• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

North East Connected

Hopping Across The North East From Hub To Hub

First year students engineer a national design prize

Screen Shot 2015-10-08 at 13.57.08Three University of Sunderland engineering students have landed themselves a podium position at a national design competition.

Having already been named as the top young engineers in the North East regional heat of the IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) Design Challenge – Naji El-Ali, Vasile Ghidu and Alexandros El- Magkout have now picked up Third Prize in the National Final of the competition, held at the organisation’s headquarters in London this week.

The Design Challenge brief, open to first year undergraduates from 20 UK universities, was to design and create a small device to carry an increasing load up a 2.5m vertical pipe and return in the quickest time, all within a tight budget of £20, and working to strict specifications.

As part of both competitions teams were required to give presentations and field questions from a panel of professional engineers. Posters were also displayed and once strict inspection was successfully completed the teams could enter into the competition.

The aim is to give students practical experience to complement their theoretical knowledge and give them an edge in the jobs’ market. 

Alexandros El Magkout said he and his fellow teammates were thrilled with the win, adding: “The competition certainly challenged us; the first problem we faced was to keep the cost of the device under £20. One other difficulty was deciding the final design of the device and there was also the added pressure to make sure we finished the presentation, poster and the device itself on time.

“However, this competition showed us how to work as a team, which is really important in our industry. It also gave us the opportunity to make the most of the physics and mathematics theory and apply this to a real-life working environment as well as learning how to work under pressure.”

Vasile Ghidu said: “This amazing challenge helped me improve my teamwork skills as well helped me understand and apply what we’ve learned throughout the first year. Designing and creating a new device gives you an unforgettable felling of proud and happiness of what you have created as a future engineer.”

Naji El-Ali added: “It was a pleasure to participate in such a competitive environment that gave me good background in how to deal with difficulties, deadlines and team working. I would recommend all the students to enrol in such activities because it will help you later in the near future, besides having a Life Changing Experience! ”

Dave Knapton, Principal Lecturer and Engineering Team Leader, said: “The Sunderland students were a mix from Mechanical and Automotive Engineering and showed great determination and perseverance to balance the performance of their device while at the same time meeting the project constraints.

“Many lessons were learnt throughout the development work. One of the most valuable parts of the competition was seeing the camaraderie between students of competing teams to share ideas, tools and even spare parts!”

He added: “The Design Challenge provides an opportunity for students to work on a real project with simulated customer requirements and very real deadlines. Much of the theory and practical skills learnt during their studies was drawn upon to complete the task.”

This was also the first time that the competition had been held in the North East. Cash prizes totalling £1,200, funded by the IMechE, were given out at the event in March for best poster, best presentation and winner of the race event.

By admin