A six-metre high stainless steel artwork clock called Pulse was unveiled as the finishing touch to the Heart of the Village project at Sacriston in County Durham.

The clock, next to the village’s new community centre and landscaped surrounds, was created by award-winning sculptor and environmental artist Diane Maclean, who works mainly in stainless steel on a large scale. It replaces the clock on the village’s old community centre, which was demolished last April.

“In public consultation about the project what came through strongly was that villagers wanted a clock back,” said Grace Wallace, project officer with Groundwork North East, which has been involved in the venture.

“The clock is a very modern design and is the final piece in the regeneration jigsaw.

“The enthusiasm for the project among people in Sacriston has been fantastic. Everyone showed a real interest and the community is really excited to see a clock back on Front Street.

“The sculpture was created to allow the village to both celebrate its proud heritage and look to a prosperous future, and the scheme has been a resounding success.”

Diane Maclean's "Pulse" Art Sculpture built by Birch Engineering

 Article written by Tony Henderson, from The Journal.

Diane is a leading sculptor and environmental artist.

The company built the structure at its Ware factory in Hertfordshire. It was constructed in double-skinned pairs of mirror-polished stainless steel panels. The piece features 11 vertical shafts designed to provide a walk-through canyon, and illuminated portholes with images of mineral structures. It also has a built-in audio facility

Mechanical engineers have poured their creativity into sculpting the modern day sculptures that grab everyone attention and people stop to admire them. Similarly, they have used their scientific aptitude into building modern day robots. Robots are conceptualized and built following the principles of engineering. They focus their attention on studying the mechanism behind the building of robots.

Building robots refers to any device that helps in automating the process. These robots and their robotics are used in automobile industry, which helps the auto makers to automate their assembly line and increase their productivity. A mechanical engineer specializing in robotics is quite useful in automobile industry as most of the automakers need them on the shop floor. Similarly, any production unit using robots to automate production needs mechanical engineers and their expertise.

If you want to be a mechanical engineer you have to be trained and get educated extensively. You basically need to master the subjects like math, physics, solid mechanics, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Material Science, manufacturing processes, etc. you will need to undergo rigorous training including lectures and home works that will train you in problem solving and invoke your thought process. You will need to take your licensure after completing your degree that will make you eligible to work as a mechanical engineer anywhere in the world. Many countries like the US, Europe, Canada requires mechanical engineers for their production units in their countries. Companies in these countries are always on a talent hunt for their production plants.

On other hand, if you are looking for mechanical engineering solutions for your business or simply want something beautiful installed in your place of dwelling, all you need to do is to hire a good mechanical engineering firm that can offer 3D modeling, sculpturing, metal fabrication and machining, 3D CAD modeling, etc. They can not only give you the best designs and drawings but can also develop beautiful artifacts wherever you need them. Mechanical engineering firms can handle your requirements from initials drawings through transportation and installation. All you need to do is to tell them your idea, requirements and your budget. Mechanical engineering firm can deliver the best possible solutions manufactured in stainless steel, Steel, Plastic or Core 10 whichever suits your requirement and the budget.

One of the oldest arms of engineering is the discipline of mechanical engineering that uses principles or energy, motion and force. If you are a mechanical engineering you can find your way into the world of supersonic jets, automobile industry, and robotics industry or even medical applications like artificial organs or nanotechnology.  Similarly, if you are looking for mechanical engineering solutions, you can ask firm of mechanical engineers to deliver the best solutions for your by using their creativity and the technical expertise.

Sculpting is a creative side of mechanical engineers that has been lesser known to the world. When you see beautiful architectures on the airports or the hotel lobbies, a few people know that a mechanical engineer would have mastered his art to deliver such a visual delight. So next time you see a masterpiece fountain or a sculpture at the University campus, in the hospital garden or even museums, you might think involvement of masterful mechanical engineering in the same.

Birch Engineering has been approached by Rick Kirby to construct a stainless steel frame for his latest work

The face has taken Rick four months to create in his own work shop before being transprted to Birch for the manufacture of the structual framework to begin.

The overall size of the face is 4.5M in Height and 3M in width.

The face will be with Birch for the next 4 weeks while the framework is installed and the rear of the face finished before being transported to Wigan for installation.

More of Rick Kirby’s work can be found on his website www.rickkirby.com

It has now been agreed the location of the new sculpture, which will be erected on the new Dehaviland Campus. It was due to be erected ready for the start of term 29th of September. This now looks more likely to be October/November.

                                                      

The success of Anthony Gormley’s ‘Angel of the North’, since it’s 20 meter high, 53 meter wide wingspan was first raised aloft the Gates head skyline in 1995, has seen an increasing popularity for commissioning high-profile, large scale public sculpture for any number of urban and landscape projects across the country. Much media attention and controversy was recently focused on the 9 meter high bronze sculpture of a couple locked in an intimate pose, installed at the newly-opened St Pancreas International Station.

 Birch Engineering have been at the heart of specialist steel, plastics and glass sculpture manufacture to the professional artist / maker community for over 20 years. Established sculptors such Diane MacLean, Rick Kirby, John Farnham, Ivor Abrahams  to name a few  regularly call upon us to realize their pieces to the absolute highest standards of quality and durability technically achievable, which will also find their high-profile place in many outdoor public commissions.

 Some of our finest examples of immaculate stainless steel finish to be found across the UK, range as far apart as Diane’s 12 metre high double-helix Mirror Polished Stainless Steel work, entitled ‘DNA (New Discovery)’ at East Dock Dundee to ‘Propeller’, an 8 metre high Coloured Stainless Steel column, shining high into the sky at Heathrow Airport. And a Huge Piece entitled “Mountain” commissioned for the Museum of Natural History which now resided at the University of Hertfordshire Stretching out over 20 M long and over 7m Tall.

All in Mirror polished Stainless Steel.