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Science, Maths & Technology
Measure the speed of light with your microwave
This video discovers an unconventional way to measure the speed of light using the microwave in your kitchen
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Money & Business
How is identity data creating headaches for large companies?
Increasingly the costs and risks of holding data are turning toxic for businesses. Bhargav Mitra and Robert McCausland explain why.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Cold Pressing and Sintering of Powders
A blend of powders is fed into a closed die, where upper and lower punches compact the powder using enough pressure to bind the powder particles together. The formed component is ejected from the die and heated at low temperature to burn off any residual lubricant. The component then moves to a protected environment where it is sintered before ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Powder Forging / Hot pressing
A custom blended mix of powders is poured into a cavity mould, and compacted under pressure into a ‘preform’. The preform is heated to forging temperature then rapidly transferred into a forging press, where it is hot pressed into the final cast shape.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Slip-casting
The casting slip is a suspension of fine particles in a liquid medium. Slip is poured into a permeable mould, where liquid is drawn out of the slip, via a capillary action. A layer of solid slip (‘clay’) remains adhered to the walls of the mould. Once the required wall thickness of the casting has been achieved, the residue liquid is drained out...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Vacuum Forming (Thermoforming)
A sheet of plastic, softened by heat, becomes pliable and when placed under vacuum adopts the shape of male or female mould.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Why do volcanoes erupt?
What forces create these geological timebombs?
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Science, Maths & Technology
Metal Spinning / Flow Turning
Spinning is a process used to produce an axis-symmetric hollow shape by the application of lateral pressure from a forming tool, to a rapidly revolving circular blank of sheet material, causing it to assume the shape of a former that is rotating with it.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Fluid and Rubber Die Forming (Guerin and Hydroform)
Sheet metal is placed between a solid die and a rubber pad. Under pressure from a rigid tool, the rubber behaves like a liquid and forms over the shape of the die, forcing the sheet metal to also adopt the die shape.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Explore systems thinking with OpenLearn
Get to grips with systems thinking - dip into our wide range of resources here on OpenLearn
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Science, Maths & Technology
Deep Drawing
A sheet blank, subjected to a peripheral hold-down pressure, is forced by a punch into and through a die to form a deep recessed part, having a wall thickness substantially the same as that of the blank.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Stretch forming
Contoured, curved shapes are formed from sheet metal pressed, stretched and bent over a die. Typical applications include curved panels such as car door panels or wing panels on aircraft.