Impulse To Innovation (IMechE I2I)

Its safe to say that the engineering community has been under a great deal of strain over the last few years, with socio-economic and political upheaval across the global. None-more-so than the manufacturing industry.

Both here in the UK and worldwide, the manufacturing sector is facing a number of urgent challenges which are driving transformational change across the entire industry. The ambition to reach Net Zero, finding reliable access to sustainable resources, and the accelerating pace of emerging technologies and workforce mobility are some of the key issues the industry is having to address.

Manufacturing executives are now not only being held accountable by their shareholders for the company’s bottom line but they are now, more than ever, being scrutinised by the public and policy makers for the adherence to sustainable processes and supply chain management.

Despite all these challenges the manufacturing industry has managed to remain resolute; finding new ways to address sourcing bottlenecks, logistics backlogs and supply chain collapse. By creating resilience in their networks and apply new tools and approaches such as distributed manufacturing, manufacturers are turning critical risks into strategic advantage.

To find out more about the last few years of challenges, Helen spoke with engineers Nigel Pekenc and Professor Kostantinos Salonitis to get their views on emerging transformations and whats next for the manufacturing industry.

Nigel is a Partner in Kearney’s Strategic Operations Practice, based in London.  He has advised clients in industries from engineered equipment to healthcare.  Nigel has been focused on the reconfiguration of global value chains to meet changing needs as supply and demand shocks continue.

Kostas is Head of the Sustainable Manufacturing Systems Centre and the Deputy Director of Manufacturing at Cranfield University. He is a Fellow of the IMechE and chair of Manufacturing Industries Division. His current research focus is on the sustainability of manufacturing systems and processes, the design and optimization of manufacturing systems, and the use of lean and green approaches for managing manufacturing.

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

 

“The upcoming generation is full of talent, and we need to nurture it and make sure there are opportunities available to them by ensuring that our education system – from nursery through to lifelong learning – develops STEM.”

 

These were wise words from MP Amanda Solloway, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury who gave the keynote address at the launch Elevating Education on the 24th March at IMechE HQ.

 

Amanda was part of a panel, including Dr Alice Bunn, IMechE CEO, and Chair of the Education and skills strategy board, Professor Helen James OBE. Who both gave very personal and impassioned speeches about the enormous value of stem education in today’s ever-changing world.

You can watch or listen to the recording of the day’s events on the IMechE’s You Tube channel.

 

In this month's episode Helen speaks with Jelena Gacesa, the Institution’s education outreach and safe guarding lead about the new initiative, which is designed to raise the profile of STEM careers for young people as part of the IMechE' s education and skills policy priorities.

Helen also spoke with Ajay Sharman, regional lead for the National STEM Learning Network, just after the event, to get his thoughts on the value of STEM education and careers and why STEM ambassadors are so vitally important to delivering this agenda.

 

Useful Links

STEM Ambassador Induction Video 

IMechE Virtual Work Experience Programme

Meet Jelena Gacesa

Institution News - Elevating Education Launch

STEM Activities @ Home

STEM Ambassador Training

Primary Engineer

STEMazing

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

In the second part of this month’s episode Helen speaks with Ian Clark, managing director of Ian Clark Restoration and Engtech fellow of the institution.

Ian is unreservedly passionate about the restoration and preservation of our historical and technological achievements, and it has been a part of his life for over 40 years. He has worked with the likes of english heritage, the national trust and hundreds of national and international organisations, conserving firearms, statutes, submarines, windmills and everything in between.  He has received numerous awards for his work and his advocacy of conversation engineering and has played a leading role as a committee member of the heritage awards.

In part two of this episode on conservation engineering, Ian shares his thoughts on the value and legacy of the heritage awards and some of the ones that have significant meaning to him, why the preservation of buildings such as our own Birdcage Walk is so important and what his hopes are for the future of the heritage industry.

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

The world of quantum technology is not some science fiction flight of fantasy, it is an exciting field of science which is turning into a rapidly growing engineering sector. You might not know it but you can already buy quantum-dot TVs and mobile phones with quantum-enhanced encryption. Quantum technologies are poised to expand the realm of engineering in ways that were unthinkable until just a decade ago.

 

     

Dr Elizabeth Eso aligning an optical system to experimentally demonstrate a time-bin quantum key distribution system. Credit: Chris Watt Photography

 

Quantum engineering is the development of technology that exploits the laws of quantum mechanics (the behaviour of nature at and below the scale of atoms), using it as a toolbox for the development of quantum technologies, such as quantum sensors or quantum computers. There are many devices available which rely on quantum mechanical effects such as medicine, optical communication, high-speed internet, and high-performance computing, just to mention a few examples.

 

   

An IBM engineer adjusting on one of the company’s quantum computers. Credit: Connie Zhou for IBM

 

After the technological advances that brought us lasers, MRI imagers and transistors, a second wave of quantum technologies is expected to impact society in a similar way. These new technologies will make use of quantum coherence (the regular and predictable behaviour of atoms), building on the progress achieved in the last century, to enable us to have greater control of these atomic-scale systems.

 

The burgeoning quantum industry requires a quantum-literate workforce; something that is in short supply at the moment. Those working in the field mainly come from either a physics or engineering background and have acquired their ”quantum engineering skills” by experience. Many of the companies that could benefit from quantum technologies already have a strong presence here in the UK, including those involved in new materials, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, aerospace, defence and financial services, but what other application will we as engineers be able to use quantum technologies for?

 

   

An IBM engineer working on the refrigerator casing inside of which the company plans to install a 1 million-qubit quantum computer by 2030. Credit: Connie Zhou for IBM.

 

Helen’s Guests are Tobias Lindstrom, Head of Science for the department of Quantum Technology at the National Physical Laboratory and Sir Peter Knight, Professor of Quantum Optics and Senior Research Investigator at Imperial College London, and principal of the Kavli Royal Society International Centre.

 

Tobias received his PhD in Physics from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, before joining NPL as a Senior Scientist , then Principal Scientist and now head of department. During his time at NPL, Tobias has primarily worked on superconducting quantum technology.  In addition to conducting research relevant for the emerging superconducting quantum computing sector, he has also pioneered the use of precision frequency metrology methods for the study of noise in superconducting resonators and qubits. Tobias is also part of a global effort to develop international standards for quantum technologies.

 

Sir Peter is a leading academic in the field of quantum optics and has been described as "one of the UK’s most influential scientists and leaders of scientific policy" by his peers. He has been the recipient of several major awards including the Royal Medal from the Royal Society and the Thomas Young Medal from the Institute of Physics.

Sir Peter was President of the Institute of Physics from 2011 to 2013 and of Optica; The Optical Society of America and is also a Fellow of the Royal Society. He was also Chief Scientific Advisor until his retirement to the National Physical Laboratory and is Chair of NPL's Quantum Metrology Institute. He continues to act as an advisor to the British government.

 

Useful Links:

NPL Quantum Technologies

Quantum Computing & Simulation Hub 

Bristol University - What is Quantum Engineering?

 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

Hello and welcome to the new season of Impulse to Innovation.

Believe it or not, as of the end of December 2022 we have produced 30 episodes of the podcast, reaching 98 countries with over 14 ½ thousand downloads. Thank you so much to you, our listeners for continuing to support our show, we really appreciate it.

Don’t forget you can subscribe to the show here on our main site or via any podcast services you use.  If you prefer, you can also listen to us on the IMechE’s website via the newly embedded audio link on the home page.  We also love hearing from our listeners so don't forget you can email us via Podcast@imeche.org Let us know what you think of the show, experiences you’d like to share with us or even to give us ideas for things you’d like to hear.

We have some fascinating engineering topics planned for the coming year, including innovations in composite materials, how measurement standards are created and maintained and energy and transport issues. We will be looking at the latest developments in education and skills for engineers, as well as the public perception of our profession. 

We will also be sharing some of the policy work the HQ team will be undertaking and the extensive events calendar planned by both the technical divisions and groups as well as across our 16 regions.  There's going to be something for everyone.

 

In this month's episode Helen kicks off with a look at what the year ahead has in store for the IMechE; focusing on the Institution’s up-coming strategy release in May and its 2023 aspirations, as well as the role the Technical Strategy Board plays in ensuring the IMechE’ s members have a platform to share the latest thinking and expertise from its 18 groups and divisions.

 

Helen's guests are James Partington and Paul Jones.

 

James is the newly appointed Director of Engineering Policy and Impact and joined the Institution in October last year with the task of  ensuring members’ engineering expertise is heard as widely as possible in Government and the broader community.

Paul Jones is a Fellow of the Institution, Past Chair of the Automobile Division and is presently the chair of the Technical Strategy Board, one of 7 operational boards, which provide insight and guidance to the Trustees. Helen spoke with Paul on the podcast this time last year and wanted to catch up with him to get his thoughts on the past year of events and happenings in the divisions and groups, as well as discuss the vital work being carried out by the TSB members in creating a long-term plan to raise the voice of mechanical engineering and generate greater impact in society.  

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

This month we are posting not one, but two episodes! to celebrate the Instituion's Challenges.

We have finally reached the summer and we don’t know about you, but this year seems to have gone pretty fast so far.

Despite being in a kind of limbo, between pre-2020 normality and a new 2021 blend of virtual and physical working, the team here at I2I are pleased to see some of the IMechE events returning to the calendar and especially the IMechE Challenges, aimed at young engineers across the globe.

 

From the 21st to the 25th July, all eyes will be on formula student, as it kicks off at the Silverstone circuit after a year’s hiatus. This year their are only 40 teams competing and it is not open to the public as it usually would be, but that will not deminish our excitment.

I2I will be right there, coming live from the competition.

This will be our first live broadcast and we are hoping to have some special guests and a ‘phone in’ for you, our listeners, to ask questions about the FS challenge and the Instituion's other comeptitions.

More details on that closer to the day, so keep your eyes on the I2I podcast page  at www.imeche.podbean.com 

 

The Railway challenge was live again on the 25th - 27th June after also taking a year off due to COVID. The event is held at Stapleford miniature railway in the grounds of Stapleford hall, and also included a virtual segment this year, to enable teams who were not able to participate, the opportunity to get involved.

The University of Huddersfield’s HudRail team were the overall winners of challenge, the RCAS team from the University of Sheffield took the runners-up spot and the Alstom & University of Derby team were in third place.  Thanks goes to all the hard work of the railway division and their trackside volunteers.

 

The design challenge for 1st year engineers, the Automation challenge for apprentices and the UAS challenge take place later in the year, around September/October, so keep an eye out for all of those.

You can find details of all the challenges at www.imeche.org/events/challenges 

 

So, to get you in the spirit of the season, Helen's first podcast this month was recorded with Lydia Amarquaye, IMechE Education Policy Advisor.

 

Before joining the IMechE as a member of staff, Lydia was an active member and chaired the YMB in 2017. As part of her role on the Manufacturing Industries Division Board, she was involved in helping to devise and establish the Apprentice Automation Challenge. So she is well placed to talk about this exciting part of the IMechE’ s STEM engagement.

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode and the IMechE Challenges. If you would like to get in touch email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

In this month’s episode we focus on energy and sustainability and how the on-going global pandemic is changing the way people think about energy use, resources and materials.  

 

Helen puts energy sustainability into context; reviewing the world’s energy consumption in 2019 and which countries are making the most effort to go 100% renewable in the next 5 years. In a look at world-wide initiatives to drive sustainability, Helen shares some of the ‘good news’ stories from organisations and communities doing their bit to reduce resource consumption. 

 

Helen has an in-depth chat with two entrepreneurial women in the energy sector; Drs Laura Bishop and Kerry Mashford OBE, both of whom are IMechE members and recently women’s engineering society top 50 women in energy winners. They share their thoughts on sustainability, the built environment, careers in the sector and engaging society in energy programmes. 

Useful Links: 

http://infinitas-design.co.uk/ 

http://www.interfacing.co.uk/ 

http://www.inwed.org.uk/we50.html 

 

IMechE Policy Officer Carly Nettleford chats with Helen about the IMechE’s Low carbon, local energy report, one year on from its publication and whether anything has changed in the interim. Carly discusses some of the initiatives underway in the UK. 

Links: 

https://www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/1-oscar/reports-policy-statements-and-documents/imeche_local_energy_report_final.pdf?sfvrsn=2 

https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228752/9780108508394.pdf 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode or about your experiences, interest or work in energy sustainability. If you would like to get in touch email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org

The T-level was initially mooted back in 2017 by the British government as a new, unified technical qualification which would replace the BTEC and simplify vocational education routes.

After several years of development, The Department for Education (DfE) launched the t-level in 2020 with the aim of enabling students to directly enter employment on completion of a programme in further education or Sixth Form college.

The unique aspect of the T-levels is that the courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and education providers so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for entry into skilled employment, an apprenticeship or related technical study through further or higher education.

The T-level is a 2-year course which can be taken after GCSEs and is broadly equivalent in size to 3 A Levels. It offers students practical and knowledge-based learning and on-the-job experience through an industry placement of approximately 45 days.

The first 16 have now been launched and all 24 T-levels will be available by 2024. Under the Engineering and Manufacturing T-level there is a choice of 3 courses:

• Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing
• Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing
• Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control

 

To find out more about what this new vocational training programme would mean for the engineering industry Helen spoke with chartered engineers Lydia Amarquaye, professional development and education policy adviser for the IMechE and Andrew Livesey, consultant, further education lecturer, and author of T-Level Engineering - Technology, Manufacture and Maintenance

Lydia works with key stakeholders outside the IMechE to identify gaps in the education landscape which could help address workforce challenges and equip engineers with the right skills for a successful career. She also works with the Education and Skills strategy Board to develop the Institution’s strategic direction in education.

 

Andrew is an experienced company director as well as having authored several engineering textbooks. He is passionate about stem education and lectures at Ashford college in Kent. In 2018 his was part of the employer-led panel set up by the government to develop the T-levels in engineering.

 

In the first half of this episode Helen spoke with Lydia about how the IMechE was working with industry to ensure they understood the value of T-levels. In the second half Andrew talks to Helen about the importance of creating a flexible vocational qualification in engineering for young people and what he hoped the T-level would bring to the workplace.

