Kings, Saints and British Engineering Remembered

Sometimes I think it’s good to stop and think of what day it is and consider its significance. It’s natural to do this with dates such as Easter and Christmas and of course we all do it with regard to birthdays and anniversaries relating to friends and family. However, what can history in general terms tell us about any given date?

Let's take today for example - 30 May. I was intrigued to learn just what a significant date it has been in history. Here's what I found:

30 May 1431 - One of the most significant figures in medieval history and particularly French history, Joan of Arc, died on this date. Burned at the stake in Rouen at the tender age of just 19, Joan become a potent symbol and one of France's most notable patron saints.

30 May 1536 – The day King Henry VIII of England married his third wife Jayne Seymour. It was a turning point in the turbulent ruler's life - he had just had his second wife Anne Boleyn beheaded and Jayne was to become the mother of his only male heir, Edward VI of England.

30 May 1574 – Henry III (the third and most favored son of Catherine de Medici) became heir to the throne of France.

30 May 1642 – A significant date in English history. From this date on, all honours granted by King Charles I of England were retrospectively annulled by the English Parliament. This helped sow the seeds for the English Civil War with the first pitched battle fought at Edgehill just a few months later on 23 October 1642.

Last but not least, given my engineering background, it wouldn’t do to leave out a reference to engineering in some way. So my attention was attracted to the date of 30 May 1995 - the day that legendary British racing car engineer Lofty England died. Here is Lofty remembered in a wonderful sculpture in Sussex, England.

ID Fan Cleaning - Part Of MPM

The cement industry is probably one of the most demanding types of industry when it comes to finding solutions for cleaning and maintenance. The nature of cement as a material is of course the main reason as it easily builds up within plant machinery and readily adheres to surfaces, in turn reducing plant efficiency.

One of the key areas where buildup occurs is on id fan rotors and blades. Traditionally plant engineers have just stopped fans to remove the buildup but with sonic horn technology this needless downtime can be avoided.

In fact, our horns can prevent the buildup from even taking place. That is the beauty of the non-intrusive and 'preventative' approach that using the science of audiosonics offers.

Acoustic cleaner installed on ID fan

This system of cleaning, I'm delighted to say, has fast become recognised as an important part of an MPM program (Monitored Preventative Maintenance) in many cement plants.This page about id fan cleaning explains in more detail how sonic horns are installed on fans and how they work.