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Notable Projects

Robot Wars

In the mid 1990's, the TV series Robot Wars saw many amateur mechanics pit their creations in battle against each other. Each robot had its own weapon - motorised saws, hydraulic axes or flippers - with which to fight. Many of them were liable to breakdowns and malfunctions which was, of course, all part of the fun.

But the producers wanted to deploy professionally built, in-house robots to present viewers with an extra level of intrigue and excitement. Mikrospin were approached to supply hydraulic parts for the building and maintenance of these technically impressive robots. These weren't built to break down! Over the years Mikrospin supplied the Robot Wars in-house team with many specialised parts to keep their robots on the top of their game.

Fighter Plane Testing

British Aerospace in Brough, North Humberside test aircraft for their safety and suitability for flight. Simulating the same movements that would be experienced in flight is no easy job, with many pressures and strains on the craft while it's in the air.

Mikrospin was involved in the design and supply of hydraulic filtration equipment. These high-functioning and technologically advanced systems helped put the fighter planes through an 'in-flight’ equivalent, with no compromise on safety and effiency.

Wind Turbines Throughout the UK

With an increasing need for green and alternate energy sources in the UK, wind turbines have been popping up everywhere. Faced with a fair amount of criticism, engineers are determined to design and build effective wind turbines.

Mikrospin has become a major supplier of specially designed filtration products for the construction of wind turbines. The filters are manufactured by our Italian supplier Sofima Filters and our knowledge meant that we were able to get the right parts for the job.

London Underground Tunnel

In the early nineties, the authorities planned a new section of the Underground to extend the Jubilee Line to Heathrow Airport. With new advances in tunnelling machinery since the London Underground was first built, they were looking for cutting edge technologies to speed up the process.

Adrian of Mikrospin was involved in both the design of systems and the supply of hydraulic control valves for the tunnelling machine. These valves brought power and precision to the job. Adrian's engineering expertise meant that the most effective parts were sourced and used.

James Bond Cars

You can't make a James Bond film without a 'suped-up' auto-mobile to blaze through a car-chase scene, so when making 2002's "Die Another Day" the production team assigned the job to a specialist design team.

Mikrospin supplied hydraulic components to that design team, and with our experience managed to get the right parts to them to do the job. Every time a gun pops up out of the car, or a panel moves back, we grin and remember the part we played in the making of the film.

Disabled Car Project – Drive From Your Wheelchair

Getting in and out of a car, for a wheelchair-user can be difficult. While some manage fine, for some it's near impossible without help. People who lead otherwise fully independent lives shouldn't have to rely on another person to fold up their wheelchair for transport after getting into their car.

A team had the idea of designing a system to allow wheelchair users to enter a vehicle and drive from their wheelchair. Adrian, of Mikrospin, was invited to help design and prototype one of these specially adapted vehicles. A challenge he took on with relish.

VW Caddy & Fiat Qubo vehicles were adapted to automatically open the tailgate and drop a ramp for access.

The VW Caddy was also adapted to lower its suspension for easier access. It was achieved by using a complex hydraulic system including a Bosch Rexroth hydraulic power unit and bespoke hydraulic cylinders. The system was controlled by special circuitry and pressure transducers, which were needed to evaluate the pressures on and movement of the vehicles during access.

The result? Sensitive, safe and effective systems allowing wheelchair users to access their vehicle and drive from their wheelchair, granting them an extra independence.

Railways Tamping Machine

Railway maintenance can be very costly, and as a result train fares skyrocket. Hikes in fares are unpopular with passengers. Looking to cut costs and improve their maintenance efficiency, National Rail approached Mikrospin for help.

Adrian worked with the maintenance team in charge of laying railway supports to help them keep their machines running to maximum efficiency. They were using a diesel locomotive kitted out with complex hydraulic systems to embed the supports into the ground, using pressure and vibrations. These machines were suffering from wear and tear, and running slowly.

Oil contamination was to blame for the stresses on the machine's hydraulics. Mikrospin supplied filtering mechanics to take samples of oil for analysis, sending some off-site to leading UK Universities for thorough testing, but also completing some on-site patch testing to notice any glaring problems. These samples were taking while the machine was running, with Adrian providing on-site support.

Adrian's help meant that any oil contaminations were spotted early on, pinpointed in a lab, and dealt with. This kept the locomotive and its hydraulics running cost-effectively, ultimately saving time, money and resources.

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Mikrospin is a limited company registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Mikrospin Limited, Mikrospin House, William Street, Littleborough, Lancashire OL15 8JP. Registered number: 1980816

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