 

Useful Links:

What are T-levels

What Students need to know about T-levels

Government info for Employers

C&G info for Employers

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

“Adapting industries to, and preparing them for, a warmer world will be essential for the future successful functioning of societies of all nations.” Said Dr Tim Fox, co author of the IMechE’s latest report on Climate adaption.

 

The report entitled 'Adapting Industry to Withstand Rising Temperatures and Future Heatwaves' was published in April 2023 and produced in conjunction with the IMechE’s Process Division and a plethora of leading climate change and sustainability experts from across the globe.

While many engineers work on technologies that will help mitigate the climate crisis itself, Authors Dr Fox and IMechE Policy advisor Dr Laura Kent believe that more should be done to prepare industry for future climate change-induced, heat-related impacts. Their work demonstrates how increases in ambient temperatures and more frequent, severe, prolonged heatwaves could have a devastating impact on industry and its workforce.

 

They outline the urgent need for engineering-related standards and design codes to be based on expectations of future climate rather than past climate, adaptation solutions to be sustainable and result in net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, and strategies to be developed to make workplaces and work practices comfortable and safe.

Helen spoke with Tim and Laura about the climate adaptation report and discussed with them their reasons for bringing together such an international team of experts to advise on its content, what adaption technologies engineers are developing and how, as a leading voice in policy, the IMechE could galvanising political change.

 

Tim Fox is an internationally recognised expert in climate change mitigation and adaptation with specialist knowledge of clean energy, sustainable cooling, process engineering based industries and sustainable food system. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the IMechE andthe immediate past Chair of the Process Industries Division. Tim represents the IMechE on the UK Infrastructure Operators Adaptation Forum and is a member of the Adaptation to Climate Change Group of BSI Committee.

 

Dr Laura Kent joined the Imeche in June 2022 as a Public Affairs and Policy Advisor. Prior to joining the IMechE, Laura held roles at the Government Office for Science and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy working on policies and advice to support innovation in the UK. Before starting a career in policy, Laura was a scientist at the National Physical Laboratory.

Useful Links

Adapting Industry to Withstand Rising Temperatures and Future Heatwaves Article

Adapting Industry to Withstand Rising Temperatures and Future Heatwaves Policy Report

'The urgent need for climate adaptation solutions' article

PE Magazine Report on Sustainability

 

This month’s episode is all about telecommunications.

The world of wireless comms has come a long way since Bell and Tainter first conceived the photophone in 1880.  Today, we are literally surrounded by radio waves and it is believed that from that first intentional radio signal we sent into space in 1974 from Arecibo, our radio echoes can be heard across the galaxy some 100 light years away.

Back here on earth, the social revolution that occurred in the 1990s triggered by the development of digital wireless networks, is now part of our lives. And indeed, without such systems the last year, of isolation and lockdown, would have been even more unbearable. Today, wireless communications and our connected devices dominate our lives. But what are todays engineers working on that could possibly improve on our data-driven lives tomorrow?

Helen’s guests are Dr James Flint, Professor Misha Dohler and Rick Hanks. They share their thoughts on what wireless networks and communications means to them, and their anticipation of what is to come in the future.

 

Dr James Flint is a chartered engineer with the IET, Reader in Wireless Systems Engineering and Deputy Associate Dean of Teaching in The Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering at Loughborough University. His research focuses on various aspects of wireless systems, and currently he is working on novel computing for sensors, the Internet of Things, and Energy Harvesting. He also has a keen interest in biomimetics, ultrasound and on converting systems found in nature into workable engineering solutions.

Helen talked to James about the advances in wireless systems, and how wearable technology and biomimetics will become an everyday part of our lives.

Useful Links:

https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/meme/staff/james-flint/

https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/journal_contribution/A_biomimetic_antenna_in_the_shape_of_a_bat_s_ear/9560996

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearable_technology

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21701-7

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2205389-what-years-and-years-gets-right-about-the-future/

 

Mischa Dohler is Professor in Wireless Communications at King’s College London, driving cross-disciplinary research and innovation in technology, sciences and arts. He is a fellow of the IET, IEEE and the Royal Academy of Engineering as well as being a serial entrepreneur, composer & accomplished pianist. He is passionate about changing the way we interact with telecommunications and wireless systems through tactile and haptic technology, and is pioneering various novel concepts, which will become reality with 6G.

Helen asked Misha to explain why he is already working on 6G, when 5G is only just being adopted, and why he coined the term the Internet of Skills.

Useful Links:

https://mischadohler.com/academia/

https://mischadohler.com/piano/

https://teensinai.podbean.com/e/the-internet-of-skills-and-5g-the-democratisation-of-technology-with-professor-mischa-dohler/

https://www.thefuturefactory.com/blog/39

https://www.comsoc.org/publications/ctn/5guk-trials-distributing-live-orchestra-over-5g

 

Rick Hanks is the Smart Metering Lead and Industry innovation Principal Director at Accenture.  He has extensive experience of implementing digital transformation, smart metering and business change projects within the utilities and communications sector and is leading the design of the smart metering communications infrastructure across the UK.

Rick is fascinated by the way in which wireless communications can change the way we use our energy resources. He shared his thoughts with Helen on what other technologies might benefit from wireless connections in the future.

Useful Links:

https://www.accenture.com/us-en/blogs/accenture-utilities-blog/reimagining-advanced-metering-infrastructure

https://www.accenture.com/us-en/blogs/accenture-utilities-blog/ami-value-opportunities-abound-for-energy-retailers

https://www.accenture.com/us-en/case-studies/communications-media/o2-telefonica-smart-metering-uk

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode or about your experiences, interest or work in telecoms and wireless systems. If you would like to get in touch email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

In this months episode, we continue the theme of the IMechE engineering challenges focusing on the unmanned aerial system or UAS Challenge. The event is held in mid-July at the British Model Flying Association’s national centre, Buckminster.  This event sees teams of university students design, build, test and fly an unmanned aircraft system scoring points across these different segments to win the competition.  So, while Helen was busy preparing for our live Formula Student podcast, the Institution’s Young Members were out recording the highs and lows at UAS.

 

The University of Surrey were crowned grand champions this year, with an impressive combination of scoring across their reports and autonomous flights during the event, even recovering from a crash to have a fourth attempt at the release of the AirDropBox system.  Loughborough University only just missed out on the top spot due to a rather terminal crash, but they did manage to scoop up the majority of awards in Innovation, Design, Safety, and Operational Supportability.

There was also a virtual competition where teams could submit their designs online in lieu of them being able to attend in person. This enabled international teams to compete and gain recognition for their work despite Covid restrictions.  Teams from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Greece secured some of these virtual competition awards with India’s Team WRise from the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies in first place.

 

Stephen McLaughlin, YMB aerospace division representative and one of the UAS judges was on site, to talk with Paul Lloyd, Chair of the UAS Challenge, Phil Briggs, from QinetiQ one of the event sponsors, Kristina Lindon UAS project manager and one of the Imperial College London team members.

 

Useful Links:

https://www.imeche.org/events/challenges/uas-challenge/about-uas-challenge

https://www.imeche.org/events/challenges/uas-challenge/team-resources/video-recordings

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode and the IMechE Challenges. If you would like to get in touch email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

Ask most people what comes to mind when they think of mechanical engineering, and many will respond with railways and trains.

Our foundations as an institution are indeed firmly built on the traditions of railway engineering, with engineers who saw themselves no longer as civil engineers; building static infrastructure, but as innovators of moving machines, able to cross vast distances at speed, transporting limitless amounts of goods and people.

Our first two Presidents, George and Robert Stephenson are still revered today as the fathers of the railway industry and as we celebrate the institution’s 175th anniversary, we can look back with some pride at the achievements and innovations that continue to be developed across the rail industry today.

Those innovations can of course only take place if we have a new generation of engineers to drive them forward.  The education of our future engineering workforce is undeniably woven into the institution’s ethos and mission across all aspects of engineering, and rail continues to play its part in delivering that objective. This passion and enthusiasm for educating the next gen is manifested in the Institution’s railways challenge held for the last 11 years at Stapleford Miniature Railway in Leicestershire.

Planned and delivered by a team of institution volunteers from the railway division, the competition, which brings together teams of international young engineers and apprentices from across the railway sector is, as one would expect, timetabled and executed with the upmost precision, with teams being tested on their technical skills, engineering knowledge and business acumen over three intense and long days.

The competition is friendly, yet fierce as the Grand Champion’s trophy is on show for all to see in the judging tent, making sure that everyone of the competitors plays their part.

It doesn’t matter if you are an ardent train fanatic, a keen enthusiast of engineering outside your own field like me or just a curious spectator, you cant help but get drawn in to the excitement and frustration as the completions days progress. And of course, the whole thing is topped off by a ride along the mile long track with the wind in your face and the clackity clack of the tracks beneath you.

What could be more evocative of our engineering ingenuity?

In this months episode Helen and the HQ AV team headed out to Leicestershire for a live recording of the sights and sounds of the Railway Challenge and spoke with the Challenge’s chair, several of the volunteer judges as well as team members as they prepared their locomotives for the first day of tests.

We wont give any spoilers as to who won, but you can read all about the winners and the teams participating in the link below.

 

Useful Links:

Aachen Reuschling win Railway Challenge 2022

The Railway Challenge Competition Details

IMechE Railway Division Webpage

 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

In this month’s episode we turn our attention skyward, to the captivating world of space and specifically satellite technology.

Humankind’s fascination with the cosmos has never really waivered, but last year saw a resurgence in interest, after a 9 year absence, of a fully-reusable space vehicle and its first human crew; when Behnken and Hurley took off in the Dragon capsule atop the falcon 9 rocket.

But the launch of satellites is often met with much less fanfare, yet we couldn’t live our technology-driven lives and we certainly wouldn’t have learnt about the wonders beyond our solar system without them. In fact, of the 104 successful space flights last year, 80% of them were to put satellite technologies into space. So what can we learn from these complex technologies?

Useful Links:

https://www.spacex.com/

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/amazing-earth-satellite-images-from-2020/

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

https://www.harwellcampus.com/space-cluster/

 

Helen’s guests this month are both enthusiastic engineers working in different areas of the satellite technology industry. They are driven by their fascination for how they operate, communicate and how they are changing the way we preserve the universe.

Helen chats with Christine Brockley-Blatt, Senior Project Manager at Mullard Space Science Laboratory and fellow of the IMechE. Chris has worked on Beagle 2; the British Mars Lander, and the SPIRE instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope which is due to launch in 2021. She is now the Project Manager of the VIS Instrument on the Euclid Space Telescope. Chris took time out of her day to talk to Helen about building satellites and how her 14 years of dedication to the recently launched Solar Orbiter will tell us more about the physics of our sun than ever before.

Useful Links:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/mssl/

http://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-satellite-propulsion-test-facility-to-propel-uk-into-new-space-age

 

Mike Lawton is an electronic & electrical engineer and serial space technology entrepreneur. He certainly knows a thing or two about squeezing large satellite structures into small spaces and has built an award-winning business innovating deployable assemblies for the satellite industry, such as solar panel arrays, antennas and boom systems. His motivation is to challenge tried and tested techniques by creating lighter, less complex and lower cost systems for satellite manufacturers. Helen talks to Mike about solar array origami, the problems with space debris and how engineers are finding ways to re-use old satellites while still in space.

https://oxford.space/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtBYjYwkVm0KdpRwtA7kcVA/videos

https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/space-agency-announces-1m-fund-for-ideas-to-tackle-space-debris

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode or about your experiences, interest or work in Space & Satellite Technology. If you would like to get in touch email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

 

The idea of service robots is no longer science fiction, indeed if the launch of the Optimus bot on the 14th October is anything to go by, for a cool $20,000 you will soon be able to have a human-looking robot in your home. Or not! At least not in the way that tesla imagines it, just yet.

But the reality of service robots isn’t totally out of our reach. Intelligent machines designed to perform useful tasks for humans are now rapidly transforming the world, by automating chores and providing assistance in a variety of settings. 

Service robotics encompasses a broad field of applications, which have unique designs and different degrees of automation – from full tele-operation (remote human control) to being fully autonomous. These machines can be found in bustling restaurants to sterile hospital rooms and are blurring the distinction between human and machine capabilities.

 

Helen's guests on this episode are CEO of the National Robotarium, Stewart Miller and Professor Praminda Caleb-Solly.

 

Stewart comes from an aerospace background and he is a member of the IET. He took up the position of Chief Executive Officer at the National Robotarium in 2021 having previously been CTO of Innovate UK, in addition to previously working in senior roles at major firms including Leonardo and BAESystems.

Stewart’s aims are to grow the reputation of the National Robotarium to help create greater investment and talent attraction to both Scotland and the UK, fulfil national potential for the development of robotics manufacturing, and deliver a thriving robotics industry on the global stage.

He is a member of the Scottish Government Industry Leadership Group for Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing, an advisory board member of the Smart Manufacturing Data Hub, and a non-executive director of the Satellite Application Catapult.

 

Praminda is Professor of Embodied Intelligence in the School of Computer Science at the University of Nottingham, where she leads the Cyber-physical Health and Assistive Robotics Technologies (CHART) research group. She holds a BEng in Electronic Systems Engineering, MSc in Biomedical Instrumentation Engineering and a PhD in Interactive Evolutionary Computation.

With a research portfolio spanning 20 years, Praminda has collaborated with commercial and industrial partners from the UK and across the EU, focusing on person-centred approaches to develop creative design solutions. Her work has included designing and evaluating socially and physically assistive robotics and Internet of Things sensor-based intelligent technology as well as different ways in which these technologies can assist people and their carers, with age-related long-term conditions, in providing support for activities of daily living.

 

Useful Links:

Tools for Person-Centred Design: Empathy Cards for Responsible Research and Innovation of Intelligent Technologies in Health and Social Care

 

“Talking Robotics” Cards – Prompts for reflecting on the design of future robotics and intelligent assistive technologies

 

The National Robotarium - Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus

 

 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

The ever-present challenges of climate change, over-reliance on limited resources and a global demand for new technologies, is pushing the engineering community to find more innovative ways to design and manufacture products.

Image Source: UK Metamaterials Network https://metamaterials.network/what-are-metamaterials/

 

Engineers and scientists working in the materials science sector have been exploring the properties of everyday materials such as metals, plastics and glass for centuries, to identify new properties and behaviours which might enable us to conserve the world’s finite resources.

