I’m being redesigned as we speak. Not only is technology changing the landscape of my life but designers are working on the style and function of it, too – from the wide range of packaging I find on the shelves (read about SKF packaging to the specifications of the car I drive and the mobile phone functions I use. It’s all a very different story from times gone by. As a consumer, I look for style and function, good quality and affordable prices; these are the challenges for skilled designers and manufacturers today. And with continuous improvements in software, design is improving by the minute.

Welcome to edition 3/03 of Evolution, which focuses on design and implementation. Thanks to the term “engineering collaboration,” more stakeholders are now taken into account at the design stage, as well as non-technical factors such as market dynamics and social implications. According to Joe Gavaghan of Parametric Technology Corporation, “What used to be a serial process, where each person in the chain would do his part of the work and pass it down to the next person, now has to happen all at the same time.” Fiercer competition and globalization are forcing new ways of thinking.

U.S.-based Liberty Precision Industries is a systems integrator that offers customers a single-point, start-to-finish provision for all components and services. The partnerships the company has created with suppliers, customers and employees have resulted in 80 percent of sales as repeat business. And, according to Liberty, timely access to leading-edge technology has been a driving force. In this story, we look at the design of a unique project that Liberty has been working on, valued at 33 million dollars, destined for the future benefit of DaimlerChrysler customers.

Christmas trees are powering the world. No, this is not fiction. The Christmas tree is a design concept with a difference. It was developed by FMC Energy Systems in Houston, Texas, for use in remote locations and under harsh conditions. This “tree” is bright red, angular and a solution for petroleum exploration. On page 32, read more about this innovative new design concept incorporating SKF roller screws.

Here’s a thought for wine drinkers: Did you know that SKF bearings may well have contributed to the quality of your chosen tipple? Agricultural machine manufacturer Berti, in northeast Italy, has designed a mulching machine with SKF self-aligning ball bearings, which reliably tends to the rolling hills and terraces of Soave.

If you are interested in finding the right SKF solution for your business, then please contact your local SKF organization, distributor or dealer. Local contact details can be found on www.skf.com.

If you wish to read further material in this or past editions of Evolution, then please log onto www.evolution.skf.com. Here you can order free regular print copies of the magazine and subscribe to the online newsletter. In our next edition we look at how companies are trading – past, present and future.

Take care, and I’ll see you soon.