern Africa, China and Chile.

We’re all familiar with general medicine, however, a subject along the same lines that not many of us know a great deal about is aesthetic medicine. This broad term covers specialties that focus on improving people’s cosmetic appearance through the treatment of conditions such as scars, excess skin, wrinkles, moles, liver spots, excess fat, cellulite, unwanted hair, skin discoloration, and spider veins. This branch of medicine includes dermatology; oral & maxillofacial surgery; reconstructive surgery; and plastic surgery. Aesthetic medicine includes such procedures as liposuction, facelifts, breast implants, radio frequency ablation, radio-frequency skin tightening, non-surgical liposuction, chemical peel, high-intensity focused electromagnetic field, radio frequency and fat removal. Practitioners will often use a combination of surgical and non-surgical procedures. Aesthetic medicine procedures are typically elective and have been often been show can significantly improve people’s quality of life, their psychological wellbeing and their social engagement.

A well-known company at the forefront of the production of machinery used in aesthetic medicine (such as the aesthetic medical machine) is Deleo (established in Saint-Raphael, South of France). They produce machines used in aesthetic treatments such as the treatment of cellulite, anti-aging procedures, facial contouring procedures, body contouring procedures, the treatment of scars, the reduction of stretch marks, the treatment of alopecia, and dynamic phototherapy.  

An example of one of the machines produced by Deleo is their Medisol – a high powered LED lamp used for Photobiomodulation (the cytochrome stimulation of mitochondria by photons emitted by LED’s.) This process leads to an adenosine triphosphate production that allows cellular renewal. This process stimulates the neocollagen in the skin.  This technology is used to treat a number of pathologies such as post-operative and repair treatments e.g. scars, burns, and stretch marks, dermatologic treatments e.g. acne, and other aesthetic medical treatments e.g. anti-ageing treatments and alopecia. For more information about Deleo, visit their website at deleo-medical.com

If you’re a homeowner, you’re probably already familiar with the concept of inspection cameras. A relatively recent application of modern camera technology, the inspection camera is able to provide an inspector with the ability to visually inspect in real-time things like drains from within by introducing a digital camera. Probably something you’re less familiar with are the inspection cameras commercial applications such as on building sites, by law enforcement, by utility companies, and for industrial applications. The problems with drains and pipes is, once they’re buried in the ground (or even encased in concrete), it’s often not economically or even physically possible to access them when there is a problem.

An example of a manufacturer and supplier of visual inspection equipment is VisioProbe, a company based in Montbrison, France and Paris. They have a very wide range of equipment such as a remote inspection camera and a radiation tolerant camera.

Image you’re Her Majesty’s Custom and Excise working at Dover and a suspicious lorry pulls up. A small camera on a pole which can view small areas would be an invaluable in helping to outsmart a drug trafficker hell bent on getting their illicit cargo into the UK. These inspection cameras can Pan & Tilt for 360° view, are tough and lightweight, have a long vbattery life, are lightweight being on carbon fibre telescopic poles, are compact and easy to setup & use, and allow photo and video recording which can be used in court to present the evidence. From their website: “[inspection cameras can] inspect containers, loads, look for suspicious items, explosives, weapons, packs, control trucks, boats, ceilings, cavities. VISIOPROBE pole camera combined with a large range of fibre carbon folding poles provides you with 360° vision in any situation. Designed to meet operational requirements in the most extreme working conditions. Visioprobe pole camera is among the most compact, robust and light weight with high end image quality.”

Of the 32 species of trees native to the UK, three of the most recognisable and widely known are Ash, Oak and Beech. These three species are slower growing, deciduous and broad-leaved which distinguishes them from softwood trees such as pines. Hardwood is very well suited to furniture as it’s tougher than softwood, however, generally more expensive.

Beech wood is quite easy to identify – the wood is typically a pale cream colour, occasionally having a pink or brown hue. Preparing the wood with steam will often give it a more golden tone. Flatsawn surfaces tend to be very plain, while quarter-sawn surfaces exhibit a silvery fleck pattern.