In this episode Helen talks with three leading experts in the field of Metamaterials -  engineered materials that have unique 3-dimensional structures, which cause them to behave in ways not found in nature.

Image Source:Exeter University Centre for Metamaterial Research and Innovation https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/groups/physics/emag/themes/mmto/ 

 

Their precise shape, geometry, size, orientation and arrangement gives them ‘smart properties’ capable of unconventional shape changes and the ability to manipulate electromagnetic waves: achieving benefits that go beyond what is possible with conventional materials.

With incredible versatility and innate sustainability built directly into their structures, metamaterials have the potential to be used in the electronics, communications, healthcare, aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors.

 

This episodes guests are:

Dr Claire Dancer - associate professor & reader in Materials Science & metallurgy at WMG – University of Warwick and vice chair of the Metamaterials Network, who is working on ceramic metamaterials and manufacture processes.

Dr Calum Williams – lecturer in Physics at the University of Exeter who is focusing on photonic and optical metamaterials and their surface properties.

Dr Tom Allen - Fellow of the IMechE and senior lecturer in sports technology at the Manchester metropolitan university who is looking at how mechanical metamaterials can change athlete’s performance.

 

Useful Links

https://metamaterials.network/ 

https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/metamaterials/

 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

In this month’s episode we explore how we keep society safe, what effect remote working has had on the way we manage and monitor our infrastructure and what engineers are doing to protect safety critical technologies from cyber-attacks.

 

We are constantly facing both present and emerging threats to our technical, organizational, societal and economic way of life. These threats can be natural, such as earthquakes or storms; man-made such as poverty or lack of resources; and in our ever-growing technology-driven world, they can affect our data and computer networks.

 

UK businesses faced over 600,000 breaches in their systems in 2020, that equates to an attempted attack every 46 seconds. Indeed it is believed that manufacturing companies account for nearly a quarter of all ransomware attacks, but equally, our healthcare systems are suffering similar security issues, with more than 93% of healthcare organizations experiencing a data breach in the past three years.

 

Living in such complex systems of systems, engineers are having to find new way to protect us from these threats and ensure we can absorb and adapt to the challenges as quickly as possible after the threat has passed.

 

Helen's guests are Andy German and Pete Stewart, both Resilience Engineers who work for Atkins, part of the SNC Lavalin Group.

Pete is a chartered engineer and fellow of the IMechE and a Board member of its Safety and Reliability Group. Pete’s career has focused on high hazard industries, particularly UK nuclear and Oil & Gas.  He is currently the Discipline Lead and Chief Engineer for Nuclear Safety Assurance within the Resilience Engineering Practice.

Andy is a Chartered Engineer with the Institution of Engineering and Technology and is a member of Safety Engineering Technical Network.  He works as the Professional Head of Discipline for Resilience Engineering including System Safety and Safety Critical Software within Aerospace, Defence, Security and Technology.

 

Useful links:

https://www.imeche.org/industry-sectors/safety-and-reliability-group

https://hazardsforum.org/maintaining-nuclear-safety-during-a-pandemic/

https://mas400.com

https://electrical.theiet.org/guidance-codes-of-practice/publications-by-category/cyber-security/code-of-practice-cyber-security-and-safety/

https://www.teamdefence.info/

https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/what-we-do/national-digital-twin-programme

https://scsc.uk/publications

http://sunnyday.mit.edu/STAMP-publications.html

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode or about your experiences, interest or work in resilience and safety engineering. If you would like to get in touch email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

Our world is filled with structures, statues and artefacts that humankind has created. Throughout our history, we have utilised different materials, methodologies and technologies to help us innovate and construct ever-more complex objects. It is only in more recent decades that society has recognised the significance of these items and the responsibility it has, to conserve and protect them for posterity.

Across the world, many of these incredible technological and artistic objects have been safeguarded and restored by heritage specialists and artistic conservators, so why would we be talking about preservation and heritage on an engineering podcast?

Well, believe it or not, the protection and recognition of our heritage; particularly those artifacts, locations and landmarks with links to engineering, have been a focus of the IMechE since the mid 1980’s with over 130 of them being celebrated through its Engineering Heritage awards. We can of course consider our own birdcage walk building among these historic places and objects of significance, as it too represents over 120 years of engineering tradition yet is itself in need of significant maintenance to remain a useful part of the imeche’s legacy.

But what exactly is the engineer’s role in conversation? first thoughts bring to mind building conversation; the protection of architectural relics, their structural stability and repair - Like the recent work carried out on Big Ben in london for example and its easy to assume, that this would be the realm of the civil engineer. As it turns out, conservation engineering is a diverse, multidisciplinary profession, drawing, not just on the technical skills of the engineer, but on their creative and innovative talents to understand and protect all manner of objects, from artworks to engines.

In this month’s episode Helen had the opportunity to speak with Ian Clark, managing director of Ian Clark Restoration and Engtech fellow of the Institution.  Ian is unreservedly passionate about the restoration and preservation of our historical and technological achievements, and it has been a part of his life for over 40 years. He has worked with the likes of english heritage, the national trust and hundreds of national and international organisations, conserving firearms, statutes, submarines, windmills and everything in between. He has received numerous awards for his work and his advocacy of conversation engineering and has played a leading role as a committee member of the heritage awards.

Ian had so much enthusiasm and so many engaging anecdotes to share, that He and Helen truly lost track of time and so this will be the first I2I two-part episode.  In the first segment of the show, Ian talked about the field of conversation engineering, how it came to be part of his life and career and what opportunities there are for engineers looking to join this small community.

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

 

In this month’s episode we are focusing on Railways and rail technology and how one of the world’s oldest forms of mass transit is changing the way we think about climate change.  We also discuss automation and how the heavy rail industry may one day adopt well-tested technologies used on our metro trains. 

 

George Stephenson looms large in the minds of most mechanical engineers when you ask them to think of an engineering icon.  Indeed, the earliest history of our institution was born from the steam and motion of those early technological developments of the 1800s. But while George and his like would still recognise the rails and the roar, todays locomotives and the services they provide across continents, would be beyond even his wildest dreams. And those early engineers would certainly be unaware of the global impact their technology would eventually have on international economics, environment and society. 

 

Today the UK rail is a £20Bn industry with £881m of that generated by Freight transportation. In 2019 passengers travelled over three-and-a-half trillion kilometres on the world’s rail networks, with three-quarters of rail passenger movements and half of rail freight relying on electricity as the main form of power. And indeed, the International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that Global transport emissions could peak in the 2030s if railways are “aggressively” expanded, particularly as they are “uniquely positioned” to take advantage of the rise of renewables in the electricity mix, making Rail among the most efficient and lowest emitting modes of transport. 

But moves to expand rail networks is not without controversy and the environmental impact of large-scale rail construction projects  and the level of disturbance caused by railways due to noise and vibration, air, soil and water pollution, and soil erosion continue to provoke serious debate. 

Useful Links:

https://www.imeche.org/industry-sectors/railway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xTh5TTCyWg&list=PLqsai3fnPH2GbScPxas1I9112M86jQimd&index=7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_25isCUFqw&list=PLqsai3fnPH2E_G2PlKf4nsjO8fG5uq1qP

 

Helen's guests this month are both rail engineers and have spent much of their lives following that ‘permanent way’.  

Malcolm Dobell has over 45 years experience in the industry. He was Head of Train Systems Engineering for the London Underground for much of that time, Leading the 300 strong Rolling Stock, Signalling, Track, and Power engineering teams who provide engineering services to the undergrounds. He is also a former IMechE Railway Division Chairman and a current board member, and helps to organise and judge the annual Railway Challenge. Malcom and I discussed the benefits of automation of rail services, the challenges facing rail engineers in designing safety systems and what other innovations we might see on the railway in the future. 

Useful Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fGuILnMfiU

https://www.thameslinkprogramme.co.uk/learning-legacy/new-trains-technology/ato/

https://www.globalrailwayreview.com/article/97734/trends-developments-automation-heavy-rail/#:~:text=The%20goal%20of%20automation%20of,to%20the%20infrastructure%20capacity%20limits.

 

Helen chats to retired railway engineer and Rail Engineer magazine editor, David Shirres about the impact of decarbonisation on the UK rail network and how a blend of different energy sources will provide new opportunities for the rail industry.  David has worked in rail safety and compliance for much of his career and has managed a number of large-scale construction projects to improve safety and utilities management across the rail network. David is an ardent supporter of electrification and is keen to ensure wider society understands the impact the railway has on our environment and our energy consumption. 

Useful Links:

https://www.imeche.org/policy-and-press/reports/detail/the-future-for-hydrogen-trains-in-the-uk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6vbeBRDhpA&list=PLqsai3fnPH2E_G2PlKf4nsjO8fG5uq1qP&index=26

https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/shift-from-road-to-rail-will-be-as-important-as-ever-post-coronavirus

https://www.railengineer.co.uk/selling-electrification/

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode or about your experiences, interest or work in Rail and Rail Technologies. If you would like to get in touch email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

 

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is launching its first Podcast on the 3rd August 2020.

On the first Monday of each month we will be posting a new themed episode with news, interviews and stories from around the world, hosted by Chartered Engineer and IMechE member Dr Helen Meese.

 

Take a listen to the trailer to find out more about the August show, which will be focusing on Energy Sustainability and what this will mean to the world following the Covid pandemic.

 

If you're an engineer, interested in tech or just curious, then click our 'follow' button to get updates on future episode releases.

You can find more information about the Institution at www.imeche.org

Leading and managing people, projects, or teams, requires more than a high degree of technical knowledge. Experience and education provide the foundation for success in an engineering manager's role, but it also requires a great deal of foresight and strategic thinking and just like any skill, becoming an effective manager and leader takes time and effort.

With businesses emerging from COVID-19 to a new and rapidly changing professional landscape, it is more critical than ever that companies take a proactive approach in developing and supporting engineering leaders of the future. Remote and hybrid working practices are now routine for many businesses and employees, and organisations can no longer rely on young engineers picking up communication and teamwork skills ‘by osmosis’ in the office environment.

The IMechE’s Essential Management Skills conference has been running for over 20 years and offers three days of workshops, networking, and site visits to equip early-career professionals with the knowledge they need to make the step up in their careers. Helen had the opportunity to attend this year's conference in April, to find out more about the value of leadership training, some 20-odd years since she last went to it.

 

Before she arrived Helen spoke with Dr Vasileios Samaras, a senior lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Swansea, and a fellow of the IMechE. Vasileios teaches the principles and application of leadership and management to undergraduates and having spent many years in industry before returning to academia, is keen to ensure young engineers are well prepared for the challenges that leadership brings. 

Stephen Brown is the chair of the EMS organising committee and got involved having previously attended the conference as a delegate. He found the conference to be extremely insightful and feels that all early careers and recent graduates should take the opportunity to attend.

Emma Wilson is one of the delegates attending the conference from Howden based in Scotland.  Helen asked Emma why having the opportunity to learn about leadership early in her career, was so important, and what she hoped to take away with her from the experience.

Maira Bana is Co-Chair of the IMechE’s Construction and Building Services Division and an ambassador for She Can Engineer. She also attended EMS back in 2018. Poppy Harrison is a young engineer; D&I officer for the Greater London region and one of the organising committee members for the EMS 2023/24 conference. Helen spoke to both of them about the conference itself, why it is important from a D&I perspective and how leadership in industry has changed over the last 10 years.

Paul Taylor has been providing training in the IMechE for many years and feels leadership and management skills are a fundamental part of what it means to be an engineer.  Helen asked Paul to share his thoughts from a trainer’s point of view.

Jack is a young engineer working at Sellafield and is looking to move into his first leadership role. Helen asked him why his company felt leadership and management skills were valuable to them.

Robin Safas is Programme Development Lead for the IMechE. It’s his job to ensure events such as the EMS run smoothly by supporting the organising committees in developing and planning their events.  Robin sees this conference as an investment in the careers of future engineers and a way for companies to empower their workforce.

Robyn Stark, is also a an engineer from Howden. As a recent graduate she felt that she was a long way from being a leader in her career, but she recognised that the skills she was learning would be very useful for building relationships with her colleagues in the future.

David Edmondson, is one of the guest speakers at the conference who has had a varied career in both the military and industry and feel passionate about leadership training and how engineers can learn from best practice in the armed forces.

 

Useful Links:

IMechE Training - Early Career Development Programme

Details of the Essential Management Skills 2023

PE Magazine Report on Sustainability

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

In this month's episode we discuss the IMechE's drive towards greater equality, diversity and inclusion in the engineering profession and why during Pride Month here in the UK, it is important for us to come together as a community and recognise the variety of differences that makes up our engineering world.

 

“When we listen and celebrate what is both common and different, we become a wiser, more inclusive, and better organization”. This is a quote from Pat Wadors, Chief People Officer for Procore Technologies and passionate ED&I advocate.

 

And that idea of commonality, as well as being uniquely individual, is what unites the 120,000 members of the IMechE.  But a year of unprecedented changes to our lives and workplaces as well as the shocking racial attack on George Floyd in America, have sparked a sea change in the way we think, speak and see equality, diversity and inclusion. This of course is not something that is new to those who have been campaigning for change across gender, sexual orientation or race for decades.  But this convergence of events have triggered a retrospective process across many aspects of society.

So, where does the engineering community come in to this?, and how does it effect, not just the IMechE’s members but the millions of engineers world-wide?

 

In 2020 the Institution formed its diversity and inclusion committee, chaired by Isobel Pollock-Hulf OBE. It was made up of members and staff with a wide variety of experiences and knowledge on D&I matters.  In February this year, the committee launched ‘A Case for Change’, its Diversity & Inclusion strategy report for 2021-2025.  The report aims to “support our vision, culture, foundations and goals across our employee and membership base.” And is “about people developing a sense of belonging, feeling respected and valued for who they are.”  So, how will this report translate into real actions? and what effects will it have on our engineering community?

 

My guests this month are Dr Shini Somara, Carly Nettleford, and Dr Mark McBride-Wright.

Shini is a Mechanical Engineer & Fluid Dynamicist turned international TV presenter, Children's Book Author, Podcaster, public Speaker and Mentor. She is passionate about making science & technology accessible to all and has turned cutting-edge science into heartfelt and informative television; reporting on challenging subjects such as climate change, food, health, energy, and the physics of dark matter.

