Young Designer of the Year - fplreflib.findlay.co.ukfplreflib.findlay.co.uk/images/pdf/beeas/beeas-2012-winners.pdf · Engineering Giants TV stars How to land a job building a space

Young Designer of the YearJohn Smith

Another electronics companyAnother Road England

One of the rewarding parts of judging the Awards on an annual basis

is seeing the quality of entries continuing to increase. Now in their

fourth year, the Awards are gaining momentum and particularly in

the ‘people’ categories.

Yet it is a sad fact that the number of students deciding to study

engineering at UK universities has declined steeply over the last decade or

so. There’s a number of theories as to why this has happened, ranging

from the belief that engineering is ‘too hard’ to the belief that engineering

holds no career prospects and doesn’t pay as well as other careers.

But the number of engineering students hasn’t declined to zero by any

stretch and the graduates who are entering industry are seemingly of an

ever higher quality. And the highlight of this year’s British Engineering

Excellence Awards was the competition amongst entrants to be named

Young Engineer of the Year.

Deciding who would be Young Engineer of the Year was the hardest part

of the judging process. Five engineers were shortlisted and each had

qualities which would have seen them win in another year. In the end, the

judges couldn’t put the proverbial cigarette paper between Simon Pykett

and Michael Aldridge. So, for the first time, we have joint winners of a

British Engineering Excellence Award.

Many entries for the product related categories were addressing real

needs and it took extended discussion amongst the judges before they

agreed that the Grand Prix should be awarded to Parker Hannifin for the

Racor Superimpactor crankcase ventilator.

One of the ambitions of the Awards is to highlight elegant solutions to

real problems and Parker Hannifin ticked many of the boxes.

Summarising, the judges said: “It addresses the real need to remove oil

misting from diesel engines. It is a simple, elegant solution which is green,

recyclable and requires no consumables.”

I’m sure you’ll join with me in congratulating the winners of this year’s

Awards and the companies and engineers who entered.

“In the end, the judgescouldn’t put the proverbialcigarette paperbetween SimonPykett andMichaelAldridge.”

www.beeas.co.uk

IntroductionGraham Pitcher

Group Editor, Findlay Media Engineering Design Division

25 October 2012 1

Crank up the qualityYoung Engineers and Green Product head the list

001_EUSP_BEE12_Layout 1 15/10/2012 15:14 Page 1

www.beeas.co.uk

The whe winner of the BritishEngEngineering Excellence Awardswaswas chosen by the Judges from

the winnethe winners of each category. And withthe standthe standard of entries continuing toincrease,increase, the Judges faced achallenginchallenging task.

BeingBeing named ‘best of the best’ is achallengechallenge and an honour – the entryneeds to sneeds to stand out from the rest. Thisyear’s winyear’s winner was deemed by thejudges tojudges to have addressed a real needthrough tthrough the development of an elegantsolution tsolution to the problem of emissionsfrom diesfrom diesel engines.

Some 3Some 30million diesel engines aremanufactmanufactured each year around theworld for uworld for use in automotive, marineand indusand industrial applications. It’s no

surprise to find that designers of theseengines have focused on reducing theexhaust emissions, but there remainsanother problem: blow by. Thishappens when combustion gasesunder high pressure are ‘blown by’ thepiston rings in the crankcase. Thesegases have to be allowed to leave theengine to avoid pressure build up andseal failure. But letting them travelthrough the exhaust system wouldresult in increased emissions, socrankcase ventilators are employed toclean the gases and return them to theengine’s air intake system.

The success in reducing theamount of pollutants – including NOx,hydrocarbons and particulates – issuch that blow by now comprises 30%

Green product blows by opposition

25 October 20122

Suitable for use with a range of dieselengines, the Racor Super Impactorreduces emissions in line with Euro 6requirements, while boosting fuelefficiency. Recyclable at end of life,the device does not requireconsumables


block. So the R&D team looking tosimplify the solution by using acompressed air driven system.Through a collaborative partnershipwith Leeds University, the teamdeveloped the Racor Super Impactorcrankcase ventilator, which not onlyreduces engine emissions in line withEuro 6 requirements, but also boostsfuel efficiency.

The device operates by taking asmall amount of air from the engine’sturbo and using that to increase theseparation efficiency of an inertialimpactor.

It is also suitable for use with arange of engines. According to thedesign team, the SuperImpactor’smodular construction means enginebuilders can adapt the device to theirmanufacturing process.

Alongside solving the problem ofblow by emissions, the Super Impactorimproves its green credentialsbecause it doesn’t include a filter,which would need replacing annually.Nor does it feature any rotating partsor electrical components. Meanwhile,the device is made from nylon PA66,which is recyclable – it can be meltedand reused at the end of life.

Now, a centre of technicalexcellence in emissions technologyhas been created, taking the site’s corecompetence beyond commodityproducts. Included is a $2millioninvestment in a dynamometer tosupport the development programme.

What the judges said: “Addresses a real need to remove oil mist. It’s a simple, elegantsolution; it’s green, it’s recyclableand it doesn’t require consumables.”

“An inventive engineering solutionthat solves a significantenvironmental problem and which hasstrong commercial drivers to a largepotential market.”

