Taking a specific market based problem and turning it into a reliable, safe, tangible product that solves that problem, requires an interesting mix of disciplined engineering combined with left field creativity. It mixes engineering with marketing, lateral thinking with mathematics, imagining of new ideas with a conservative customer base and explicit knowledge with tacit knowledge. The overhead power line industry demands compliance with existing standards but sometimes this comes at a cost to potential reliability. As new materials become available, and some standards become out dated against technology, any venture into new ways of solving old problems comes at a great risk to the innovator. Thus it is important that any new developments have a solid theoretical backing combined with a test regime to prove beyond doubt that performance to a required specification is achieved with no room for risk.
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