insider
others that don't have the technologies, which is a
column
complete win-win situation for all concerned. Industrial
companies with the kit can also offer the service to local
schools or colleges for cut price or (as we do here at
Renishaw from time to time) free.
The suppliers themselves should stop offering their kit at
reduced costs to education and instead offer them savings
(or freebies) on materials and servicing. This won't cost the
suppliers any more, as they will lose the same amount of
FUTURE RETURN TO THE
money compared with list price, but spread out the savings
“
PAST
over the life of the kit instead. This may mean that
educational institutions purchase lower specification
equipment, but they will then be able to afford to use it.
Students are During TCT Live, I was lucky enough to be allowed to show Finally, a suggestion was made at the final panel session of
a group of students around. Before the event, I was given a the TCT Live Conference that materials such as used SLS
being denied profile of each of them and one of the things that struck me powders should be passed for free onto 'second-tier' users,
was the fact that all of them wanted to have futures as such as those in education, who are not worried about the
the joy of designers in one area or another, but not one of them degradation in surface finish. This not only makes
mentioned an interest in manufacturing. In many economic sense, but will also keep the tree huggers happy
having educational establishments, the students are no longer as well, as it means the donors are reducing their landfill
allowed to produce their own parts. They are trained in all tax burden.
something in sorts of aspects surrounding design and the product
development process, but when their designs are ready to So, why should we worry so much about whether students
their hands be made, production is either carried out by some get to make stuff or not? To answer this question, we have
technician somewhere or doesn't happen at all. So why to look both to the past and to the future. In the past, we
that they have don't they make stuff anymore? had design offices where men in suits would sit behind
their drawing boards and come up with designs, before
produced for When I was at school we used furnaces, turret mills, centre throwing them over a metaphorical wall to a group of blue-
lathes, band saws, pillar drills etc. and I came through it collar people who would then do whatever it took to
themselves. unharmed. The claim and compensation culture that has produce them if at all possible. There was little or no
gripped Britain is growing to the point where it will soon communication or understanding of what problems
rival that of the US. This has had the effect that in many occurred in production as a result of design features.
”
cases health and safety issues have gone from being mere
concerns to creators of paranoia. One of the areas where It is only by getting designers involved in the issues of
this has impacted is in our educational institutions. Many of production that they can fully understand the true
them will no longer allow students to operate anything implications of what they design. The vast majority of
more dangerous than a pencil, because they don't want to manufacturing costs (and so margins and sales prices) are
be on the wrong end of a lawsuit. locked into a product during its design. Manufacturability
has now become an important responsibility for today's
Students are being denied the joy of having something in designers, which has only come about because of their
their hands that they have produced for themselves. For greater understanding of what's involved in the processes
many people in the past, this satisfaction was what got used to manufacture what they design. If this understanding
them hooked on engineering in the first place. The disappears due to people being educated in design alone,
intrinsically safe nature (relatively speaking) of additive we will once again return to the days of designers spitting
layer stuff (ALS) is able to bring the pleasure and learning part designs out of their CAD systems that are to be made
opportunities of being able to make stuff back into 'somehow or other'.
Jeremy Pullin education.
Rapid Manufacturing Manager for
The final reason why this issue should concern us all lies in
Renishaw PLC. After starting his
However, one big problem with using ALS in education is our futures. The exporting of manufactured goods remains a
career at an electrical motor the running costs. An educational establishment can raid chief contributor to our country's GDP (Gross Domestic
manufacturer, he moved to
its funds to purchase a piece of hardware, which seems to Product). If we do not make enough stuff to sell to the rest
Renishaw, where he completed a
part-time degree in Mechanical
do just want they want, and sure, it may fulfil their needs of the world, our country will go bankrupt — it's as simple
Engineering whilst working as a nicely for the first year or so. The problem comes further as that.
Production Engineer on
down the line. I have spoken to people from universities
Mechanical Production Systems.
He then became Senior
who have made impressive investments in processes only To conclude, it would be a terrible mistake to create
Development Engineer, creating
to have the machines sitting idle because they simply can't tomorrow's engineers with the ability to design, but without
hardware and software to develop afford maintenance contracts, repairs or raw material prices. the ability to manufacture or at the very least the
CNC metal cutting processes. He
understanding of what is involved. ALS is not a complete
went on to create a pioneering
Rapid Manufacturing department
There's no point just whinging about this situation without answer to this problem, but is one health and safety
encompassing electronic and suggesting a few solutions. Firstly, the educational acceptable route to at least get bits from the virtual world to
mechanical prototyping and
institutions themselves should stop making bad buying the real world. We have to maintain our ability to produce
production. Jeremy currently runs
and develops this department with
decisions and only invest in what they can afford to run. saleable goods if we are to have a financially sustainable
his team of development engineers
Universities such as Wolverhampton and DeMontford economy.
and technicians. subsidise their running costs by acting as bureaus for
tct 17/6 15
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