Oak, on the other hand, has many different species, often introduced. Therefore, there are many colour variations seen in oak timber. To add confusion, not only dependent on the variety of oak, the growing conditions will also influence the appearance of the wood. The English Oak – also known as the European Oak – is common to most of Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa. The heartwood is a light to medium brown – often with an olive cast – though there can be a lot of variation in colour. Nearly white to light brown sapwood is not always sharply demarcated from the heartwood. Quarter-sawn sections display prominent ray fleck patterns.

Ash is a light to medium brown colour, though darker streaks can also be seen, which is sometimes sold as Olive Ash. Sapwood can be very wide and tends to be a beige or light brown, not always clearly or sharply demarcated from heartwood.

Wood used in the production of furniture can be made from simple planks of wood or, more often, made from panels or sheets. A good example of a wooden panel producer is the Ducerf Groupe, based in France, who produce the Panoplot panel, which is made of solid full stave lamellas glued together on the side and in the width. See examples here: https://en.ducerf.com/products/solid-wood-panels-panoplot

When I was in junior school, we didn’t have mobile phones, tablets, or any other technology for that matter. When it snowed, we had snow-ball fights and when it didn’t, we played games like ‘tig.’ They were simpler times and almost unrecognisable to modern children 35 years later. One of my favourite games – and one I discovered I had a particular aptitude for – was ‘marbles. Firstly, we agree on a hole to use and then negotiate which marbles from my collection would be wagered against which marbles from my opponents’ collection. Finally, we’d tip the marbles out and take it in turns to try to get them in the hole. If you got one in the hole, you got another turn. If you didn’t, it was your opponents turn. The one to get the last marble in the hole won the lot. And I still have my marble collection to this day! The value of marbles was not set in stone but rather something that you’d negotiate over using factors such as rarity, size or material. The most common glass ones may be worth ‘2’ and, for example, rarer, larger black glass marbles may be worth over a hundred each. One of the most valuable types of marble, however, was the ball bearing. All different sizes and values, and I can’t remember for the life of me where we’d get them in first place, but we coveted them, and they were invariably worth a lot!

This was, however, the sum of my experience with ball bearings. I suppose in the back of my mind I know you’ll find them everywhere from car wheels and roller skates to machinery and space shuttles. Turns out there are many different types and uses for them and also many innovative companies continually developing newer and more efficient bearings. Example types of ball bearings available – besides the ones a 10-year-old may play marbles with -include deep groove, double row, self-aligning, and thrust ball bearings. Just goes to show you learn something new every day!

Recently on Radio 2 (here in the UK), Sara Cox talked about her memories of the microwave oven, in particular, when she first used one and could make a baked potato in 2 minutes exclaiming to herself ‘what a time to be alive!’ Yes, that was a great time to be alive but technology has continued its relentless march way beyond electronic ovens. I remember watching old shows like the original Star Trek series when I was much younger and marvelling at the technology there’d be in the future, never for one moment actually believing it would be within my reach only a quarter of a century or so later. For example, pocket-sized communicators are now in all our pockets and we don’t even consider the technology at work when we use them. Speak to anyone, anywhere in the world, at any time (provided their awake and their phone isn’t on silent) or browse the sum of all the worlds knowledge from the bus stop on the way back from the pub – it’s up to you. I remember when I was young, if you had a difficult question, there was virtually no way to find out the answer. Not even in a library! Now I simply ask Google and I get my answer (usually) in seconds.

Another one of the amazing pieces of technology we’re all so used to these days are tablet computers. Not so long ago, no one would’ve believed that they’d be so ubiquitous and available to anyone, but they are now. In fact, screen technology is now everywhere, mainly thanks to LED technology. Dynamic LED screens can now be found everywhere from takeaway menus and road signs to advertising hoardings. The adverts around the pitch at big league football matches can be remotely controlled and food menus can automatically update themselves when breakfast service finishes. This really is an amazing time to be alive!

Giant Light Up Letters Hire

It’s the finer details that really bring a wedding together, the décor you choose will help to set the tone and shape your event. Planning a wedding is a big undertaking, that’s why we are here to help you with some wedding ideas. Below are some of the latest trends that are the perfect addition to any wedding. Brighten the day and give the photos of your special day an edge with these gorgeous props.

