Wednesday November 11, 2015 at 4:23pm
Some of Northern Ireland’s most promising future engineers gathered in Newry this week to take part in a specially-arranged training session to learn about 3D computer-aided design (CAD) using the state-of-the art SolidWorks software package.
The students are all recipients of an
Arkwright Engineering Scholarship, one of the most prestigious accolades for A
level students who have the potential to be the country’s future leaders of the
engineering profession.
The Arkwright Engineering Scholarships are awarded to
very high-calibre students across the UK and Channel Islands, and Northern
Ireland is the fastest growing region for the Scholarships.
The students were taken through design
techniques up to advanced level by a trainer from Solid Solutions Management
and then solved ‘Model Mania’ design challenges against the clock. The day culminated
in a team challenge, with teams battling against each other to be the most
successful at designing a model car with optimised drag and downforce.
Arkwright Scholar Adam Iwanicki said “The event was a really informative and
enjoyable experience. I use SolidWorks in school, but this event showed me some
interesting features of the program that I never knew even existed and helped
me become more proficient with the methods I already knew. The event was also a
great opportunity to meet other Arkwright Scholars from across Northern
Ireland.”
Dr Martin Thomas CEng FIET,
Chief Executive of the Arkwright Scholarships Trust said: “This is a fantastic example of how local facilities can be used to aid
the learning of dynamic future engineers from across the country. Thank you to The
Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School for hosting the day. The students
experienced many new insights into the use of the powerful SolidWorks 3D CAD software as a comprehensive engineering design tool.”
Scholars with their SolidWorks instructors at The
Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School, Newry