“Ingenious use of pressurised airfrom the turbo to assist efficiencyin the removal/recycling of oil/fuelvapours.”

“A pretty complex product thatseems to have been well thoughtthrough and which has already seen some success.”

www.beeas.co.uk

Grand Prix 2012Parker Hannifin

Racor Super Impactor CCV

Sponsored by

25 October 2012 3

of all emissions. Crankcase ventilationsystems are currently used to helpengines meet Euro 5 requirements,but requirements of future legislationsuch as Euro 6 will mean crankcaseventilation systems have to becomeeven more efficient.

Parker’s Racor facility in Yorkshiresaw that oil-driven centrifuge systemswere complex, costly and requiredsignificant integration into the engine


www.eurekamagazine.co.uk September 2012

In this issue: Automotive Design • Drives, Controls & Automation • Design Software • Rapid Prototyping

Moving withthe times

Morgan blends tradition withdesign innovation

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOW PREVIEW ISSUE

Metal matrix compositesfind broader applications

The materialsinspired by nature

www.materialsforengineering.co.ukAutumn 2012 • A Eureka publication

Designingwith carboncomposites

Finding added valuewith medical materials

www.newelectronics.co.uk

visit www.newelectronics.co.uk/forum and join the discussion 25 September 2012

AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS • SYSTEM TEST • ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOW PREVIEW

Find us at Electronica

Stand 117Hall A4.

Breathing new life into batteriesLithium air batteries might give electric vehicles the same range as that of a petrol fuelled car

• Telematics technology comes to the rescue of operators under pressure

• Axle overloading is not going down well when it comes to court appearances

• Can you spot the difference between OE and third party components? The TE report

Allaboardhybridbuses

BUT WHICHAPPROACH?

www.transportengineer.org.uk October 2012

M A N U F A C T U R I N G M A N A G E M E N T B E S T P R A C T I C E

sep

tem

ber

20

12

I N S I D E : I T I N T E G R A T I O N S P E C I A L R E P O R T

Rolls-Royce: how all our futures rely on an industrial strategy taking off

www.machinery.co.uk October 2012

SEPARATE SUPPLEMENT AEROSPACE REPORTLATEST THINKING AND TECHNIQUES

Updated, upgradedRefurbished machines have more to give

NUTS & BOLTSOF THREADING

Under the coversDooson HMC rangebreaks withtradition

100 YEARS OF MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT

INSPIRING THE UK’S APPRENTICE AND GRADUATE ENGINEERS

AU

TUM

N 2012

SECRETS OF THE SHARD • 200MPH ELECTRIC CAR • YOUR CAREER DILEMMAS SOLVED

Mission to Mars

The see throughsuperjets of 2050

Spider-bots: whenengineering meetsMother nature

Exclusive interview withEngineering Giants TV stars

How to land a job building a space rover

The pan-European magazine of SAE International September 2012

LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONAll-aluminium Range Rover exposed

� Valeo and itsquest for lower emissions

� Doctor Car: checking up on drivers’ health

www.findlay.co.uk

Inspired by innovation

Passionate about engineering


Five companies made it to thisyear’s shortlist for Consultancyof the Year, ranging in size from

a multinational at one end of the scaleto a company with just 12 staff at theother. If that weren’t enough, allshortlisted companies addressed arange of markets.

This year, the Judges wereparticularly interested in the skillswhich companies brought to bear, thebreadth of projects they addressedand the timescales in which theydelivered solutions to their customers.

Because of the range of variables,discussion took some time, but theJudges selected Team Consulting asthis year’s winner.

Team is a 25 year-old companywhich focuses on the design anddevelopment of medical products,systems and devices. Amongstprojects which have been completedrecently are drug delivery systems,critical care and surgical tools.

According to Team, two things havehelped to grow its business: a focus onthe medical sector; and the desire tosave lives and make people better.

The Judges were particularlyimpressed by Team’s development ofa system which helps to keep ahuman liver alive for 24 hours,

avoiding the need for racing againsttime to get the organ to its recipient.During the project, Team worked withits customer to turn a room full ofmanually controlled equipment into aself governing unit that could betransported in an ambulance.Alongside monitoring the liver andkeeping it at body temperature, thesystem needed to be batterypowered, not too heavy and to fit avariety of vehicles. According to Team,the project required ‘all of ourexpertise to create a product that willhave a real impact’.

Clinical trials for the product havestarted and Team’s customer expectsto launch the product in 2013.

What the Judges said: “A huge project with real impact in a challenging market.”

“Excellent evidence of strongachievements.”

Transplant solution is a real Team effort

www.beeas.co.uk

Consultancy of the YearTeam Consulting

Sponsored by

25 October 2012 5


006_EUSP_BEE12 8/10/12 17:57 Page 1

The majority of companies workingin the UK’s engineering sector aresmall; many employing fewer

than 20 people. Despite their size, theymake a signficant contribution to theeconomy and, in many cases, to theUK’s exports.

Companies are small for a numberof reasons. One reason could be it’sthe best way for them to address theirchosen market and to be agile enoughto out manoeuvre their largercompetitors. Others, meanwhile, maybe on the way to bigger things.

The Judges were looking for acompany with a sound business planthat could demonstrate success.

