Students Get Creative With Rapid Manufacturing Techniques
Eighty Year 7 students from eight schools in the region attended a special event held at NAMTEC, the National Metals Technology Centre, in Rotherham recently to learn more about Rapid Manufacturing.
The day provided an opportunity for students to work with industry experts and gain first-hand experience about the application of Rapid Manufacturing in engineering design and manufacturing. The event was supported by members of the RAMP (Rapid Manufacturing Programme), including Materialise, the Keyworth Institute, the AMRC, Castings Technology International, NAMTEC and TWI.
The students' creativity and understanding of rapid manufacturing processes was put to the test in an 'Apprentice Design Challenge', in which they had to design and develop a product featuring cameras and camera accessories.
This involved producing models of their product from a range of craft materials, which the students then had to present to the judging panel. Marks were awarded for the effective use of materials, use of rapid manufacturing processes, understanding of their market for the products and their explanation of why rapid manufacturing would be chosen over conventional manufacturing processes. The winning team was from Birley Community College in Sheffield, who presented a highly innovative product design, with the cameras hidden in earrings as fashion accessories and modelled in a range of colours for men and women.
The schools involved were: Bradfield School, Brinsworth Comprehensive School, Aston Comprehensive School, Oakwood Technology College, Handsworth Grange School, Chaucer Business & Enterprise College and Silverdale School.
Other ideas included spy cameras, cameras in jewellery for fashion accessories and personal protection, children's toys and military cameras. A camera built into a remote-controlled spider was designed for use 'indoors or outdoors' and another design involved a camera inserted into pet collars for covert operations.
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Helen Arthur from NAMTEC explains: "This was a hugely exciting challenge and gave the students the opportunity to learn about rapid manufacturing techniques, then actually to put them into practice. There were some excellent designs produced, which made it difficult to pick a winner. The aim of the day was to give students an insight into the exciting world of design and technology in the manufacturing sector and to inspire them about the opportunities that lie in engineering as a future career."
As well as the challenge, the event consisted of four hands-on sessions, covering different aspects of Rapid Manufacturing. These sessions reinforced the main benefits of Rapid Manufacturing to industry, which is to enable products to be manufactured quicker, by simplifying the production process and avoiding the use of product-specific tooling.
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The use of computers is an essential feature of Rapid Manufacturing, enabling 'computer to machine' manufacturing and students had the opportunity to try out Computer-Aided Design (CAD), in a session lead by leading CAD specialists Solid Solutions Management.
Comments (by the Apprentice Design Challenge winners)
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Lewis Walker said "I enjoyed winning the camera and presenting our design." Also "I liked most of all having my face scanned."
Kimberley Pickford said "Today was amazing and I enjoyed going because I was in a group that cooperated really well." Also " It was great to design the Earcam."
Jack Charlesworth said "I learnt how companies make anything in plastic." Also "We saw different types of machines and how they work."
Jake Passfield said "I liked it because I never knew how such things as laptop cases and other things are made." Also "I got my hand scanned with a Faro scanner."
