Smallest steam engine made by Iqbal Ahmed set world record
[July
21] NAGPUR,India--The smallest working stationary steam engine was
constructed by Iqbal Ahmed of Nagpur, India, and has a flywheel
measuring just 6.8 mm (0.267 inch) across.
Photo: Iqbal's "thumbnail" working steam engine
weighs just 1.72 grams.
( click
here to enlarge photo
)
The machine stands at 6.8 mm (0.267 inches) high, and
is 16.24 mm (0.639 inch) long and weighs 1.72 gm (0.06 oz).
The tiny engine has a cylindrical body of brass
with built in crankshaft bearings, piston, connecting rod and valve
mechanism.
While the smallest part is the 0.7 mm connecting pin,
the largest is the 6.8 mm diameter flywheel. Its total length is
16.24 mm.
Dr Iqbal said, "With steam generated by
10 cc water, this engine can run for about two minutes. There is
a separate boiler (45 mm high and 15 mm in diameter) which has to
be connected to the steam intake nipple through a 1.5 inch pipe.
The boiler is heated with an alcohol burner."
He said, "Watching the moving wheels of steam
locomotives and toy Swiss electric train which my grandfather gave
me when I was just seven year old, I had always dreamt of making
engines one day."
On
Friday evening, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal gave
him a plaque, appreciating his work, while giving away the India
Innovation Pioneers Challenge Awards for 2006-07.
Discontinuing studies due to family circumstances
Iqbal worked in the lathe machine workshop set up by his father.
Photo:
Iqbal Ahmed at work in his shop in Nagpur, India
( click
here to enlarge photo
)
"Inspired in 1975 by a friend from England who
sent me a book on model making with diagrams I slowly started making
models of various steam engines, internal combustion engines which
developed into a hobby," he said.
As a person fascinated by new challenge, Mr Iqbal
said, "While the model making book gave dimensions of an eight inch
stationary steam engine model, I created a four inch model in 1978
and thereafter went ahead and created a two inch one."
In 2001, Mr Iqbal made a one inch steam engine
model and sent it for Guinness World Record but failed to make it.
He was informed that the world record is held by a engine which
is 17 mm high and weighing just 1.8 gm in weight. "I took it as
a challenge and same year constructed a smaller engine achieving
the Guinness World Record." Mr Iqbal's models have also been getting
awards at the Sherline Machinist Challenge Competition, USA, since
2001.
In 2001, he got special recognition for miniature
vertical steam engine. In 2004, he got third position and a special
award for making miniature lathe machine working model. In 2005,
he got second prize for making the four stroke four cylinder water
cooled internal combustion engine without any design or blue print.
This year for the first time in the 16 year history
of Sherline Machinist Challenge Competition, he got both the first
and second prize award for a miniature 4.5 inch milling machine
and a miniature 4 inch lathe machine respectively.
Photo:
This tiny model of a Sherline Model 5400 milling machine took top
honors in the 2007 Machinist's Challenge contest at the North American
Model Engineering Society Expo held in Toledo, Ohio in April. It
features a functional rotary table with chuck mounted to a tilting
angle table. On the left of the mill table is a miniature Sherline
mill vise with rotating base. It is all mounted on a wood cabinet
with a pull-out drawer that reveals additional tools for adjusting
the mill. After finishing third in 2005 and second in 2006 in the
contest, Iqbal was finally rewarded with a win in 2007.
( click
here to enlarge photo
)
Mr Ahmed said that the prize winning lathe machine
had been donated by him to Joe Martin Foundation at Vista, California,
USA.
Mr Iqbal said, "Miniature models can be
made but it is virtually impossible to make miniature models work.
The model for which I hold the Guinness record cannot be made smaller
than 5mm… I made all my miniature models and precision tooling on
my big six feet lathe machine."
"Though, it's my hobby but miniature engines
may generate electricity or be used for pumping water," he added.
Iqbal welcomes the visit of any model engineers traveling to India
and loves to share his experience in modeling.
Sources:
Hindustan Times- India, Craftsmanship-Museum.com
Photos: Craftsmanship-Museum.com