This year’s winning company,Outram Research, applies specialistskills in analogue and digital signalprocessing and embeddedmicroprocessor design to develop powerquality analysers for utilities, networkoperators and other users. The productsare used globally to troubleshoot powernetwork problems.

First established by John Outram in1980, the company developed theRanger data logger and licensed thedesign to a number of organisations.However, he decided in 2003 that the

data loggers were not achieving theirpotential and negotiated the return ofthe IP, a move which allowed Outram todesign, manufacture and sell theproducts. This successful move hasfunded the development of newproducts, including the Outram FLM;the only portable instrument capableof determining current flow in a faultyelectrical distribution network.

The company competessuccessfully against multinationalsand ascribes its success to itsattention to detail, its innovativeapproach, its service and, above all, itstechnology. Outram also believes thatthe FLM will be a key factor in thecompany’s growth in the next fewyears.

What the judges said:“Buying back the IP for its designs has brought new marketopportunities and overseassuccess.”

“A small company able to hold its ownby virtue of its innovation.”

Powering network quality analysis

www.beeas.co.uk

Small Company of the YearOutram Research

Sponsored by

25 October 2012 7


the sky’s not the limit...

ideasintoreality™

www.CambridgeConsultants.com

We’re always up for a challenge. Whether it’s creating the first round tea bag

or antennas for the world’s largest radio telescope, we like to boldly go where

no-one has gone before. Turning ideas into reality is all in a day’s work for us.

We’ve been doing it for more than 50 years. So if you’re looking for competitive

advantage, the answer is Cambridge Consultants. Now, what’s your question?

Cambridge Consultants is part of the Altran group, the European leader in Innovation Consulting. www.Altran.com

Imag

e co

urte

sy o

f : N

ASA,

ESA

, SSC

, CXC

, and

STS

cI

008_EUSP_BEE12 5/10/12 14:03 Page 1

markets, power requirements can reachthe MegaWatt level, with voltages ashigh as 6.5kV. Through a combination ofembedded intelligence and analoguecontrol techniques, Amantys isaddressing a market that it claims isworth $4.6billion and which is set togrow by 12% a year.

Its approach is to allow designers tooptimise the efficiency of powerconverters and to improve systemreliability. To enable this, it hasdeveloped advanced driver technologyand communication techniques toexport data.

Impressively, the company hasraised more than £7million in fundingand now has 14 staff, as well as itsown high energy test and qualificationfacility. It has already made sales andis working with major customers toincorporate its technology into theirproducts.

What the Judges said:“Amantys has the potential to make a significant contribution to power efficiency.”

“It has identified a huge andimportant market and has the key IPneeded to improve power efficiency.”

“Potential to succeed on a globalbasis.”

www.beeas.co.uk

Start Up of the YearAmantys

Sponsored by

25 October 2012 9

The power for change

The Government is keen to buildon the UK’s entrepreneurial spiritby encouraging the

establishment of new companies toexploit market opportunities. Yet therehave been fewer engineering start upcompanies over the recent past forobvious reasons: the economy hasslowed and vital financial support hasbecome more difficult to access. Butthe old adage still applies: if you builda better mousetrap, people will beat apath to your door.

In the technology world, manystartup companies exist behind thescenes because they want to keep theirpowder dry, emerging into the light onlywhen patents and funding are secured.So entrants to the Start Up of the Yearcategory could have been set up asearly as 2008. However, this year’swinner is more recent than that, beingset up in 2010 by former executivesfrom ARM and an academic from theUniversity of Cambridge. Amantys istargeting high power conversion acrosssuch markets as: electricitytransmission and distribution; motordrives; renewable energy; and hybridand electric vehicles. Amongst these


1240

Supplying electronic components to engineers and designers for 40 years

Anglia, proud sponsors of the

‘Design Team of the Year’ category,

is delighted to support

the BEEA Awards

1 9 7 2 - 2 0 1 2

Celebrating 40 years of service to the electronics industrywww.anglia.com

010_EUSP_BEE12 9/10/12 11:14 Page 1

closer together minimised the effects of parallax.

SAKER also features two channels:one digital, with image processing; theother analogue. Latency between thetwo channels was required to be lessthan 30ms. Detailed architecturalreviews reduced this to 27ms.

Design commenced in October 2011,with a target date of June 2012 forSAKER to be unveiled at a conference.The design schedule called for aprototype to be ready by 1 June 2012. Achange of date for the conference, alongwith the need to launch the system inthe US, brought the delivery date for theprototype forward to 21 May 2012.

Only three months before thedelivery date, the programme was twoweeks behind schedule. Through ateam effort, electronic design wascompleted early and PCBs werereceived two weeks ahead of plan andworked first time. FPGA softwaredevelopment was completed early,allowing the FPGA to be debugged andintegrated on the PCB.

However, the original designfeatured a plastic beam splitter – andthis was not going to be available intime. To meet the launch date, a glassversion was purchased, requiring lastminute changes to the housing and tothe electronics.

Three days before the event,significant amounts of work remained,but two prototypes were delivered intime for the launch.

