The City Of Sheffield Needs To Be Thanked
- Jack Ireland
- Oct 11, 2017
- 2 min read
The city of Sheffield has always been associated with steel. Having famously been dubbed ‘the steel city’, Sheffield has always had a major role in UK technologies.
But this affiliation with technology runs far deeper than just steel, with Sheffield having its fair share of companies furthering the development of the technologies industry.
Although, with that being said, steel and the industrial revolution cannot be overlooked. Stainless Steel was crafted by Sheffield-born Harry Brearley, born in 1871. He is credited with the invention of ‘rustless steel’ which later became stainless steel.
A metallurgist by trade, Brearley looked into new steel which resisted erosion caused by high temperatures. He was also responsible for adding chromium to steel, which ultimately raised the melting point of metals.
More recently, the city of Sheffield has been involved in a number of innovative creations – with the most recognisable being the GEM Rolls-Royce Engine.
In 2001, aerospace company Boeing, along with the University of Sheffield, established the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. The centre developed an engine which now flies on Boeing aircraft. Later in 2008, the centre added The Rolls-Royce Factory of the Future to its departments.
Many other innovations have taken place in Sheffield, with prosthetics and skin grafts two major medical inventions which have aided thousands of UK citizens.
Fripp Design and Research and the University of Sheffield developed 3D printed medical prosthetics for noses, ears and other body parts, with support of the Wellcome Trust.
Whilst Sheffield-based company, Ceramisys, has developed an implantable synthetic bone graft. Acting as a scaffold to support and promote bone repair, the graft dissolves in the body.
The city didn’t stop there, with Sheffield-based company JRI Orthopaedics Ltd being the first company in the world to develop a ceramic coating on hip replacements. These hip replacements have helped more than 250,000 patients regain mobility.
Now you know just how important Sheffield has been to the advancement of society through technology!
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