IEE Power Divison: Chairman´s address. Spinning a yarn

The man-made-fibre industry has brought its own problems for the electrical power engineer. Power generation and distribution, special design of small motors, both asynchronous and synchronous, and control systems have all had to be developed, with special attention paid to reliability and continuity of service, combined with maximum economy. A first-hand knowledge of the industry is essential. Much the same may be said about other `user¿ industries, and this example is used to show that there is a greater need than is perhaps realised for the professional electrical engineer as an applications engineer in a user industry. Only in this way can full and economical use, based on a balanced engineering judgment, be made of the rapid developments in electrical technology, whether power, electronics or control. Equally, the profession needs to know more of the demands and responsibilities of the user applications engineer, and a plea is made for more papers on this subject. The acceptance of informal papers increases the opportunities.