What the Judges said:“A very challengingmultidisciplinary design delivered on time by a really strong team.”

www.beeas.co.uk

Design Team of the YearQioptiq, SAKER Project Team

Sponsored by

25 October 2012 11

Sights on the prize

The engineering world is typifiedby the design cycle – how long ittakes to get designs finished and

to the customer. And the design cycle isshrinking all the time, while the designchallenge gets stiffer. A measure of justhow good a design team is can be givennot only by whether it hits the projectmilestones, but also by how well theteam dealt with the bumps of varyingsize along the road.

Entrants to this category could havebeen working on electronic, mechanicalor combined systems. And the teamscould have been upgrading an existingproduct or designing a new one.

Winning the Design Team of the YearAward 2012 is the SAKER project teamfrom photonics specialist Qioptiq.SAKER is an optically-fused weaponsight designed to provide militarypersonnel with enhanced ‘detect,recognise and identify’ capability.

The Design Team faced a number ofchallenges. SAKER needed to becompact, lightweight and to have lowpower consumption. Innovationsneeded to be made in the package, thetwo objectives and image-combiningoptics. Reducing the package’s size andmass meant the distance between thetwo objectives needed to beminimised. Having the two objectives

Congratulations to ByteSnap Design, whose entry hasbeen highly commended by the Judges


012_EUSP_BEE12 15/10/12 17:29 Page 1

Many product attributes can beany product attributes can bedescribed as ‘green’. If poweror fuel consumption is

reduced, or less pollution is generated,then that product can be considered tothen that product can be considered tobe ‘green’. But some companies attachbe ‘green’. But some companies attachthe word ‘green’ to their products as amarketing ploy. Others do so with moremarketing ploy. Others do so with morejustfication. And the winner of thisyear’s Green Product of the Year Awardfalls into the latter category.

Parker Hannifin’s Racor filter divisioParker Hannifin’s Racor filter divisionis looking to mitigate the effect of blowby emissions, something said tocomprise up to 30% of pollutiongenerated by diesel engines.

In order to meet the Euro 5emissions targets, enginemanufacturers are using closedcrankcase ventilation (CCV) systems tocrankcase ventilation (CCV) systems toreturn cleaned blow by gas to theengine’s air intake. However, Euro 6requirements are sterner and CCVsystems will have to be more effectivesystems will have to be more effective.

The Racor Superimpactor CCVreduces engine emissions to the levelrequired by Euro 6/tier 4 legislation. Butcustomers have been more rigorous.One potential user required more than98% of blow by oil to be recovered andfor the device to be equally useful onnew and worn engines.

The solution is lightweight and is

made from environmentally saferecyclablerecyclable materials. There are nomaterials.recyclable materials. There are noThererecyclable materials. There are noare norotating parts and the manufacturersays the device is cost effective. In fact,Parker Hannifin claims theSuperimpactor CCV is smaller, lighterand more economical and has higherefficiency than its closest rival’.

The Judges were looking for aproduct which, amongst other features,was suitable for end of life recyclingand used appropriate materials. Madefrom recyclable nylon PA66, theSuperimpactor CCV works without usinga replaceable filter, reducing theamount of hazardous waste generated.

What the Judges said: “Fulfilling a real need to reduceemissions from diesel engines.”

“Green, recyclable and noconsumables; what else do you want?”

Making a supersuper impactimpactsuper impact

www.beeas.co.uk

Green Product of the YearParker Hannifin Racor

Sponsored by

25 October 2012 13

013_EUSP_BEE12.QXP_Layout 1 15/10/2012 15:15 Page 13

Covering technology transfer

A unique marketing partner

Reaching 15,000materials specifiersand buyers

www.materialsforengineering.co.uk

Influencing

INNOVATIVEDESIGN

NEW FROM

FINDLAY MEDIA

A Eureka publication


Selecting the right material foryour new design is an importantpart of the decision process. In

this new category for 2012, we werelooking for an innovative materialwhich has helped to meet anengineering challenge and of how thematerial and its application havecombined to offer a solution.

Although this was a new category,the entries were all of a high standard.But it was Tata Steel Europe’s entry forHPrail which caught the Judges’ eyes.

Work on HPrail – a special grade ofsteel developed specifically for railwayapplications – was prompted by theHatfield rail disaster in 2000, whichwas said to have happened as a resultof rolling contact fatigue (RCF).Although customers wanted a steelwhich had significantly reducedsusceptibility to RCF, industry cautionrequired extensive evaluation andtesting, even before a move to tracktrials.

One of the consequences of RCF isthe development of cracks which canlead to catastrophic failure. Cracksdevelop because of a mismatch in therail’s microstructure between ferrite

and cementite – both constituents ofpearlite.

Tata Steel’s solution is to strengthenthe soft ferrite by alloying additions ofsilicon and vanadium. Meanwhile,nitrogen levels are controlled to ensurethe desired particles precipitate duringmanufacturing. Increasing the carboncontent of the rail increases theproportion of much harder cementiteand refines the overall microstructure.

HPrail has, so far, been installed at14 trial sites across the UK’s mainlinerail network. These sites, which carrypassenger and freight traffic, havebeen targeted because of their higherthan average incidence of RCFcracking.

While Tata is targeting the UK andEuropean rail networks, it says there isscope to supply the new rail grade tothe Indian market.

What the Judges said:“Innovation in a highly regulated,traditional industry that solves some very real issues.”