 

Carly joined the IMechE as an Engineering Policy Officer in April 2020. She works with the policy advisors and IMechE’s expert member groups to help shape the debate across the field of engineering policy. Carly began her engineering career in 2012 on a pre-apprenticeship programme and Completed her apprenticeship in just two years, being recognised for her achievements by winning the Apprentice of The Year award for West London. She has worked in construction and in biomedical engineering and is now a chartered Eng Tech.

 

Mark is a chartered chemical engineer specialising in health and safety in the oil and gas and defence industries. He is a recognised leader in diversity and inclusion in the engineering and construction industry and is chair and co-founder of InterEngineering, an organisation which connects, informs and empowers LGBT+ engineers and supporters. Mark has authored a report for the UK Government on tackling homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in engineering and is working with the UK Government on implementation of the report’s recommendations. So its no surprise that the IMechE asked Mark to facilitate engagement with staff and members for the D&I report.

 

We also hear from IMechE past president and D&I committee chair, Isobel Pollock-Hulf OBE.

Isobel has been promoting Engineering, Measurement and Manufacturing for over 30 years following a highly successful career with a number of large Yorkshire-based multi-nationals.  She was the 127th President in 2012, only the second lady at that time. She is a visiting professor of engineering at Leeds University, She was Master of the Worshipful Company of Engineers, and is a Fellow of the IET and CGI. She was named as one of the Daily Telegraph’s Top 50 Influential Women in Engineering in 2016 and is a patron of the Women’s Engineering Society.

 

Useful Links:

https://www.imeche.org/about-us/governance/council/committees-and-boards/diversity-and-inclusion-committee

https://interengineeringlgbt.com/

https://equalengineers.com/

http://www.drshinisomara.com/innervation-podcast.html

https://www.imeche.org/about-us/our-people/carly-nettleford

https://www.raeng.org.uk/diversity-in-engineering

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode and the IMechE's ED&I report. If you would like to get in touch email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

In this month’s episode, we are investigating the growth of 3D construction printing and what benefits it may offer to a world with growing populations and ever-reducing resources.

Despite the collapse of construction activity during 2020 as a result of covid, the industry is already on a path to rebuild its lost revenue in 2021.  It is estimated that the value of global construction output will increase from its $11.6 trillion level in 2020 to around $14.8 trillion by 2030.

Around 43 million new homes will be required each year globally between now and 2030, with 11 million of these being in India, 7 million in China, 2 million in Nigeria and 1.5 million in the US.  China will, for the foreseeable future, remain the largest construction market globally, however many developing countries are driving progress in construction as a result of investment in infrastructure and housing projects to sustain economic growth.

Construction output in the UK is more than £110 billion per annum and accounts for around 7% of the UK’s economic output. Approximately a quarter of construction output is in the public sector and three-quarters is private sector with the industry directly providing jobs for approximately 3 million people that’s about 10% of total UK employment.

Interestingly, in high income nations, there has been a increase in the demand for faster infrastructure development using technologically advanced machines and equipment, with the objective of reducing completion times and material handling costs as well as carbon footprint.  This has led to innovations in construction processes which only a few years ago, were considered outside the mainstream. One such technique is that of 3D construction printing or 3DCP.

3DCP covers a whole range of technologies that use 3D printing as a core method to fabricate buildings or construct components, often using industrial robots, gantry systems and tethered autonomous vehicles.  There are a variety of 3D printing methods used, which include extrusion; applying concrete/cement, wax, foam, or polymers; powder bonding using polymer bond, reactive bond, or sintering techniques, and additive welding.

Despite what you might think, the concept of 3D construction actually began to gain momentum in the 1980’s but it wasn’t until the mid 90’s that construction at scale, using techniques we now recognise as 3d printing, began to emerge as commercially viable processes.

Over the ensuing decades academia and industry have worked together to refine the techniques and learn more about material properties and the stability of printed structures and engineers have pushed the boundaries of what was once considered impractical or even impossible.

In 2016 the first 3d printed footbridge was constructed in Spain, demonstrating not only the possibilities the technology offered, but also that exact deposition of material, only where it was needed, could significantly reduce the amount of raw materials required.  2017 saw the first 3d printed permanent building constructed, which received all the appropriate building permits and in 2018 the 3d process was used to create a fountain in Russia.

And just a month ago, the IMechE reported the completion of an 18-month project in Italy to 3d print housing structures made entirely from soil adjacent to the building site.  The construction of the dome-shaped houses took just over 200 hours.  While there is some way to go before this concept is commercially viable, the team carrying out the work hope that it has demonstrated what can be achieved using natural materials, especially in inaccessible locations or poor areas of the world, with little effect on the local environment.

So as our global leaders head home after COP26, having discussed issues including infrastructure, the build environment and our energy use, how will disruptive innovations such as 3DCP become mainstream and will such potentially sustainable processes be incorporated into their climate change strategies, if at all.

 

Helen sat down with chartered civil engineer Colin Evison to find out more about 3D construction printing, how it all works and what innovative application it might be used for in the future, including the possibility of building homes on mars!

Colin is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (just across the road from Birdcage Walk) and also a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. In his role as Head of Innovation at BAM Nuttall he has been engaged with 3D concrete printing over the last few years. His interest in 3D printing began when he had small scale architectural models produced to help explain the intent for projects such as the Victoria Station and Tottenham Court Road Station Upgrades on the tube.

Colin is very passionate about this emerging form of construction and as he said in our interview, “Its potential as a building technique is probably only limited by our imagination and the efforts of engineers to solve the challenges that remain.”

 

Useful Links:

https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Global_construction_market_projections_from_2020_to_2030

https://www.emergenresearch.com/industry-report/construction-market

https://www.constructionproducts.org.uk/news-media-events/news/2021/april/double-digit-growth-forecast-for-construction-in-2021-but-with-major-supply-and-demand-risks-ahead/

https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/training-the-key-to-future-success-of-3d-printing-in-construction

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode and the Construction Industry. If you would like to get in touch email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

This episode features a conversation that explores the intersectionality of race, careers in engineering and joy. These are big topics on their own and become highly amplified and sometimes harmful, when one’s self-identities and protected characteristics intertwine.  Today, we’re going to approach them with care and mindful intention as these are themes that we don’t often get to share in this way. My name is Beatrice Udeh and I am the guest host for this Black History Month episode of Impulse to Innovation.

 

Beatrice Udeh is Head of Diversity at the Arts Marketing Association (AMA). She is an award-winning creative specialist, a theatre producer, broadcaster & poet, and has held positions at both the BBC and Arts Council England. She has a degree in mechanical engineering and was a mechanical design engineer for Rolls Royce.

 

So, why am I hosting and not Dr Helen Meese? Well, Helen approached me as she was keen for the IMechE to celebrate Black History Month, but wanted to make sure that somebody with lived-experience and a professional EDI background was at the helm to hold the space for the panel. I'm no stranger to the IMechE or to the microphone. I’m a former broadcast journalist and radio producer. I’m a former Mechanical Design Engineer and was an IMechE member nigh on 25 years ago, chairing the Young Members Panel for Derby and Nottingham in the East Midlands.

I am joined on the episode by some amazing people who are leaders in their technical and engineering fields including start-ups, geeks, policymakers and just plain, smart engineers. I’m excited to get to the pulse of what makes them rock and find out how they roll during BHM and beyond.

 

I wanted to share a few things as provocations for this discussion, here are some interesting stats by the Association of Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE-UK):

“Currently, around 30% of the U.K.’s engineering university graduates are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. However, these underrepresented groups account for only 9% of professional engineers. This is largely due to the barriers and challenges these groups face in recruitment, retention, and advancing professional development.”

With my Diversity-lead hat on, three things stick out for me. One, there is the language - black and minority ethnic. Two, the stats (30% of University graduates vs 9% entering the sector) and three the business case for a thriving workforce: recruitment, retention and career advancement.

 

According to Engineering UK, Global Majority individuals in the UK engineering sector face several specific challenges. Research has been done to quantify this, with specific examples of inclusion of people and inclusivity written into processes and policies.

1. Not being seen aka representation 
2. Different types of bias such as the halo effect, or conformity bias and even attribution bias.

All of these biases impact our behaviours and lead to discrimination even before reaching the workplace, let alone in the recruitment, onboarding and retention processes.

The National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC), released a report this summer highlighting the importance of increasing representation in engineering and emphasising the need for a diverse and skilled workforce.  And with a reported 700,000 people contributing to the engineering economy and 'Statista Data' showing that there are 540,000 engineers working in the UK, what does this mean when we intersect this with Black-British history and Global Majority engineering futures? 

 

This months guests are:

 

Swati Swati is a dedicated, award-winning Biomedical Engineer. Having moved from India  where she worked at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, she studied for her engineering degree before starting a new career as a Clinical Technologist at Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust. With a passion for STEM education and Healthcare Swati has set up her own company and now provides a variety of leadership, technical and regulatory affairs courses for students at universities and healthcare related solutions to hospitals and healthcare industries.

 

Dr Nike Folayan MBE is a chartered engineer and Fellow of the IET. She holds a PhD in Electronics Engineering with referenced international research publications and citations. She sits on a number of advisory boards for various governmental and non-governmental organisations including the Royal Academy of Engineering, Transport for London and  the University of Kent Industrial Panel. Nike is recognised as one of the top 100 most influential women in engineering and recieved her MBE for services to diversity in engineering in 2020. Nike is co-founder and chairperson of AFBE-UK, a UK-wide organisation that promotes higher achievement in Engineering particularly for underrepresented groups in engineering. She is presently Technical Director at WSP UK.

 

Shefali Sharma is an Aeronautics & Space Engineer and Co-Founder & Director of Oxford Dynamics. Seconded to India on behalf of the UK space industry & the Dept. for International Trade in her early career, Shefali has gone on to become a leading Entrepreneur in the space sector creating OxLABS and Oxford Dynamics in less than five years. With multiple honours to her name, she is now focusing on cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence research for the space industry.

 

 

Dr Bridget Ogwezi is an award winning doctoral research engineer and civil engineering graduate. She is Senior Strategic Project Manager for Ansys UK. Bridget is passionate about the process of discovery in particular, how to harness human innovation, technology and the materials we build with to make buildings healthier and less damaging to the planet.

 

 

Maira Bana is a chartered mechanical engineer with expertise in analysing and resolving cooling and airflow challenges in the data centre industry, through thermal simulation. She manages the CFD Team at RED Engineering Design. Maira is an active IMechE volunteer and Co-Chairs the Construction & Building Services Division, she is also a past Trustee of the Institution. Presently she is a Trustee of SheCanEngineer.

 

 

Useful Links:

Assoc. for Black & Minority Ethnic Engineers UK

SheCanEngineer

The Hamilton Commission

Mission 44

IMechE DEI Information

 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

 

During the first week of September the Institution hosted Volunteer Week.  A back-to-back week of committee meetings and networking, enabling members from all over the world to take part in a wide range of activities.

As a Chair of a Division of the IMechE, this was a great opportunity for Helen to meet up with not just her division members but members from across the Institution. Helen personally always find it a fulfilling and enjoyable time, meeting new members, seeing a few old faces in some cases, ones she had not seen since covid.

Catching up with old friends - Volunteer Week enables international members to share their experiences

 

Helen decided, as she was going to be there for 2 days, she would take the opportunity to record some interviews for the podcast. Helen spoke with members about why they were there, what they hoped to gain from attending sessions and what got them excited about being a volunteer.

On day 1 of her visit she attended Council.  As a divisional chair Helen has an ex-eficcio seat on Council which enables her to represent the over 3000 members who identify as Biomedical Engineers in the Institution. In the last few years, the structure of Council has changed significaly, with a much more streamlined membership.

Council in its simplest form acts as both a sounding board and mirror for the trustees, reflecting the views and ideas of members, to help the Trustee Board make informed decisions on behalf of the whole membership. Its work however, is much more nuanced than that, with small task and finish and sub-groups being formed to ensure every aspect of a topic is analysed and agreed.

To some of you listening that might sound like your worst nightmare; sitting in lots of meetings, it's something we do at work all the time. Of course, it can be laborious at times, but surprisingly it is an excellent forum in which to test your negotiating and management skills, as well as listening abilities, and learning new ways to view opinon, ensuring that everyone has a voice and that a well-reasoned outcome can be agreed upon.

 

Taking a break - Council Members chat over coffee

 

Despite the hectic Council agenda, Helen was able to sit down with Council Chair Martin Robinson to ask him about the structure and purpose of Councill and how Council’s decisions flow down to the grassroots members. They also discussed the impact of the newly released strategy and why members should consider getting actively involved in the operational and governance committees at HQ.

Helen spoke with Emil Tschepp, Chair of the Young Members Board. Emil has been actively involved in young engineer’s activities for many years, with various roles on the YMB committee, taking up the position of Chair of the Board just a few months ago. When Helen caught up with him, he was just coming out of his first Council session.  She asked Emil, what was the value of having young member representation on Council and what he hoped to achieve as YMB Chair in the coming years.

Sylvain Jamais has been an active volunteer for many years, both at regional level, being Chair of the BmED Cambridge centre and at board level as a Trustee, Vice-Chair of Council and CLC and several strategy sub-groups. During a quick tea break, Helen asked Sylvain what being on Council meant to him and what impact the new strategy would have on the future of the IMechE.

 

With a short overnight rest, Helen headed back to HQ for Technical Strategy Board. The TSB is one of seven operational boards. Its role is to represent members across their industrial sectors and technical specialisms, which are divided into eighteen divisional boards and groups.

 

Inclusive Discussion - IMechE IT enables members to dial in and be part of the conversations

 

TSB's purpose is to develop and support the engineering and technical activities across the Ds and Gs as well as advise the Trustee Board on technical issues facing industry and coordinate strategic development by producing reports and advice to Government authorities through the IMechE’s policy team.

Earlier in the year Helen spoke with the then Chair of TSB Paul Jones about the work TSB had been doing in the development of the Instituion’s strategy document.  In June, Paul finished his tenure and James Collinson, past-chair of the railway division, took up the post.

Just before they went into the TSB meeting, Helen caught up with James to ask him why he felt driven to volunteer on the Technical Boards and how the members of TSB engage with the wider membership to ensure they have a voice within the Institution.

