Student success at IMechE Design Challenge

The Manchester Met team receiving awards at the IMechE Design Challenge 2018

The team won the presentation, poster and design excellence sections, and came second overall in the prestigious national competition.

The  challenge was to design a self guided device, capable of climbing up down the inside of a tube and autonomously performing a sequence of moves in the shortest time possible. 

Having last year won the first year national title and qualified as the second year North West regional champions in April, students Alex Hermenean, Jonathan Ratcliffe and Thomas Owen further developed and refined the design to optimise it in preparation for the national final. 

The IMechE Design Challenge gives first and second year undergraduates a taste of the ‘real world’ of engineering by challenging them to design, create, present and run a device to a strict technical specification.

The Challenge enables participants to gain real-industry experience, practical employability skills and enhanced business and people skills, all within a set time frame. It is intended to complement the academic curriculum and is used by participants towards their projects.

Ian Kennedy, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, said:

"Much credit should go to the many staff who have helped them over the summer, and also the technical support they received in the production of 3D parts.

"The students spent many hours over summer building an impressive device and deserve the success they achieved."