On track for rail success

www.beeas.co.uk

Materials Innovation of the YearTata Steel Europe

Sponsored by

25 October 2012 15


THE INDUSTRY’S BIGGESTCATALOGUE-LESS CATALOGUE!

BEST OF CLASS: BROADEST OVERALL PRODUCT SELECTIONSOURCE: 2012 DESIGN ENGINEER AND SUPPLIER INTERFACE STUDY, HEARST BUSINESS MEDIA ELECTRONICS GROUP, NORTH AMERICA

*A shipping charge of £12.00 will be billed on all orders of less than £50.00. All orders are shipped via UPS for delivery within 1-3 days (dependent on f nal destination). No handling fees. All prices are in

British pound sterling and include duties. If excessive weight or unique circumstances require deviation from this charge, customers will be contacted prior to shipping order. Digi-Key is an authorized

distributor for all supplier partners. New product added daily. © 2012 Digi-Key Corporation, 701 Brooks Ave. South, Thief River Falls, MN 56701, USA

��t��

DIGIKEY.CO.UK

2 MILLION PARTS ONLINE | 500+ INDUSTRY-LEADING SUPPLIERS | NEW PRODUCTS ADDED DAILY

016_EUSP_BEE12 4/10/12 17:10 Page 1

Power consumption in mobilephones is a topic on whichalmost everyone has a view.

From the consumer’s perspective, it’sall about how long your phone lastsbetween recharges. From a phonemanufacturer’s point of view, it’s moreabout the heat generated by thedevice’s components. While theproblem is significant with currentgeneration phones, it is expected toget worse when 4G phones areintroduced.

In particular, one of the ‘guilty’components is the power amplifier(PA). In a conventional configuration,the PA operates from a fixed supplyvoltage and is therefore oftenoperating at less than maximumefficiency. Nujira believes it has solvedthis problem using envelope tracking,where the supply voltage is constantlyadjusted to make sure the PA isrunning at peak efficiency for thegiven power requirement.

Envelope tracking ability is offeredby Nujira’s NCT-L1100, the first devicein its Coolteq.L range of envelopetracking power supply modulators.According to Nujira, the part canreduce the amount of wasted powerby more than 50%, not only extendingbattery life, but also reducing heat

generation.The NCT-L1100 also solves another

challenge posed by 4G phones. Whilethe 4G standard enables higherbandwidth, this is achieved throughreduced PA efficiency. Using thisdevice, multiband, multimode PAs cantransmit 20MHz LTE signals using lessenergy than single band PAs in current3G phones.

The technology has already beenvalidated through system integrationwith two major platform chipsetvendors and the NCT-L1100 iscompatible with multiple air interfacestandards, including TDD and FDD LTE.

Pushing the envelope

www.beeas.co.uk

Electronic Product of the YearNujira

Sponsored by

25 October 2012 17

What the Judges said:“The use of envelope tracking is a real industry first.”

“It potentially solves the problemswe all have with the mobile phone.”

“A step change in technology.”


Our short-listof the year.

igus® (UK) Limited Phone 01604 677240 Fax [email protected] order-service: Mon-Fri 8-8, Sat 8-12

®

igus® UK: sponsor ofthe British EngineeringExcellence Awards

From left to the right: best bio-polymer iglidur® bearing ... best enclosed e-chain® ... best high

speed xiros® ball bearing ... best large hoses e-chain® ... best small radius data cable ... best

rotary e-chain® ... best electric drive drylin® ... best roller E2/000 ... best conductive ball bearing

... best detectable igubal® ... best low-noise e-chain® ... best e-chain® opener ... best removable

ball & socket joint ... best PRT with seal ... best thermal chainflex® ... best zero-backlash drylin®

plastics for longer life®

... of the year 2012!

018_EUSP_BEE12 8/10/12 15:18 Page 1

Once again, the MechanicalProduct of the Year categorythrew up some interesting and

varied entries. Shortlisted productsranged from a stair lift to a foldingelectric bicycle by way of a novelfastening technique. But the winnerthis year was the biggest of allproducts entered – a compact roadsweeping machine.

While the C201 sweeper is basedaround technology developed byJohnston some 50 years ago, theC201 features a range of new designconcepts, including what is describedas a revolutionary four wheel steeringsystem. Other benefits include betterdust capture, better fuel efficiency andquieter operation.

While the previous model – theC200 – was a success in the UK,overseas sales suffered because themachine didn’t offer four wheel steer.This left Johnston unable to tender forbusiness, even though competitivemachines were larger and morecumbersome.

There are more than 30 designimprovements on the C201, rangingfrom a new chassis and enginemounting to a host of safety andcomfort features. Designing a newchassis allowed four wheel steer to beadded as a modular option.

The four wheel steer system

improves manoeuvrability, butretaining the 80° steering lock of thetwo wheel steer variant. Additionally,the system can switch automaticallybetween the two modes, selecting fourwheel steer at low speeds.

Export success was a major designcriterion, with the lower cost ofownership and increased productivitystanding alongside the four wheelsteer system. A European customerhas found a fuel saving of 40% for itsfleet of 40 sweepers, cutting the fuelbill by more than £1million a year.Further evaluation has allowed a99dBA tag to be applied, making theC201 suitable for use in Germanmunicipalities.