 

Useful Links

If this episode has got you keen to find out more about volunteering within the Institution then check out our web page www.imeche.org/get-involved 

You can also find out more about the structure, operation and governance of the Institution at www.imeche.org/about-us 

If you would like to speak to a member of staff or ask a question about volunteering then email the Member Engagement Team at membernetworks@imeche.org

 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

Helen was joined by the IMechE's audio-visual engineer, Syed Ansar in the second of our podcasts this month which was recorded live on the 23rd July track-side at Silverstone Park.

This was I2I's first live show with members listening in around the world.

 

Helen and Syed spoke with special guests.

Sam Collins - FS Commentator and F1 Broadcaster

Will Snyder - Sales Engineer at IPG Automotive UK Ltd (FS Sponsor)

Wayne Morse - Recruitment Specialist at BMW (UK) Manufacturing (FS Sponsor)

Dr Andrew Deakin - Chair, Formula Student

Rob Porter - Head of Events & Member Engagement, IMechE

 

Several of the guests had also taken part in FS as student undergrads and their passion for the event was tangible.  Helen explores the reasons why it is such a popular competition, why automotive companies are so keen to be involved and sponsor the event, and what the future holds for this incredible competition in the future.

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode and the IMechE Challenges. If you would like to get in touch email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

This week (6th and 7th March) sees the IMechE host its fourth hydrogen economy conference in London. The international event will focus on infrastructure challenges as well as the storage and management of hydrogen as part of a wider ‘green energy’ supply.

 

iStock Image

 

Given the UK Government’s ambition for a decarbonised power sector by 2050, which will see the share of renewables in our generation mix increase significantly, a stable supply from these somewhat variable energy sources, will become ever more important. The UK will therefore need substantial investment in its energy infrastructure to ensure that energy can be efficiently stored for days, months even years at a time.

 

Engineers across the globe are looking at a range of technologies which incorporate not just hydrogen but compressed air, molten salts, and synthetic fuels to determine how energy could be stored in different forms, or for different durations, ensuring that our energy requirements remain affordable, secure and stable while delivering on crucial emissions reductions.

 

Home 3-phase battery storage installation - H Hudson & Imp Electrical

 

In this month’s episode Helen talks with Professor Tony Roskilly Chair of Energy Systems at Durham University about the future of energy supply decarbonisation and what engineers are doing to address the challenges of energy storage, management and infrastructure of clean energy sources.

Professor Roskilly has over 30 years experience in the design, control, and operational optimisation of energy systems and energy management, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology. He sits on the UK Government’s Hydrogen Advisory Council Research and Innovation Working Group,and is a Member of DfT Multi-Model Hydrogen Transport Hub Board.

Tony is also a Co-Director of the Durham Energy Institute, leading on Industrial and Internationalisation Strategy, and is the UK representative for the European Energy Research Alliance’s Joint Programmes for Energy Efficiency in Industrial Processes and Energy Systems Integration.

If that didn’t fill all of Tony’s time he also leads the UK hydrogen fuelled transportation network and is responsible for a large team at Durham University which leads national research on the decarbonisation of heating and cooling, focusing on the utilisation of solar, thermal and geothermal energy, thermal energy recovery, storage and utilisation and energy systems integration.

 

Unsplash free image

 

Useful Links

Prof. Tony Roskilly

Net-Zero Research Network

Making Waves: The Future of Shipping

Durham Energy Institute

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

Episode 4 – The Future of Electric Vehicles and Batteries

 

In this month’s episode we will be focusing on Electric Vehicles and batteries; the challenges and opportunities electrification brings and what the future holds for EV technology. 

 

Helen talks with Williams Advanced Engineering Technical Director Paul McNamara about the up-coming IMechE International EV Batteries 2020 virtual Conference which will be held on the 11th and 12th of November. Paul is chair of the event and shares some of the exciting topics up for discussion, which include the challenges of transport decarbonisation, hybrid solutions, supply chain, battery cell sustainability, and life cycle management of battery materials. 

Useful Links:

https://events.imeche.org/ViewEvent?code=CMP7017

https://www.wae.com/

 

Helen is joined by Stakeholder Engagement director at the Advanced Propulsion Centre, Philippa Oldham to discuss her role in bringing together organisations from across the transport industry to develop innovative strategies for EV integration. She shares her thoughts on the growth of the UK EV market, government strategies on funding and emissions targets and some of the opportunities in recycling over the coming years.

Useful Links:

https://www.apcuk.co.uk/person/philippa-oldham/

https://www.apcuk.co.uk/

 

Actor, Fully-Charged Host and passionate EV enthusiast, Robert Llewellyn talks to Helen about his love for science and engineering and what lead him to advocate for clean energy and EVs. Helen and Robert discuss the outcomes from Tesla Battery Day, the opportunities for vehicle to grid charging, UK government policy on electrification and EV city planning. 

Useful Links:

https://fullycharged.show/

PE Magazine report on Sustainability

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode or about your experiences, interest or work in electric vehicles and their associated technologies. Get in touch email us at podcast@imeche.org 

As the Olympics gets underway, summertime temperatures will only continue to get hotter, giving athletes additional challenges as they seek to bring home medals.

 

With Paris 2024 taking place in the host city’s hottest months of the year, leading athletes are already warning that intense heat could lead to competitors collapsing and in worst case scenarios dying during the Games.

 

What role can engineering play in ensuring athletes, officials & volunteers, and those just watching the games, stay cool in an around the various sporting venues?

Dr Jo Corbett University of Portsmouth (right) conducting heat chamber tests in the University's Extreme Environments Laboratory with Jamie Farndale, a rugby 7s player for Great Britain. https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/news/rings-of-fire-heat-risks-at-the-2024-paris-olympics 

 

Helen's guests this month are Ruth Shilston and Professor Mike Tipton. They share their thoughts on the potential heat risks facing the Olympics this year, and in the future, in light of growing global temperatures, and how engineers are designing devices and building facilities to mitigate the effects of heat.

Nike Hyperice Vest - Nike Press Release 21st June 2024

 

Ruth Shilston is a fellow of the imeche and a current trustee and Technical Director of Engineering Sciences at Mott MacDonald. She has been a leading specialist on the engineering of major construction projects worldwide and is a subject matter expert in human thermal comfort and climate aware design as well as Author of numerous industry guidelines, technical and policy papers on heat adaption and construction.

 

Mike Tipton MBE is Professor of Human and Applied Physiology at the University of Portsmouth. Mike has spent 40 years working in the areas of thermoregulation, environmental and occupational physiology. He leads the Extreme Environments Laboratory, in the School of Sport, Health & Exercise Science at Portsmouth, examining the physiological, patho-physiological and psychological responses to adverse environments and the selection, preparation and protection of those who enter such environments. He has authored over 750 papers, reports and books on the subject and in April this year published the ‘Rings of Fire – Heat Risks at the 2024 Paris Olympics’ the second in this series of reports highlighting the worrying impact global warming and climate change is having on elite sports.

 

Useful Links:

Rings of Fire – Heat Risks at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Sustainable, Inclusive, Innovative: The Role Of Engineering In Sport

Heat Risks at the Paris Olympics

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

Impulse to Innovation was back at Formula Student this year to celebrate the competition's 25th Anniversary. The episode went out live on the 20th July and this podcast is an edited version of that live show.

It is great to be back in the race control building overlooking world-famous Silverstone Circuit, home of the British Grand Prix. From our studio we could see the National Pits straight and out across to the Silverstone UTC. 

And what an amazing 25 years its been for FS, with over 45,000 students having taken part in the event since its inception. And tens of thousands of hours of design, prototyping, building, testing and competing. Not to mention the time and effort put in by the judges, who are all volunteers, and the staff at IMechE who put on this incredible event each year with new and exciting challenges for the teams.

Helen was joined by a plethora of guests including competitors, judges, FS staff and sponsors and a few special guests along the way. We discussed the legecy of the competition and what potnetial technical challenges the teams might face in the future. 

Giles Hartill - 138th President of the IMechE

Ella Barrington - Senior Business Plan Presentation Judge & FS 2008 Alumni

Elliot Hemes - Managing Director IPG-Automotive UK & FS Sponsor

Naomi Rolfe - Senior Projects Executive of Competitions IMechE

Andrew Deakin - Chairman of Formula Student

Lucas & Callum - University of Glasgow Racing & 2022 Overall Winners

Dan Jones - FS Chief Judge, Simulation Racing Series

Sam Reinsel - Education Technical Lead for Student Competitions, Mathworks

Christian Dix - Satellite Communication Systems Engineer, Babcock International & FS 2017/20 Alumni

Gilles Eggenspieler - Worldwide Sales Academic Director, Ansys

 

Useful Links

https://www.imeche.org/events/formula-student

https://www.youtube.com/@fsimeche

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

In this month’s episode we focus on Healthcare, and how engineers and the medical technology they design and use, is changing the way we keep society living long and healthy lives.

 

Helen puts global healthcare demand and the medtech industry into context, discussing the size and scale of the markets and the impact technology is having on our growing and ageing populations.  She also highlights some of the advances in the latest tech from around the world and what engineers are doing to overcome some of the major healthcare challenges facing society. 

Useful Links: 

https://www.medtecheurope.org/about-the-industry/  

https://www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/1-oscar/reports-policy-statements-and-documents/imeche-engineering-healthcare.pdf?sfvrsn=2 

https://www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/1-oscar/reports-policy-statements-and-documents/imeche-healthcare-solutions.pdf?sfvrsn=2  

 

Carly turns the tables on Helen, whose day job is in the medtech industry, and interviews her about the issues facing the UK’s NHS. They discuss UK Government strategies on technology adoption and what kind of technology will have the most impact on patient care in the future. 

Useful links: 

https://www.imeche.org/get-involved/special-interest-groups/biomedical-engineering-division-(bmed)  

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-future-of-healthcare-our-vision-for-digital-data-and-technology-in-health-and-care/the-future-of-healthcare-our-vision-for-digital-data-and-technology-in-health-and-care  

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/medical-devices-eu-regulations-for-mdr-and-ivdr 

 

Jo Young, Healthcare Science Advisor for Health Education England chats with Helen about the workforce pipeline for clinical engineers in the NHS and how opportunities for careers in healthcare engineering are growing at a rapid rate.  Jo shares her thoughts on why STEM education is so important and why the latest healthcare engineering reports published by the IMechE are key to raising the profile of engineers in the healthcare and medtech sectors. 

Useful Links: 

https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work 

https://nshcs.hee.nhs.uk/  

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode or about your experiences, interest or work in medtech and healthcare.

If you would like to get in touch email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at https://www.imeche.org

 

In this months episode, we are exploring the world of engineering in sport and how sports technology is not just improving the performance of elite athletes but is having an effect on ordinary fitness fans and even medicine and healthcare.

Sports engineering is the technical application of physics, mathematics, biomechanics, computer science and even aeronautical engineering to solve sporting problems. According to the international sports engineering association, sports engineering includes tasks such as designing equipment, building facilities, analysing athlete performance, regulating standards and safety requirements and developing coaching tools.

It could be argued that the use of technology in sport began as far back as the ancient Olympics when chariots were used for racing and athletes competed in the pentathlon; which did involve wearing armour.

But modern sports technology really began to appear in the 19th century and commercially available examples of innovative equipment such as tennis racquets, golfing equipment and cricket helmets were on show at the great exhibition of 1851. But it wasn’t until 1998 that Professor Steve Haake of Sheffield Hallam University founded the international sports engineering association, thus formalising sports engineering as a disciple in its own right.

Today, there very few sports that do not involve some kind of engineering, and the typical sports engineer works directly with the athlete to monitor and measure their performance, behaviour and interaction with said equipment, to ensure they are at the peak of physical fitness.  It’s safe to say that many of the sports brands we see sponsoring events or even have in our gym bags, would not be the big names we know today without the work of sports engineers.

So what kind of work are sports engineers doing today?

Useful links:

https://sportstechnologyblog.com/2021/01/19/what-does-a-sports-engineer-or-technologist-do/

http://www.sportsengineering.org/

https://journals.sagepub.com/home/pip

https://www.prescouter.com/2021/08/tokyo-summer-olympics-what-are-the-hottest-tech-innovations/

 

Helen spoke with engineers Andy Harland, Professor of Sports Technology and director of the Sports Technology Institute at Loughborough University, and Dr Tom Allen senior lecturer in sports engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Andy is a chartered mechanical engineer and is involved in research across a broad range of topics including measurement and instrumentation, product design and development, injury prevention and simulation. He has worked on a number of projects concerned with sports footwear, apparel and protective gear.

Andy’s research in soccer balls has been applied by Adidas in tournaments including the FIFA world cups and UEFA European Championships and his  research in cricket helmet impacts underpinned the revision of the British Standard 7928:2013; Specification for Head Protection for Cricketers.

Useful Links:

https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/sti/

https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/sti/working-with-us/case-studies/

 

Dr Tom Allen is also a chartered mechanical engineer and his research is focused on the effect of sports engineering and technology, in terms of performance, participation and injury risk.

Tom applies Computational Mechanics and Computer Aided Engineering to his analysis as well as understanding the application of materials and the impact they have on performance. Tom is also the Editor in Chief of the ISEA’s Sports Engineering journal.

 

Useful Links:

https://www.mmu.ac.uk/engineering/staff/profile/index.php?id=2248

https://www.springer.com/journal/12283

 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode or about your experiences, interest or work in sports technology. If you would like to get in touch email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

Welcome to the first episode of Impulse to Innovation 2022!

This year the I2I podcast will be focusing on the Institution’s key themes of climate change, infection control, transport and education and how mechanical engineers help to solve the global challenges facing society today, and in the future.

Helen will also be out and about with some more live streaming shows at the Institution’s challenge competitions throughout the year and will be sharing exciting engineering innovation from members around the world. 

But 2022 is extra special for the Institution as we are 175 years old this year.

 

Useful Links

IMechE 175 Hub https://www.imeche.org/175 

Patrick Vallance Lecture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Gq2L5yWaU

Do you have a story to share or event to promote? Contact imeche.175@imeche.org

Share on social media with #IAmIMechE #ForwardThinkers

 

How it all began

In the autumn of 1846 a group of engineers met to watch locomotive trials at the Lickey Incline near Bromsgrove. Here they discussed the idea of forming an Institution of Mechanical Engineers to meet the needs of what had become a burgeoning separate discipline within engineering. Four of this group - Edward Humphrys, Archibald Slate, James McConnell and Charles Beyer - signed their names to a letter which was circulated among prospective Members. The letter invited recipients to attend a meeting at the Queen’s Hotel, Birmingham on Wednesday October 7th 1846.

