All posts by : jackie

The Incas developed an accounting system, brain surgery, and freeze drying.  They were also brilliant metalsmiths, and are likely the source of a technique still used today:  Powder Metallurgy.

As it has evolved over the years, it has produced unique materials like tungsten carbide, and reduced the need to use metal removal processes.

It began with the art of metal and ceramic sintering. Ancient Incas would use precious metals to form jewelry and other artifacts. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the planet, ancient Egyptians believed to also be using powder metals to make everything from iron daggers, to ornamentation found in the tomb of Tutankhamon. But it would take another 500 years after the Incas, before metal powders would be used in mass manufacturing. 

Russian scientist, Peter G. Sobolevsky, figured out a way to create new things from platinum powder. This involved ammonium chloroplatinate being hot-pressed and shaped into easily transportable blanks. In the late 19th century, iron was extracted by hand and then reintroduced as a powder.

But the beginning of the 20th century is when the use of powder metals really took off. For that, you can thank the lightbulb. 

Powdered metals were used to make tungsten wire, which had the unique traits of being easy to heat up, but not so fragile it would come apart.

In 1922, the production of cemented carbides was involved in making heavy alloys, multi-carbides, and contact materials. The ability to make metals lighter while making them stronger has caused advancements in everything from architecture to aerospace.  

Breaking these various metals down to a powder also brings along some challenges. When metals are pulverized into a powder being micrometers in size, it can become a hazard for workers. These small particles can enter the lungs and do significant damage. That’s something we in this industry study and take very seriously. Bins, hoppers, and other systems must be made to contain these powder metals safely and completely, while not inhibiting the workflow of a business.

It’s a fascinating field of study, and we would love to help you learn more about this historical process.

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In the countryside of Connecticut lies a property called Pepperidge Farm, the place where Margaret Rudkin founded her now nationally-known bakery brand of the same name. What began as a mother experimenting with baking healthful bread at home for her family has become a company which sells over $2 billion worth of bread, cookies, snacks, and more each year.

Producing a “Top Quality Food Product”

Margaret (Fogarty) Rudkin was born into a second-generation Irish family in New York in 1897 and grew up to become valedictorian of her high school class. She spent several years working as a bookkeeper in the city before settling down with her family in Fairfield, CT––right at the beginning of the Great Depression.

While Margaret and her husband did not have any prior farm life experience, moving to their new property prompted a determination for them to learn how to make sauerkraut and jams, churn butter, raise and butcher livestock, and eventually bake bread.

Due to the pair’s youngest son being plagued by severe allergies and asthma, Margaret decided to try her hand at making some all-natural, stone-ground, whole wheat bread to supplement his diet of minimally-processed foods (despite never having baked bread before in her life). Though her first several loaves were practically inedible, her persistence eventually paid off once she perfected her recipe for “the best bread her family and friends had ever had.”

This “top quality food product”, as Margaret called it, helped her son’s health so much that his doctor began recommending it to his other patients. And with that, the astonishing demand for Margaret’s premium bread was born.

Continued Growth and Innovation

The first step in the commercialization of Pepperidge Farm’s preservative-free bread was to get it into the hands of local grocers. Though there was initial hesitancy due to Margaret’s bread being more than double the cost of typical 10-cent white bread at the time, a few samples of the product quickly earned her a spot on the shelves.

As demand grew, the homemade bread operation began expanding to larger production spaces. And though more technology was available, Margaret still insisted that the dough be hand-kneaded to maintain the quality of the product. After the first year, the company was making 4,000 loaves per week. After the first decade, they were making 40,000 loaves per hour.

Margaret’s business endeavors also eventually lead her to travel the world and finding new treats she knew she had to bring back to America. Fancy cookies from Belgium are now loved as Milano®, Brussels®, and Bordeaux®. Small fish-shaped crackers from Switzerland are now iconically known and enjoyed as Goldfish®.

After 26 years of development and expansion, Pepperidge Farm was sold to Campbell Soup, leading Margaret to become the first woman to serve on the company’s board. To account for the brand’s continued success, Margaret stated, “my explanation for our extraordinary growth is that Pepperidge Farm products are the best of their kind in the world.”

Impacts on Women in the Workforce

In a time prior to the onset of second-wave feminism, Margaret’s success spotlighted the potential for women to thrive in the American workforce. She encouraged them to find work outside the home and offered “sound advice for other women who want[ed] to go into business for themselves.”

Margaret believed that women were ideal workers due to their demonstrated abilities in maintaining households. She hired both married and unmarried women and allowed them to work flexible hours in her bakery to accommodate their schedules and other responsibilities.

“I don’t believe there is any job women can’t do. They handle machines as well as men, and they’re marvelous to work with,” Margaret told Edinburg Daily Courier in 1942.

Margaret received the Medallion of Honor at the Women’s International Exposition in 1955, which recognized her business’ success and the abundant job opportunities and encouragement she offered to other women.

As a fiery redhead who never lost her spark, Margaret Rudkin is an extraordinary example of how persistence, innovation, and determination can lead to remarkable levels of success. 

To hear more stories about professional women whose perseverance has made them inspirational figures in their fields, check out our podcast, The Art of Engineering.

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