Shortly after the C201’s launch,Johnston won a contract for 300 unitsfrom the City of Moscow, including 225C201s.

Sweeping all before them

www.beeas.co.uk

Mechanical Product of the YearJohnston Sweepers

Sponsored by

25 October 2012 19

What the Judges said:“A significant improvement over the previous product which has kept the company ahead in acompetitive market.”

“A 40% reduction in fuelconsumption is impressive.”

“Already a British export success.”


NEW. FREE.DESIGNSPARK PCB

VERSION 4COMPREHENSIVE NEW LIBRARIES.

EASIER COMPONENT SELECTION & QUOTATION.

NEW PCB PROTOTYPING SUPPORT.

Discover today at www.designspark.com

DESIGNSPARK

UNIQUE

RESOURCES BY

020_EUSP_BEE12 12/10/12 17:44 Page 1

Over the last decade or so, thenumber of students deciding tostudy engineering of all kinds

at UK universities has declinedsteeply. There’s a number of theoriesas to why this has happened, rangingfrom the belief that engineering is ‘toohard’ to the belief that engineeringholds no career prospects and doesn’tpay as well as other careers.

But even when students graduate,there is further ‘wastage’ as they electto pursue careers outside of industry.Nevertheless, engineering graduatescontinue to enter industry and theyare seemingly of an ever higherquality. And the highlight of this year’sBritish Engineering Excellence Awardswas the competition amongstentrants to be named Young Engineerof the Year.

Five entries were shortlisted and,for the first time in the history of theBritish Engineering Excellence Awards,the Judges were unable to decide onan outright winner. So this year, wehave two winners.

Michael Aldridge graduated fromStrathclyde University with a Master’sDegree in Product Design Engineeringin 2008 and even before graduating

All-roundexcellence

www.beeas.co.uk

Sponsored by

25 October 2012 21

Young Design Engineer of the YearMichael Aldridge

4c Design

had started broadening his industrialexperience. Among other projects, hedesigned: pontoons for the LochLomond Seaplane, industrialwarehouses; and a water treatmentplant for a distillery.

In 2010, he won an internship with4c Design, providing the strongest ofmore than 80 applicants. According tothe company, he would regularly worklong hours by his choosing, looking toabsorb the training and gainexperience. By the end of the threemonth placement, 4c said he hadmade himself ‘invaluable’. He alsocreated a video to promote hisinternship which has become thebenchmark by which 4c assessesapplicants.

Aldridge has since been involvedwith a range of projects, including:developing a ‘fresh outlook’ on liferaftdesign; the complete design of anelectric bike – which involves a patentapplication; and a machine which canbottle vaccine solutions under sterileconditions.

He has recently become involvedwith his local branch of the Institutionof Mechanical Engineers, promotingthe activities via his blog.

Robin Smith, managing director of4c Design, who nominated Aldridge,said: “Michael has proved himself notonly a well rounded design engineer,with a great grasp of the theory andthe practical side, but also with hisfinger on the pulse of the latest designtrends, innovations and engineering

practices. He has demonstrated anaptitude to working at any stage of thedesign process, modifying hisapproach to suit as a project evolves.”

What the Judges said:“This entry just fizzes with energy.”

“Demonstrates a breadth ofundertakings in a range ofdisciplines.”


NEW. FREE.MODELSOURCE

Discover today at www.designspark.com

DESIGNSPARK

OVER 80,000 FREE SCHEMATIC AND PCB SYMBOLS

IN MORE THAN 20 FORMATS, INCLUDING PADS,

ORCAD, ALTIUM AND CADSTAR.

UNIQUE

RESOURCES BY

022_EUSP_BEE12 12/10/12 17:44 Page 1

With a First Class Degree inInnovation and EngineeringDesign with German, Simon

Pykett started working at PennyHydraulics under the KnowledgeTransfer Partnership (KTP) scheme – athree-way partnership betweenemployers, universties and graduates.The scheme aims to help UKbusinesses to improve theircompetitiveness, productivity andperformance by accessing theknowledge and expertise availablewithin UK universities and colleges.

According to nominator RichardShort, Penny Hydraulics’ salesdirector, Pykett has ‘transformed thecompany’s nuclear business. “He wona £160,000 contract within sixmonths.”

Originally tasked with developing away to lift and handle spent nuclearfuel, Pykett took ownership of theproject, developing an internalcapability by winning and delivering acontract, rather than by seekingcontracts after the capability had beendeveloped. “His meticulous researchpaid dividends on the very firsttender,” Short noted. “And the need tooverhaul the company’s businessprocesses required tact, diplomacyand determination.”

The changes resulted in PennyHydraulics becoming a quality

Handling thechallenges

www.beeas.co.uk

Sponsored by

25 October 2012 21

Young Design Engineer of the YearSimon Pykett

Penny Hydraulics

assured supplier to Sellafield a yearearlier than anticipated.

Along with working on moreprojects, Pykett pursued a Level 5diploma in leadership andmanagement, as well as an MSc withSheffield Hallam University.

He has since secured business atother nuclear sites, including a£240,000 contract with Magnox.These successes have covered hiscosts and generated a profit.

Within Penny Hydraulics’ nucleardivision, Pykett now manages a teamof designers, along with quality controland shopfloor personnel. He is themain point of contact for customersand chairs all client meetings dealingwith design audits, functionality andload testing. “He has already achieveda phenomenal amount,” said Short.