The result of this meeting was the formation of a committee to draw up and agree the rules and regulations of the new Institution. On 27th January 1847, 56 engineers and manufacturers meet at the Queen’s Hotel, Birmingham for a General Meeting to formally found the Institution. George Stephenson was elected the Institution’s first President. By 1848 there were over 162 members.  One Birdcage Walk was officially opened on 16-17 May 1899, celebrated by a two-day conference for members and 750 guests.

Lucy Bonner reading the invitational letter to the first IMechE meeting in Bromsgrove 1846

 

Today we are a global community of mechanical engineers represented in over 140 countries; largest network of mechanical engineering knowledge, skill and opportunity in the world. 

 

In this months episode Helen's guests are Lucy Bonner, Institution Archivist, Paul Jones Technical Strategy Board Chair and past chair of the Automotive Division and Jo Horton, Member Operations Director.

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

Despite the all-consuming mission of the global healthcare sector to ‘do no harm’ and protect society from illness, disease, and death it is, according to NGO ‘Health Care Without Harm’, the fifth largest emitter of global emissions on the planet.

Indeed, healthcare’s climate footprint is estimated to be 4.4% of global net emissions; that’s equivalent to the output from 514 coal fired power stations, making it comparable in significance to the food sector in terms of climate impact.  It seems ludicrous to think that the act of caring for those suffering from health conditions brought about by climate change, is partially responsible for their condition in the first place.

It is quite clear then, that the healthcare sector, both clinical and technological, must address their alarming contribution to the climate crisis.  A two-pronged approach is needed, one which treats those made ill, injured, or dying from the climate crisis, and the second which drastically reduces its own innate contribution.

Many of the leading global healthcare companies and health service providers are already implementing sweeping changes and here in the UK the National Health Service (NHS) is leading the way. The paradox for the NHS is that while it accounts for around 5% of the country’s carbon emissions it also provides over 7% of the UK’s GDP, buying in goods and services from over 930 suppliers. Recognising its responsibility, In 2020 the NHS became the first national health system in the world to commit to delivering a net zero service by 2040 through its ‘Greener NHS’ initiative.

To achieve this, it will not only have to change the way it cares for patients across the hospital network; by opting to use more sustainable methods of treatment, but it will have to radically transform the way it selects and uses products and services, driving change across its entire supply chain network. The NHS believes that reaching the Paris Climate Change Agreement could see over 5,700 lives saved from improved air quality, 38,000 lives saved from a more physically active population and over 100,000 lives saved from healthier diets, each year.

The NHS and other global healthcare organisations cannot make these changes alone.  Engineering will and is playing a significant role in improving care provision and in developing the technology that clinicians use. It is then, engineering that will drive the development and adoption of sustainable and green technology alternatives for the healthcare sector going forward.

 

In this month's episode Helen speaks to Dr Nick Watts Chief Sustainability Officer of the NHS, who knows just how critical tackling the NHS’ sustainability issues are and what it’s responsibility is to addressing the climate crisis.

Nick is responsible for the NHS’s commitment to deliver a world-class net zero emission health service. He leads the ‘Greener NHS team’ across the UK, which focuses on improving the health of patients and the public through a robust and accelerated response to climate change and broader sustainability agenda.Nick is a medical doctor licensed in Australia and the UK, and has trained in population health and public policy. He is a Member of the Royal College of Physicians’ Faculty of Public Health, and an Honorary Associate Professor of University College London’s Institute for Global Health.

Prior to the National Health Service, Nick worked internationally as the Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown and the Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change, a collaboration of UN agencies and academic centres across the world. He has also focused on engaging the health profession on the links between public health and climate change, having founded both the Global Climate and Health Alliance and the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change.

 

Useful Links

Greener NHS

Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service

HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS: ELEVATING THE ENGINEERING WORKFORCE

In this months episode Helen hosted a live show from the Apprentice Automation Challenge, held at the MTC, Coventry.

 

The Apprentice Automation Challenge provides a brilliant opportunity for talented apprentices to compete in an innovative design and manufacturing challenge to improve an everyday home or garden device.

Organised by the Institution's Manufacturing Industries Division’s Young Members Committee, it engages with teams of apprentice engineers to design, develop and build a fully working system that solves a real-world problem.

All teams submit a report that includes a full design specification, manufacturing instructions, user manual and business case. The Challenge culminates in a live final showcase where teams are able to demonstrate their working prototypes and respond to questions from the judging panel.

This year saw eight teams taking part with technical prototypes varying from plant watering devices to fridge content monitors.

This years overall winners were Team Leonardo SAL for their plastic waste-saving prototype.

 

Helen interviews the AAC Chair Jason Yearsley, Head Judge Toby Heagerty and Leonardo Team Mentor Chris Sutton during our live show which took place on the 2nd September.

Useful links:

https://www.imeche.org/events/challenges/aac-challenge

https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/leonardo-team-sal-crowned-winners-of-apprentice-automation-challenge-2022

https://www.the-mtc.org/

 

Virtual engineering is a process by which engineers can combine the world around them with a digitally-generated environment, allowing them to visualize an object or location from a totally new perspective.

Credit Advanced VR Research Centre (AVRRC), Loughborough University

 

While the fundamentals of virtual technology and simulation have been around for some time, particularly in first-person computer games, the application of this technology in the engineering setting is less familiar to most.  Yet virtual and immersive simulations have, and are, revolutionising the engineering industry.

 

Virtual engineering systems are allowing engineers to evaluate product design and customer requirements without the need for hardware or prototype samples and are becoming increasingly common in the automotive and aerospace sectors.

These data-driven simulations enable designers to accurately determine how best to integrate new components into a vehicle before fabricating and testing them, ensuring more efficient and effective products while reducing costs and improving safety.

 

These virtual processes are however only as good as the digital and mathematical tools and algorithms that drive them, and the design and calibration of these tools requires expert knowledge from across a wide array of engineering subjects. 

Credit Advanced VR Research Centre (AVRRC), Loughborough University

 

Helen's guest is Professor Roy Kalawsky, Royal Academy of Engineering and Airbus Research Chair in Digital and Data Engineering Information Systems at Loughborough University.  In addition, Roy is also the Director of the Advanced VR Research Centre and a Fellow of the IET and RSA.

 

Roy is a pioneer of virtual engineering and has lead the development of numerous VR and AR systems, having established the UK’s first VR lab during the early 1980s.  As well as working for BAE Sysems in his early career, he has been involved in highly classified projects for NASA, the US Navy, McDonnell Douglas, Dassault Aviation, the MOD and many others.

His research experience spans the fields of next generation modelling, simulation and visualization and he has undertaken work in the development of digital-twins, co-simulation and machine learning. Whilst his primary research focus is in the aerospace sector, he has achieved important developments in healthcare and other sectors.

 

Useful Links:

Loughborough University Advanced VR Research Centre (AVRRC)

Virtual Reality in Engineering Blog

 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

 

 

 

 

In this I2I Holiday Special Podcast, Helen looks back on 2020 with IMechE CEO Colin Brown and President Terry Spall and discusses how the pandemic has affected the IMechE and its members, and how they have had to adapt to these unprecedented times.

Terry talks about how his presidential year has meant less travelling, but more opportunity for engagement with members and how inspired he has been seeing so many engineers step up to address COVID.

Colin chats about the effect working from home has had on the IMechE staff, but how beneficial it has been bringing members from across the world together through virtual services.

Terry shares his thoughts on the new Governance Benchmark and how important that process has been for the Institution. Terry recognises the valuable input of all the members who have been committed to bringing about change over the last few years; including Past President Carolyn Griffiths, Implementation Group Chair Kerry Mashford and members of the Trustee Board.

In a look back at the 2019 annual report, Colin talks about his hope for 2020 being our ‘Year of Values’ and how members have addressed behaviours and culture in this new working paradigm. Colin highlights the importance of diversity and how all engineers need to feel that they can make a contribution to society.

Thinking about 2021, Terry looks forward with enthusiasm to the Institution’s future, and hopes more members will want to get involved in driving the IMechE’s strategies. His hope is to finally shake the hands of all those who have worked to implement change in the last few years. Terry also looks forward to work commencing on the IMechE building next year, which will ensure members have a historical yet contemporary home for the coming decades.

We could not end the interview without mentioning Colin’s intention to step down as CEO in May 2021. Having been a member of staff for 16 years and an IMechE member for many more years than is polite to mention, Helen asks Colin what his hopes for the Institution are, going forward and what he is most looking forward to doing in his ‘retirement’.

 

We wish all our listeners, wherever you are in the world, a safe and happy holiday season from all of us at the I2I Podcast.

 

Useful Links:

https://www.imeche.org/get-involved/covid-19/covid-19-task-force/covid-19-manual

https://www.imeche.org/about-us/imeche-governance

https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/imeche-2020-a-year-in-numbers

https://www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/1-oscar/reports-policy-statements-and-documents/annual_report_2019_01_27_web.pdf?sfvrsn=2

https://www.imeche.org/policy-and-press/reports/detail/stay-or-go.-the-experience-of-female-engineers-in-early-career

 

Throughout this year Helen has attended several of the Institution’s challenge events in which students from across the UK and internationally, come together to compete for some of engineering’s most converted prizes and titles.  This month she was able to travel to IMechE HQ and meet up with the teams, judges and sponsors at one of these competitions, the final of the Design Challenge.

 

The Design Challenge gives first and second year undergraduates a taste of ‘real world’ engineering, challenging them to design, create, present and run a device to a strict technical specifications.  The completion is intended to complement their academic studies and has been incorporated into several university degree courses as part of their project modules.  The Challenge is open to teams of up to five students.  These teams compete in local regional competitions from March to May, leading to a national final for the regional winners hosted at the Institution at the start of the following academic year.

The challenge is made up of four key elements:

• The design, build and test of a device to compete with other teams
• Production of a poster to publicise the team’s work - demonstrating the team’s ability to sell their design solution
• A short presentation explaining the design and development of the device - demonstrating the team’s verbal ability
• A peer review where all students have the chance to vote for the best engineered solution to the problem

This year the students were tasked with building a line launcher, based on those used for RAS systems on naval vessels.  Despite the first year teams only having £30 to spend on their design, the quality and level of construction of the devices were way beyond expectations and the competition was extremely close; coming down to a matter of a few points between the teams on the final scores.

Between the presentations and heats Helen chatted to Tim Baker, Chair of the Design Challenge completion.  Founder of the Design Challenge and chair of the northeast regional competition David Ball.  Bridget Ogwezi Senior Academic Development Manager at ANSYS UK and Ioanna Pierou, Mechanical Design Placement Student, from Red Bull Powertrains Limited and previous competator in the challenge.

Useful Links:

How to enter the Design Challenge

Winners of the 2022 Design Challenge

online courses & software provided by the competition sponsors

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

 

With the recent acceleration of technologies such as IoT, cloud computing, and big data – people and services have become more connected than ever. In response to this increasing availability of data and digital services the transport sector is undergoing a sizable transformation as a result of the growing need for more sustainable and accessible travel solutions.

This has stimulated a considerable amount of research aimed at improving the connectivity of transport infrastructure and services, developing new business models that package different modes and services together into one mobile application or online platform to make the planning and payment of trips easier for people and businesses.

Such innovation has been termed ‘Mobility as a Service’ (MaaS), and was outlined in the UK Government’s report Future of mobility: urban strategy, 2019 which aimed to help urban areas harness the benefits and opportunities of new transport innovation.

MaaS platforms integrate and analyse data from transport systems, such as rail, buses, taxis and even cycle hire, to offer the user a choice in journey planning.

 

The concept of MaaS is to make journeys more convenient through streamlining planning and payment and allowing people to tailor journeys to their specific needs.

 

In its drive to meet decarbonisation and net zero ambitions the UK Government produced a Code of Practice for Mobility as a Service (MaaS) in 2023. This comprehensive framework focuses on convenience, accessibility and innovation to ensure that modern mobility apps meet the needs of the public. Indeed, the main objective is to make transport options accessible to all, paving the way for an interconnected, user-centric transport ecosystem.

But how effective would such a system be in the UK? what impact would MaaS have globally particularly in remote locations and low income economies? And is the transport industry really ready to integrate this level of digital interconnectivity into its services?

 

To answer these an other questions about MaaS I spoke with Dr Kate Pangbourne, associate Professor of transport governance at the Institute for Transport Studies at Leeds University and Sharon Kindleysides, Transport engineer and board member of the European Logistics Association to get their views on what implications it might have for the UK transport sector, the impact it could have on society in terms of accessibility and cost, and what challenges it might face in the UK and beyond.

         

Dr Kate Pangbourne                                  Sharon Kindleysides

 

Useful Links

Forsight report on MaaS

European MaaS Alliance

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

With just five months to the official end of our 175th anniversary it seemed appropriate to take some time to speak with, not just one president, but three!

 

While the role of President is considered an honorary position as titular head of the Institution, it is the highest accolade any member can achieve. Each of the Institution's Past-Presidents has not only spent many years actively volunteering within the Institution on regional and divisional boards, Council and Trustee Board, but has also made a significant contribution to their specific field of engineering.

IMechE 137th President Phil Peel

 

Our most prominent past president is of course George Stephenson, father of the railways, but we have had 136 Presidents since George, working in areas such as steam turbine and jet engine design, tribology and materials applications, hydraulic systems and power generation to mention just a few.

Peter Flinn,  136th President, 2021/22

 

Although they are only in office for one year they are kept extremely busy, not only ensuring the Institution is run effectively through the executive team and that strategic and financial objectives are achieved through our various boards, but they also represent us beyond Birdcage Walk; working closely with Presidents from other PEIs to raise the profile of engineering as well as engaging with politicians and industry leaders to address societal challenges.

Giles Hartill, President-Elect will be our 138th President

 

You would think then that the chances of getting three of them in a room together were rather low, but we know how to pull strings here at Impulse to Innovation. In today’s episode Helen talks to Presidents past, present and future about how they see the role of IMechE President, why having a strategic plan for the future is so vitally important, our relevance to society in a digital world, if we can ever have any impact on Government policy and why the Institution sees equality, diversity and inclusion as the responsibility of all its members.