Light Up Your Day

Make a big statement and add some wow factor with incredible lit up letters. The 5ft LED letters provide a visual centrepiece and a breathtaking feature to your wedding. This trend is fast becoming an integral part of many weddings, most commonly couples want to keep it simple with the word “LOVE” illuminating their special day. You can choose to have the words MR & MRS / MR & MR / MRS & MRS too. Whatever design you choose, there is no doubt these letters will add a spectacular backdrop to your reception and will illuminate your venue.

Giant wedding letters hire is available from Fun 4 Hire, these letters are excellent quality and made from steel with built in LED lights to set the romantic mood. When looking for giant letters hire near you, beware of cheap MDF imitations of these beautiful letters.

Dance the Night Away

Want to bring some life and party spirit to the reception? An LED dancefloor can get your guests up and moving all night long while the lights of the dancefloor sparkle underfoot. This is an elegant and appealing approach to the dancefloor, one of the key features of any wedding. The lights of the floor twinkle like stars on the clearest night, giving you a romantic and intimate setting that will leave your guests in awe and ready to dance. Dancefloor hire allows you an affordable and easy way to add that little bit extra to your day.

Why Lighting is So Important

Lighting is an incredibly important aspect of wedding planning. The lighting can be stylistic and is essential for bringing ambiance to your special day. In addition to the main lighting scheme, you can use props to provide soft lighting without the need for obvious and unsightly lighting instruments. Adding your own take on the lighting can help to make the day yours and will bring some magic to your photographs.

The wedding ideas above (LED dance floor and giant LED letters) are both ways to add some mood lighting to your wedding while keeping the style and romance on point. When looking for ways to add lighting to your wedding without being to over the top, these props provide the perfect opportunity. The best part of all is that dance floor hire and giant letters hire are affordable options that’ll add so much to your day. Even when the lights go down the dance floor will be inviting and the specially chosen lettering will be glowing.

For more information on giant light up letters hire, call Fun 4 Hire on 07903 973 963 or visit their website at www.fun4hire.net

What is a backlit sign?

An important consideration for any business, event or promotional drive should be signage. Signs can be used to not only help spread your message but also attract customers and set yourself apart from your competition. Investing in a sign is a significant step towards reinforcing your brand but it is not surprising that many businesses aren’t sure where to start when deciding on a sign that suits them. If you’re asking yourself what kind of sign is best for your business then we can help. There are various formats available in order to ensure you can create the eye-catching impact desired in every circumstance, but today we are going to focus on just one: the backlit sign.

One of the most popular sign types (and one that we absolutely love) is the backlit sign. Ultimately, these are signs that are illuminated using a light source behind the design in order to draw peoples eye and spread the desired message loud and clear. The backlit sign is highly versatile and works in your favour around the clock, something many signs are unable to do after sunset which results in your business losing out on valuable marketing time.

A backlit sign is great for use both inside and outside and are often seen in shopping centres, airports, bus stops and building signage. There are many benefits to choosing a backlit sign including:

• Increased visibility at night
• Clear and easy to read – even from afar
• Colourful and eye-catching
• Stand out from the crowd
• Perfect for promoting your business or message

The sign is created with a light source behind and the printed graphic over the top. LED lights are most commonly used as the light source due to their effectiveness. On top of this, they are also incredibly energy efficient; the LED lights provide an impressive level of brightness while using small amounts of energy, this makes them an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes. Your design will not only stand out but will also be full of detail and clarity. The back lighting even helps your sign design to appear enhanced.

Printing backlit signs is becoming more and more versatile thanks to the technology available today and this means you can literally create exactly the kind of sign you require without breaking the bank to afford it. The combination of the durability and the eye-catching vividness of backlit signs plays a vital part in their ever-increasing popularity.

If you have an idea in mind for a backlit sign, contact Image Sign Studio today for professional, high quality and carefully designed signs that will help you spread your message in a loud, clear and refined way.  We operate in the Sheffield and Rotherham areas and pride ourselves on helping businesses realize their creative goals.

For more information on Backlit Signs, get in touch