Pykett has mentored a placementstudent from Sheffield HallamUniversity for the last year, providingher with experience of the day-to-dayactivities in the design department ofa leading engineering business.

He is an active member of thenuclear industry’s Young GenerationNetwork and is a past winner of theKTP Young Business Leader ofTomorrow Award.

Recently seconded to Magnox toprovide advice on lifting and handlingnuclear materials, his work has helpedthe company to save more than£600,000.

At Magnox, he has devised a remotecontrolled device which can sort fuel

element debris of various shapes,sizes and weights. Included in thesystem was a telescopic ramconceived and designed by Pykett thatis believed to be the first of its type.

What the Judges said:“Highly impressive revenueperformance in addition to his design skills.”


uk.mouser.com Distributing semiconductors and electronic components for design engineers.

uk.mouser.com

Mouser and Mouser Electronics are registered trademarks of Mouser Electronics, Inc. Other products, logos, and company names mentioned herein, may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Authorised Distributor

Distributor for

Semiconductors

and Electronic

ComponentsPurchase all the brands design engineers want and trust.

Come to Mouser for what’s next from these industry leaders.

Scan

here to

watch

video

United KingdomSuite C, First FloorArtisan BuildingHillbottom RoadHigh WycombeBucks. HP12 4HJ, UK+44 (0) [email protected]

FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER £50

024_EUSP_BEE12 9/10/12 15:00 Page 1

The best engineers go that extramile, to use the popular phrase. It’snot just a matter of producing

good designs; alongside technical skills,there’s the need for leadership as well ascommercial appreciation – getting toknow your customer’s business andwhat they really want from you. Andthen, of course, there’s inspiring thenext generation of engineers.

James White has gained wideengineering experience from his time atCaterpillar’s Desford facility. He’s beendesigning structures, hydraulics andsystems for use on the company’sexcavators and loaders. He’s been ableto bring projects in on time and onbudget while meeting performancerequirements.

A recent project saw White lead thedevelopment of three loader arm

Dealing with the load

www.beeas.co.uk

Sponsored by

25 October 2012 25

Design Engineer of the YearJames White

Caterpillar (UK)

assemblies. The two-year project has,for the first time, given Caterpillar afamily of loader arms with a commondesign for its backhoe products. Theproject also reduced the number ofloader designs from five to three andincreased manufacturability andassembly efficiency.

Nominator Andrew Smith, seniorengineering project team leader, said ofWhite: “He directed analysis,performance, electrical and hydraulicdevelopment teams through Caterpillar’sdesign process and worked withsuppliers to produce the optimumstructural design, whilst ensuring thisdid not constrain cost-efficient, robustmachine design. He hit all long andshort term goals over the two yearproject.”

White is named as the designer of aninnovative clamp protected by designrights and has a patent pending for anelement of the next generation loaderarm design.

Meanwhile, he has been a mentor foran Engineering Education SchemeProject developing a tyre test rig. Overthe six month project, he provided theteam with guidance in planning,technical design, manufacture, reportwriting and presentation skills. He alsosupported the team during a three-dayresidential workshop.

He has so far given five workexperience students an insight intoengineering and is in the process ofcreating three engineering experiencedesign projects for future students.

What the Judges said:“A very tough category to judge.”

“With examples of engineeringexcellence in a world class company – including holding anumber of patents – he also finds time to mentor the nextgeneration of engineers.”


www.beeas.co.uk

Judges’ Profiles

25 October 201226

Andrew BurrowsAndrew set up i2O Water in2005 to develop technologythat would reduce leakageand burst frequency on waterdistribution networks.

Eric Wilkinson, ChairmanChief operating officer ofCambridge Consultants, Erichas managed projects asdiverse as anti terrorismradar and something to livenup a can of beer!

Paul FanningPaul has been a trade andtechnical journalist for morethan 15 years. He took overas editor of Eureka in January2010.

Robin WilsonRobin joined the TechnologyStrategy Board in 2009 after35 years in automotivemanufacturing, including chiefengineer for Rover’s ChassisSystems.

Shaun AddyShaun, chief developmentengineer at Cubewano, hasdesigned, built and testedhigh performance internalcombustion engines for 26years.

Kevin PageKevin is managing director ofICS Electronics, a marineelectronics company.

Ashley EvansChief executive of theElectronics TechnologyNetwork, Ashley was latelychief executive of ElectronicsScotland and chair of the UKElectronics Alliance.

Justin CunninghamWith a first class Engineeringdegree, Justin worked forAstrium Space before movingto journalism. He is currentlyeditor of Engineering Materialsand deputy editor of Eureka.

Graham PitcherAn engineer by training,Graham is an expertjournalist who has coveredthe electronics industry formore than 30 years.