 

Useful Links:

Watch President Phil Peel's Inaugural Speech

Read President Phil Peel's Inaugural Speech 

Meet The Institution's Trustee Board

Past Presidents of the Institution - Biographies 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

Our iconic Birdcage Walk building is 122 years old, and like many old structures it is in need of extensive refurbishment and modernisation for the Institution to continue to be able to use it and to make it fit for the next 122 years.

In this episode Helen discusses what lies ahead for our London-based home, and why it is so important to our 120,000 members.

One Birdcage Walk was opened in May 1899 as the Institution’s new HQ. In 1909, the Institution bought Storey’s Gate Tavern, which along with an earlier purchase of 5 Princes Street meant IMechE HQ could expand eastwards. In 1958, IMechE bought 3 Birdcage Walk and the two buildings were formally joined in 1960. In recent years 3 Birdcage Walk has been used as offices for staff and tenants while Birdcage 1 has been a home for the membership; with meeting rooms, our beautiful library and lecture theatre.

Doing nothing to the building is not an option as the work has now become urgent and it has been estimated that to bring the building up to the standards expected of an international headquarters it will cost around £16m to complete.

The Real Estate Strategy Group (RESG), set up to identify possible way’s forward, is headed by Trustee Helena Rivers whose expertise is in the heritage building sector. The group has looked at a number of options for the building and taken advise from a range of experts in the subject.

RESG’s strong recommendation is to sell a 250-year lease of 3 Birdcage Walk to provide funds to refurbish 1 Birdcage Walk, and hopefully also generate a cash surplus. This proposal has the full backing of the Trustee Board, Finance Board, Audit & Risk Committee and Strategy Committee.

In Quarter 3 of 2020 the RESG undertook a limited consultation involving Council, Young Members Board, Past Presidents and Trustee Board. Overall, there was similar feedback from each group. The survey found 73% in favour of retaining 1 Birdcage Walk and 27% against. Asked if HQ should be relocated, 54% favoured a headquarters in London versus 46% supporting regional hubs. These results showed strong support for keeping our HQ at Birdcage Walk, but how does the rest of the membership feel about this?

The consultation has now been widened to gain as much input from members as possible on this historic decision.

 

Helen spoke with Alice Bunn, IMechE CEO, Helena Rivers, RESG Chair, Terry Spall Past President and David Nowell, Trustee, to find out more about the proposed ideas and what a refurbishment of the building would offer to members in the UK and overseas.

 

Useful Links:

https://www.imeche.org/bcw

Proposal & FAQs https://www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/1-oscar/proposal_overview_faq_2021_01_11.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Webinar Slides https://www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/1-oscar/webinar-resg-final.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Concept Designs for BCW https://www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/1-oscar/About-us/indicative-concept-designs.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Feedback and questions can be sent to birdcagewalk@imeche.org

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode . If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

One of the many ways members benefit from being part of the IMechE is through its events and webinar programme.

Conferences, lectures and webinars (often generated by the divisions and groups) help to deepen members’ understanding of the latest engineering trends, technical reports and thought leadership as well as providing excellent ways to network and build business relationships.

As we draw to the end of 2024, Helen caught up with Head of Programmes, Frances Shaw to chat about the year’s events, what impact they have had on members, and whats in store for 2025.

 

Useful Links:

IMechE Events Page

Volunteer Events Programme

Sponsorship Opportunities

Learning & Development Courses

 

That’s all for 2024.

In fact that’s all from the Impulse to Innovation podcast as we will not be returning in the new year.

It has been a pleasure over the last 5 years to share the exciting developments and innovations across the world of engineering. We have reached over 109 countries, produced 51 episodes and gained over 1000 followers. I hope you have enjoyed the journey with us and perhaps the show will return again in another format in the future.

So on behalf of myself, Syed Ansar our wonderful AV engineer and the whole Podcast Team at ImechE HQ, I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year wherever you are in the world.

Helen Meese, Podcast Host

 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

 

While the IMechE is recognised as a charitable organisation, you may not be aware that it does own a number of businesses. These 'wholly owned subsidiaries' have been acquired by the institution over many years and specialise in learning and development; providing training and expert knowledge to engineers all over the world. 

One of these businesses is IMechE Argyll Ruane, a world-renowned Non-destructive Testing, Corrosion and Coatings Training and Consultancy, based in the heart of Yorkshire’s steel industry. Sheffield.

Non-destructive testing is an invaluable tool which enables engineers to look inside materials to find out if there are defects not visible to the naked eye.

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) acquired the Argyll Ruane in 2012. But the company itself has been serving the engineering community since 1985.  During its 30 odd years, Argyll Ruane has certified thousands of engineers in different aspects of NDT, corrosion and coating examinations and testing, and issued over 15,000 qualification certificates.

The IMechE Argyll Ruane (IAR) Engineering Training Centre opened in August 2015 at the Sheffield Business Park, were some of the world’s leading engineering organisations are also based.

The training team, lead by general manager Chris Kirby, are a highly skilled group of engineers with over 150 years of experience between them, but they are also extremely proud to be passing that knowledge on to the next generation, and have several apprentices working in the team who hope to carry on Argyll Ruane’s impressive tradition.

Christian Beever Training engineers at IAR 

 

In this months episode, Helen speaks to two of IAR’s training team, to find out more about the role they play in providing this invaluable service to the engineering community and what is involved in the training itself.

Christian Beever joined IAR as an NDT Apprentice and completed a 3-year NDT Engineering Technician Apprenticeship in August 2021. He is now fully qualified to teach students in PCN Level 2.

Mick Mullins is a Level 3 Consultant at IAR and has over 40 years’ experience in NDT. His role involves supporting clients to ensure their NDT departments are compliant with industry standards.

Mick Mullins teaching Magnetic Particle Testing

 

Useful Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nondestructive_testing

https://argyllruane.imeche.org/

https://www.imeche.org/about-us/our-wholly-owned-subsidiaries

https://www.imeche.org/careers-education/careers-information/apprentices 

https://www.skillstraininguk.com/

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/explore-your-education-and-training-choices?utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=gtj_launch

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

The UK’s first-ever Hydrogen Strategy was released in 2021 and was revised last year, as part of the Government’s commitment to a green industrial revolution.  The strategy lays the foundation for how Government will work with industry to meet its ambition for 10GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 – the equivalent of replacing natural gas in powering around 3 million UK homes each year, as well as powering transport and businesses, particularly heavy industry. This has the potential of delivering emissions savings equivalent to the carbon captured by 700 million trees.

A UK-wide hydrogen economy could be worth £900 million and create over 9,000 jobs by 2030, with the potential to increase to 100,000 jobs and £13 billion by 2050.

In the coming years hydrogen could play an important role in decarbonising polluting, energy-intensive industries like chemicals, oil refineries, power and heavy transport like shipping, HGV lorries and trains, helping these sectors move away from traditional fossil fuels.

With Government analysis suggesting that 20-35% of the UK’s energy consumption by 2050 could be hydrogen-based, this new energy source could be critical to meet the UK's target of net zero and could help to cut emissions by 78% by 2035.

But is this just a flight of fantasy by the UK Government or a real opportunity for the UK to lead the way in hydrogen technology and production?

To find out more about hydrogen as a fuel source, its application in the aviation industry and what a hydrogen economy looks like, Helen spoke with engineers Tim Podesta & Stephen Phillips.

 

Tim is a consultant engineer with over 30 years’ experience in the oil, gas, petrochemical and energy industries, focusing on project management, investment analysis and process improvement. Tim’s focus is on the net zero agenda and the potential for a hydrogen economy alongside clean electricity. He is actively involved in the IMechE’s Hydrogen forum which has been set up to look at the long-term implications of hydrogen as an alternative fuel. Tim is a fellow of the Imeche and a committee member of the Institution’s Management Group

Stephen is a sustainable aerostructures lead engineer with Spirit AeroSystems and has been actively involved in working with the Aerospace technology Institute on their FlyZero project to realise zero-carbon emission commercial aviation by 2030. He is a chartered mechanical engineer has recently become the chair of the aerospace division at the IMechE.

 

Useful Links

If you would like to speak to a member of the Hydrogen Technical Committee or get involved with its work please contact IMechE Enquiries at enquiries@imeche.org

Engineering Challenges in the Hydrogen Economy 2023...Roundtable interview with six of our conference speakers

UK Hydrogen Strategy

Aerospace Technology Institute FlyZero Project

PE Magazine report on Sustainability

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

The idea of 'a machine that thinks' dates back to ancient Greece times, but since the advent of electronic computing and the overwhelming amount of data generated by the human race in the last 50 years, the realisation of intelligent machines that can think like humans has been almost tangible.

In 1950 Alan Turing published his seminal work Computing Machinery and Intelligence. In the paper, Turing proposed to answer the question "Can machines think?" and introduced the Turing Test to determine if a computer could demonstrate the same intelligence as a human.

In 1956 John McCarthy coined the term 'artificial intelligence' at the first-ever AI conference at Dartmouth College saying Artificial intelligence, " …is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs. It is related to the similar task of using computers to understand human intelligence, but AI does not have to confine itself to methods that are biologically observable."

Today, there is a great deal of hype surrounding AI systems and intelligent machine development, which is of course to be expected of any new emerging technology. But what exactly is AI and what does it mean for the world of mechanical engineering?

In this I2I podcast special, Helen speaks with Neil Lawrence and Alan King about what AI and machine learning is all about, what their uses will be, and how engineers will benefit from using these systems in their working environments.

 

Professor Neil Lawrence is the inaugural DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge, Senior AI Fellow at The Alan Turing Institute, and Visiting Professor of Machine Learning, University of Sheffield.

He received his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southampton in 1994 and spent his early career as a field engineer on oil rigs in the North Sea. He has been working on machine learning models for over 20 years and recently returned to academia after three years as Director of Machine Learning at Amazon where he worked on deploying machine learning solutions for Prime Air, Alexa and the Amazon supply chain.

 

Alan King is Head of Global Membership Strategy at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He joined IMechE as a Business Development Executive in 2004 with a background in both engineering and business. His father, both an engineer and joint owner of an engineering firm, introduced Alan to engineering at an early age and he then combined his fascination for the subject with an interest in business at university, studying for a Master's in International Business.

As the Head of Global Membership Strategy, Alan supports the development of IMechE's comprehensive 5-year strategy. Collaborating with organisations worldwide, his team delivers exceptional support to IMechE members while crafting engaging membership marketing content for pivotal campaigns throughout the year.

Alan is now focusing his attention on how Artificial Intelligence could enhance both member services and support staff in their everyday tasks within the IMechE. He also recently wrote a fascinating article for Institution News on the practical applications of AI and Machine Learning in the engineering sector.

 

Useful Links:

Challenges in Deploying Machine Learning - Case Studies

How AI is Already Changing Engineering and the Role of the Engineer

Understanding Artificial Intelligence

PE Magazine report on Sustainability

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

Sunday – 23rd June – marks the 11th annual International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), and as always we are celebrating the amazing contribution women engineers make, not just to the profession as a whole, but to society.

The 23rd June is significant as it marks the founding day in 1919 that a group of seven women from the National Council of Women met and signed a Memorandum of Agreement which created the Women’s Engineering Society WES.

The Original Pioneers - the gathering that became WES

 

WES’s early members were campaigners, hands on engineers, inventors, designers, electricians, pilots, managers and administrators. Many of its leaders and committee members were from the better-off industrial middle or upper classes, but the organisation’s work covered women working on the shop floor, making their way into management, those accessing formal education and even the female end users of engineering innovations such as the introduction of electricity into the home.

 

Since its inception, WES has become internationally recognised and continues to drive change in the industry; ensuring women have the opportunities to work and be educated in technical fields, and by campaigning for equal rights and equal pay in a sector which remains heavily male dominated. 

 

2024 Winners of the Top 50 Women in Engineering Award - Seven of whom are IMechE members

 

My guests are Dawn Bonfield MBE president of the Commonwelth Engineer’ Council and past president and former chief executive of the Women's Engineering Society. Dawn was the founder of National Women in Engineering Day in 2014 and in 2015 established the inaugural 50 Women in Engineering List.   A materials engineer by profession, working in the aerospace sector she now runs her own consultancy, Towards Vision, working on projects to improve inclusion in engineering

She was given an MBE in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours list for 'Services to the promotion of diversity in engineering'.

And Holley Reece-Barkell, is a fellow of the ImechE. She is Strategy & Growth Director for Frazer-Nash Consultancy and newly elected chair of the IMechE’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Holley has over 18 years experience in the consultancy sector and is responsible for developing the over-arching ‘’one Frazer-Nash strategy to drive growth across the business.

Holley brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her appointment as D&I chair from her role as part of the team leading diversity and inclusion in the company, and is keen to ensure its employees feel empowered to achieve their personal and professional goals regardless of their circumstances, identity or background.

 

Useful Links:

International Women in Engineering Day 2024

Women's Engineering Society Website

IMechE members recognised as 2024 Top 50 Women Engineers

IMechE appoint Holley Reece-Barkell as EDI Chair

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, engineers devoted their efforts almost entirely to making devices that functioned reliably and profitably, but with little attention to safety. Yet frequent disasters, mainly as a result of the growing use of high-pressure steam, led engineers to question increasing numbers of deaths and to assess problems with the technologies they were developing.  Indeed, when Richard Trevithick began experiments with high-pressure steam engines to increase both efficiency and power, James Watt (and his partner Matthew Boulton) petitioned Parliament to pass an act outlawing the use of such engines as a public danger.

The protection of people from harm has increasingly been a focus of many fields of engineering since the nineteenth century. Over time, engineers began to propose design changes and build-in innovations to reduce risk, and thus the industry of safety engineering was born.

Safety engineering deals with accident prevention, reducing the risks associated with human error, and integrating safety benefits in engineered designs. The purpose of safety engineering is to control risk by reducing or completely eliminating it. It also aims to reduce the rate of failures and if failures do occur, that they are not life threatening. This work has led to the development of safety codes and standards governing technology design, including the use of natural gas and electricity, the building and use of steam boilers, and the storage and use of explosives.

Engineering societies and institutions like the IMechE, whose original charters stressed the promotion and facilitation of the profession's work, where, by the mid-twentieth century, beginning to impose safety as a primary moral duty of the engineer.

