40 40th Anniversary thAnniver yras Engineering a new world: adapt and innovate D
uring 2020, the engineering sector has had no choice but to adapt, innovate and create new, reactive strategies. Many
have been forced to adapt to the reality of lockdown, ensuring that there is enough PPE equipment and ventilators for the people who need them most. Since the beginning of the year, new
processes have emerged in every part of the engineering sector. From the way in which essential products have been manufactured, to the way the topic has been taught in universities and colleges remotely, the industry has had to overcome new challenges. So, just how has the engineering sector stepped up to the challenge and adapted to
the COVID-19 pandemic? From the initial stages of the pandemic in the UK, it was clear that we needed all the
help we could get. In March, it was announced that the UK would need at least 30,000 ventilators. Thankfully, engineers from every sector stepped up to the challenge. Big industry names, such as Dyson and Siemens, turned their expertise towards
manufacturing ventilators in record time. VentilatorChallengeUK was formed from a consortium of UK industrial, technology and engineering businesses. This collaboration led to a reactive project that allowed the machines to be produced far quicker. Dick Elsy, CEO of High Value Manufacturing Catapult, who spear-headed
VentilatorChallengeUK, said: “What VentilatorChallengeUK has achieved in the space of twelve weeks is nothing short of incredible, creating and producing an approved product and setting up production facilities on this scale would normally take years." Young engineers from Siemens played an important part in achieving
VentilatorChallengeUK's aim of 13,500 medical devices in just 12 weeks. The team of 100 people, including apprentices and new engineers, helped to design, validate and deliver a sub-assembly factory with manufacturing capacity for 1,500 ventilators per week within four weeks. This was against an industry norm of over 12 months. Matt Danby, 24, a production engineer, said: “The ventilator is a complicated product
with 400 individual parts. To design a brand-new build sequence would normally take anywhere between 6–12 months. We managed it in two weeks, which is staggering." Now that we know that such new and reactive strategies are possible, it's exciting to
think about what similar efforts could lead to in the future. We have also witnessed how engineering students across the country have had to
adapt to a new way of learning and developing, such as through the use of VR teaching methods. Engineering courses across the country have found a temporary new home online. Despite the difficulties, young students have been as inspired and driven as ever this year, and we're still seeing a pattern of more young people wanting to enter the industry as time goes by. Between the years 2007/8 and 2016/7, there was an 18.4 per cent increase in the number of students who chose engineering and technology for their higher educations. Figures from UCAS support this. They show that there have been more applicants for engineering courses in 2020 than there have been in previous years. We have a lot to thank the engineering sector for this year, and the industry has played
a crucial part in keeping the UK going during the pandemic. There are surely exciting things on the horizon for the next generation of engineers and the new, reactive processes that are already being developed.
hvm.catapult.org.uk
Sources:
https://www.ft.com/content/1125e39e-8a76-4769-b6ca-f482efca5bf5
https://www.pesmedia.com/ventilator-challenge-uk-siemens-22072020/
https://www.ventilatorchallengeuk.com/
https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/facts-and-stats/data-and- analysis/Documents/patterns-and-trends-in-uk-higher-education-2018.pdf
https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2020/08/how-the-pandemic-might-change- engineering-education-forever/
ww
.aquameter.co.uk www.aquameter.co.uk
NEWS
A smart investment M
anufacturers supported by Made Smarter, the movement helping SMEs join the Industry 4.0 revolution, are
forecasting the creation of over 750 new jobs from £12.6M of technology investment Since launching two years ago, the North
West technology adoption pilot has engaged with 1,131 businesses to help them introduce digital tools and technologies to help boost productivity and growth, and navigate the impact of COVID-19. 542 manufacturers have received
intensive support including expert, impartial technology advice, digital transformation workshops, a leadership programme, and funded digital technology internships. 126 businesses have secured £3.2M
matched funding for 155 projects which are worth £12.6M after private sector investment. These technology adoption projects are
forecast to deliver an additional £118.9M in gross value added (GVA) for the North West economy over the next three years, create 761 new jobs, and upskill 1,585 existing roles. Over 80% of SMEs working with Made
Smarter have seen a boost in productivity, and more than 25% reduced their carbon emissions. Businesses will also benefit from increased revenue, profits and exports.
www.madesmarter.uk
DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 | PROCESS & CONTROL 5
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