Young Designer of the YearJohn Smith

Another electronics companyAnother Road England

Sponsors’ Profiles

For more than 50 years, Cambridge Consultantshas led the way in innovative productdevelopment. It is the partner of choice forleading blue chip companies, as well as thevirtual development team for ambitious startups. Part of the Altran Group, it developsbreakthrough products, creates and licenses IPand provides business consultancy intechnology critical issues for clients worldwide.With more than 300 engineers, designers,scientists and consultants, it offers solutionsacross a range of industries.

www.cambridgeconsultants.com

One of the leading, totally integrated, Internetbased global distributors of electroniccomponents, Digi-Key has earned its reputationthrough its total commitment to service andperformance. A full service provider of prototype/design andproduction quantities of electronic components,Digi-Key offers more than 2million products frommore 650 quality name brand manufacturers.North American design engineers have rankedDigi-Key as the #1 Most Preferred Distributor(UBM/EETimes Distributor Customer Preference Study, June2011).www.digikey.com

Anglia is the UK’s leading independentauthorised distributor of semiconductors,optoelectronics, interconnect, passive andelectromechanical components. A signatory ofthe ADS SC21 programme, the company holdsAS9120, ISO9001, ISO14001 accreditations andIECQ-CECC qualification. Technical support spansa fast sampling service, specialist telephoneadvice and visits from field applicationsengineers, while an in house team of designersadds expert resources to help reduce productcosts and accelerate development times.

www.anglia.com

One of the principal European IP firms, D Young &Co specialises exclusively in patents,trademarks, designs, copyright and related IPrights.D Young & Co understands the value of the ideason which businesses are based and itsexperienced team works to protect, manage andenforce the IP that underpins your business.

www.dyoung.com

Founder of the British Engineering ExcellenceAwards, Findlay Media is committed to UKengineering. With the most comprehensiverange of manufacturing and engineeringpublications, websites and data in the UK –including New Electronics, Eureka andEngineering Materials – Findlay Media enablessuppliers, associations and Government tocommunicate with the engineering community.

www.findlay.co.uk

Established since 1964, igus is the largestproducer of injection moulded polymer bearingsand reinforced plastic cable carriers in the world. igus is dedicated to providing the engineeringindustry with cost saving plastic technicalproducts, summarised in the slogan “plastics forlonger life”. Benefits include no lubrication, lessmaintenance, lower costs, longer life cycles andshort delivery times.For more information, please call igus UK directlyon 01604 677240, open from 8AM to 8PM.

www.igus.co.uk

Mouser Electronics is an authorisedsemiconductor and electronic componentdistributor, focused on the rapid introduction ofnew products and technologies to electronicdesign engineers and buyers. Mouser.com,updated daily, features more than 3millionproducts from more than 450 manufacturers. Mouser caters to European customers from localoffices, transacting business in local currencies,time zones and languages, providing same dayshipping to more than 375,000 customers in 170countries. It also publishes multiple printcatalogues per year. www.mouser.com

Since 1976, National Instruments has equippedengineers and scientists with tools thataccelerate productivity, innovation anddiscovery. NI’s graphical system designapproach provides an integrated software andhardware platform that simplifies developmentof systems that need measurement and control.This platform is used from design to productionin multiple industries, advanced research andacademia. The company’s long term vision andfocus has led to strong, consistent companygrowth and success for its customers,employees, partners and shareholders.www.ni.com/uk

RS Components is the world’s largest distributorof electronics and maintenance products, witharound 500,000 products sourced from morethan 2500 suppliers.RS brings its customers the latest technologiesat competitive prices. Innovative ecommercesolutions enable its customers to manage allaspects of their relationshipwith RS online. RS understands that engineers need newproducts quickly and is continually investing inmaking the product selection journey simple andeasy to use.

rswww.com

www.beeas.co.uk 25 October 2012 27


www.beeas.co.uk

The enthusiasm with which theinaugural Engineering DesignShow was received by exhibitors

and visitors convinced organiserFindlay Media that an event designedfor design engineers is not only anidea whose time has come, but onethat merits further expansion.

With this in mind, next year’s eventwill triple in size. Occupying two hallsat the Ricoh Arena – a floorspace of6000m2 – the show will take place onthe 2nd and 3rd October 2013 and willhost up to 250 exhibitors.

This expansion will include thegrowth of this year’s popular ‘DesignFor Manufacture’ zone, offering evenmore scope for visitors to see thelatest in rapid prototyping and additivemanufacturing technologies.

The show will, of course, remaintrue to its founding principle ofcatering specifically for designengineers, but will also include anumber of new elements. The mostsignificant of these will be the launchof the Electronics Design Show, whichwill co-locate with the EngineeringDesign Show next year and occupy thewhole of Hall 2.

Created by Findlay Media using its

market-leading brand New Electronics,the Electronics Design Show will provideexhibitors and visitors alike with aunique opportunity to take part in anevent aimed exclusively at electronicdesign engineers and will attract keydecision makers from all areas of

electronics design over the two days. As with the Engineering Design

Show, the Electronics Design Show willoffer best practice learning andpractical design ideas for visitorsthrough conference and workshopsessions. The conference will provide16 sessions over the two days, whilethe workshop programme will offer 20practical and technical sessions.

Prior to launching the ElectronicsDesign Show, New Electronicsconducted extensive interviews withdesign engineers, using key jobfunctions across electronic design to

2013:bigger and even better

25 October 201228


Young Designer of the Year - fplreflib.findlay.co.ukfplreflib.findlay.co.uk/images/pdf/beeas/beeas-2012-winners.pdf · Engineering Giants TV stars How to land a job building a space

Documents