Today there are many engineers whose work is devoted entirely to the protection of the public and workers from the hazards of technology and natural phenomena such as Fire protection engineering and automobile safety.

Today these engineers often make use of computer models, prototypes, or recreations of situations to assess potential hazards and risks such as crash testing, and consider not only the situation or use of the product but the design processes applied, material reliability, legislation, and human factors.

The intertwining of engineering and safety will undoubtedly intensify in the future in response to constantly rising public expectations and the ubiquitous use of technology in our lives. So how do we make those risks as low as reasonably practicable?

In this months episode Helen discusses why safety and risk play such a key role in engineers’ decision making processes, the need for safety legislation and its impact, and how engineers mitigate risks using ALARP with guest chartered engineer Keith Miller, Technical Safety Consultant and one of the lead authors of the IMechE’s ALARP for Engineers Guide, published in 2021.

 

 

 

Useful Links:

ALARP for Engineers - A Technical Guide

IMechE Webinar on ALARP

 

"Engineers work in many disciplines but all of them have the ability to affect societal wellbeing to a very significant extent. The privilege of having the skills and knowledge to contribute so much to such important areas of life clearly brings with it the need for wise ethical judgement when exercising that privilege."

Royal Academy of Engineering 2011

With power comes great responsibility, and as engineering professionals we exercise significant power over the decisions we make on behalf of society every day. Just like doctors, Engineers are faced with ethical dilemmas where they can find themselves making life or death decisions.

Engineering ethics is a growing field of study that looks at the moral decision-making that applies to the practice of engineering. The field examines and sets the obligations by engineers to society, to their clients, and to the profession as a whole.

Engineering professionals work to enhance the wellbeing of everyone, and in doing so, they are required to maintain and promote high ethical standards and challenge unethical behaviours.

There are four fundamental principles for ethical behaviour and decision-making outlined by the Royal Academy of Engineering & the Engineering Council which include.

• Honesty and integrity
• Respect for life, law, the environment and public good
• Accuracy and rigour
• Leadership and communication

 

As a professional body, The IMechE expects its members to maintain high standards of ethical conduct which requires us to ‘Protect members of the public’, ‘Protect IMechE members’ and ‘Uphold the reputation of the Institution and the wider engineering profession’.

To achieve this we have a ‘Code of Conduct’ which outlines these requirements and to which members are expected to abide by.

In the second segment of this episode, Helen talks with fellow of the IMechE, past Trustee and Council member Matt Garside to get a personal view of the importance of ethics in engineering, why engineers should use their privilege wisely and how engineers will safeguard society in the future.

 

Useful Links:

RAE Ethics in Practice

RAE Webinar on Ethics in Engineering

Engineering Council Statement of Ethical Principles

 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

The implementation of net zero initiatives across the globe is at the forefront of most governments and leadership authorities' strategic policies, none-more-so than China and India; two of the world’s biggest carbon emitters.

 

South Asia has witnessed a growth in energy demand over the past two decades, increasing by over 50% since 2000. Rising demand has been driven by factors such as an increasing population and growth in the manufacturing sector. In Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka in particular, electricity demand has grown on average by more than 5% annually over the past two decades and is expected to more than double by 2050.

However, approximately two-thirds of the energy use in South Asia is imported and the region is marred with electricity shortages, erratic electricity supply, underinvestment in renewables, and energy access challenges.

Growing populations, burgeoning energy demand, frequent extreme climate events like the recent record-breaking heatwaves in India and Pakistan, and geopolitical shocks like the Ukraine war are all likely to exacerbate these difficulties.

 

 

According to the International Energy Agency, rapid GDP growth and electrification of energy services caused China’s electricity demand to grow by 10% in 2021 to a massive 157.65 exajoules. That is faster than its economic growth at 8.4%.

Yet despite the implementation of net zero policies, such as its plan to be net zero by 2060, China is still responsible for around a 1/3 of global carbon dioxide emissions, remaining heavily reliant on coal as an energy source and for manufacturing.

The Middle East too is powered almost exclusively on gas and oil, 77% of power came from gas in 2021, and 18% from oil, and despite its perpetual sunshine it stands out as one of the only regions in the world where solar and wind have yet to establish themselves. Saudi Arabia has published big plans for renewables, but there has been limited demonstrable progress towards those so far. Jordan is the exception, generating 23% of its electricity from wind and solar in 2021.

According to the African Development Bank Group, Africa has an almost unlimited potential of solar capacity (10 TW), abundant hydro (350 GW), wind (110 GW), and geothermal energy sources (15 GW). Yet the investment gap in African renewables is still overwhelming, and fossil fuel companies continue to invest heavily in new fossil fuel exploitation in 48 out of 55 African countries.

With the likes of Sichuan hit by record-breaking high temperatures, unseen in 60 years and water in the region’s rivers dropping to historical lows, what can the engineering community do to effect change across these vast tracts of land?

Helen spoke with three of the Institution’s leading international engineers working in the energy sector, to get their take on energy use and impact in India, China, Africa and the Middle East.

Vijay Raman is a management consultant with over 50 years experience in logistics, transport infrastructure and energy. He has worked predominantly in India and South Asia but his career has taken him all over the world. He is a fellow of the institution, past trustee and international vice president.

Chris Cheung Chief Operating Officer of energy company CLP Holdings Limited in Hong Kong. Chris is responsible for a portfolio of diversified assets including coal, hydro, solar and wind generation in China. 

He has over 30 years of experience in the power industry covering maintenance, plant enhancement, technical services and project engineering. Chris is a fellow of the institution and has held international strategy board positions including Hong Kong Branch chair and North East Asia regional chair.

Hassan Ansari is an accomplished business executive with over 37-years experience; delivering engineering projects in Nigeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia China and Europe.

He is a fellow on the institution, an active member of the Pakistan regional board and Immediate past Chair of the Middle East and Africa region.

 

Useful Links

China's Renewable Energy

Energy Requirements in India

Africa's Energy needs

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

This month’s episode is brought to you by the IMechE’s Young Members Board. The YMB represents the interests of over 69,000 young members from a broad range of industries and specialisms. The YMB works to ensure that the young member’s voice is heard and considered in all areas of the institution.

Your host is Ying Wan Loh, an IMechE chartered engineer and IET Young Engineer of the Year 2019. She is the professional development standards committee rep on the young members board.

In this month’s episode Ying explores three topics:

• Challenges facing new workers
• Furloughed and unemployed - tips to getting a job
• The unsure worker - the importance of reskilling and training

With focus on engineering careers in the context of Covid-19.  She explores challenges and opportunities for young graduates and new workers, how to mitigate the impact of furlough and unemployment and provides some tips for those who are currently employed but thinking of other opportunities ahead.

Ying’s guests include:

Amar Gohil – Graduate Engineer WMG University of Warwick

Alan Carroll – Director Stratus Recruitment Ltd

Matthew Laskaj – Director Project Engineering Management Ltd & IMechE Scottish Region Chair

 

Challenges Facing New Workers

Ying discusses the challenges and opportunities faced by fresh graduates and new workers. The panel discusses how COVID-19 will change recruiting practices, how to ace online/phone interviews and how you should prepare for them, advice for fresh graduates looking for their first job, and those considering a PhD or further education.

 

Furloughed and Unemployed - Tips on getting a job

Ying explores how those at home on furlough might be feeling unsure or even nervous about their continued employment. The panel discusses whether gaps in your CV can put you at a disadvantage, advice on how engineers can structure their day to maximize their chances to get back into work and which engineering sectors may see major growth post-COVID.

 

The Unsure Worker - The importance of reskilling

With uncertainties in the job market, many are re-thinking their career options. Ying discusses working from home, professional development, online training and diversity and inclusion in the workplace, how people can continue to develop themselves professionally, how recruiters are ensuring a fair recruitment process in the light of the pandemic. The panel also discusses the benefits of professional accreditation, online Masters and Doctorates and the opportunities of developing entrepreneurial skills.

 

The IMechE offers a number of careers advice routes for those looking for job opportunities and CV development.  For members and their families, the Institution also has a Support Network. Useful links below:

 

Membership Surgeries are being held weekly across the Regions. They are free events online allowing you 1-2-1 time with an IMechE Business Development expert.

Visit the IMechE Near You page for your region https://www.imeche.org/get-involved/near-you 

 

The EngRec Live 2020, is a virtual careers and learning event for graduate and young engineers taking place 30th October. It is the UK’s first multi-sector virtual careers fair for the early careers in the engineering industry.

https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/join-engrec-live-2020-the-first-virtual-virtual-careers-fair-for-young-engineers

sign up at https://think.online-event.co/registration/think-engrec-live-2

 

If you have been impacted by the COVID crisis or any of the issues discussed in this episode, please reach out to the IMechE Support Network. They offer personal and practical support for members and their families. They can help with everything from employment coaching and CV writing, resources for dyslexia and autism, to debt advice, financial aid and counselling. If you wish to know more, please call on 020 7304 6816 or email supportnetwork@imeche.org

https://www.imeche.org/support-network/

What if we could generate the power of our sun here on earth? Sounds like science fiction, but actually the application of complex maths and physics principles in understanding how we might generate fusion energy like that powering our sun, have been well understood since the 1950s and was made a reality in the 1990s, right here in the UK.

 

The heart of the Oxfordshire countryside resides tokamak energy. Founded in 2009 as a spin-off, the company has long and distinguished roots in the UK Atomic energy authority’s early fusion research at Culham.

Today they are leading the way in developing a truly commercial fusion energy supply, which has the potential of radically changing how we not only generate energy, but how we use it in the future.

The tokamak team is over 160 strong, and is both a global and multidisciplinary community of scientists, engineers, technologists and commercial experts. The IMechE recognised the value of the work Tokamak energy were undertaking in 2015 when it became one of the first organisations to be supported by the Institution’s Stephenson Fund.

 

In this month’s episode Helen spoke to Tokamak Energy’s CEO Chris Kelsall and Senior HTS Magnet Development Engineer Greg Brittles about why fusion is considered such a viable energy source, the impact it might have on the green energy agenda and about some of the innovative breakthroughs being made as a result of the tokamak’s development.

 

Useful Links:

Tokamak Energy

IMechE Video on Fusion Development at Tokamak Energy 

Understanding the basics of Fusion Energy  

PE Magazine report on Sustainability

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

In 2023 EngineeringUK commissioned a report focusing on the demand for engineers and the skills they would need in the coming decade.  The report identified there were approximately 6.1 million engineering jobs (including tech roles) across all industries in 2021, representing around 19% of all jobs in the UK, 43% of those jobs were in ICT or software-related areas. At the same time the report found that between 2022 and 2023, recruitment activity for engineering roles accounted for a quarter (25%) of all job postings in the UK, suggesting that the skills shortage in engineering is greater than in any other area.

With the engineering industry becoming increasingly competitive, it is not surprising that many companies in the sector are fighting to find and hold onto the right people. The issue of talent retention is growing in importance, with many businesses looking at how they can invest in their employees for the long term.

I invited a number of engineers, recruiters and HR experts from across industry and business to share their thoughts on the challenges facing the engineering sector in maintaining its workforce.

 

Lauren Henwood - Business Manager - Head of Technology & Engineering Europe for Vantage Consulting

 

Laura Marston – Recruitment Specialist, Author and Trustee of Young Tongues cancer charity

 

Rob Armstrong - Vice President Mechanical Engineering at Leonardo

 

Bims Alalade – IMechE HR Director

 

 

Useful Links

EngineeringUK 2023 Report: Engineering skills needs – now and into the future

IMechE D & I Strategy

6 Ways to attract & retain talent in engineering

ASME - Training helps retain top talent - Article

 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

In this months episode, we focus on the brewing and distilling industry, which is part of the hygienic process industries sector, which also covers industries such as food, pharma and biotech.

 

Brewing and distillation have been part of our way of life for over a millennia; with the earliest records of both processes being found in Mesopotamia.

Useful Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brewing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distillation

http://se.asee.org/proceedings/ASEE2013/Papers2013/175.PDF

 

While the methods of both distilling and brewing have largely remained unchanged over time, refinements to the processes by which the raw ingredients are handled and combined, has resulted in a multitude of flavours and colours of both alcoholic and now non-alcoholic drinks.  Despite the unprecedented impact on the global hospitality sector as a result of the COVID pandemic,  appetite for beer and spirits remains strong.

 

Today's brewing and distilling manufacturers rely on a raft of complex technologies covering raw materials handling, production, and waste handling. In each of these, accurate control of product flow is essential to ensure the final product quality is consistently high.  This requires multidisciplinary teams covering chemistry, biology and even agriculture to ensure products reach the market in a consistent and safe way for the consumer.  But where does the engineer come into this?

 

Well, process optimisation and increased efficiency have been a priority for many brewing and distilling companies over recent decades, and Process engineers have been central to those improvements, developing technologies such as on-line process control, in-place cleaning and energy recovery from steam or fermentation, as well as gaining a greater understanding of fluid flow.

 

Even before a brewery or distillery is built, the engineers are working to understand the requirements such as grain capacity, the size and number of cookers and fermenters and type of still in the case of distilling, as well as Basic Piping Design and sizing.  And most important of all, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers determine the power requirements for conveyors to move the grain; mills for grinding; agitators for cookers, fermenters, and beer tubs. As well as the countless pumps and motors that move the fluids throughout the facility.

 

It’s safe to say that we wouldn’t be able to imbibe our favourite tipple today without the input of the process engineer.

 

Helen's guests this month are George Crombie, Engineering Director for Briggs of Burton. He is responsible for all engineering and automation activities at Briggs and has worked on a number of high-profile global projects across brewing, distilling, spirit storage & packaging, foods and pharmaceuticals. George is a fellow of the IMechE and a Member of Institute of Brewing & Distilling.

 

Marina Ferreira is a chemical engineer. She is a technical specialist and laboratory manager in the Food & Beverage division at Pall Corporation. Marina is passionate about craft brewing and is a home brewer herself. In her work she develops methods for filtering brewing products to enable her customers to create new and improved products. Marina shares her thoughts on health & safety and innovation across the industry.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-santos-ferreira-3845a997/

 

 

We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode or about your experiences, interest or work in the food & beverage industry. If you would like to get in touch email us at podcast@imeche.org

You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org