Four students from the local grammar school have recently been given the chance to gain engineering experience and a unique insight into the challenging world of bulk materials handling, the transport of materials ranging from grain and pharmaceuticals to wood chips, sand and cement. Guttridge Ltd and Boston Grammar School have been collaborating to offer students the opportunity to take part in the Engineering Education Scheme (EES) – an Engineering Development Trust (EDT) programme which links engineering companies with students from local schools. The scheme enables students to work on live projects relevant to the company, developing skills for future education and employment.
As part of the EES project, the company briefed the students to design and construct a novel device to measure wall friction angle, a parameter used to quantify the ease with which material flows across a specific metallic or coated surface. As one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of bulk materials handling equipment, Guttridge produce bespoke solutions for a variety of applications. Measuring wall friction angles (WFAs) helps engineers to choose the best material of construction for each job and to develop a design specification that will work effectively, even for materials that they aren’t familiar with.
The students’ efforts focused on substances with a particle size greater than 2mm such as grain and bird seed and their interaction with the mild, stainless and galvanised steel typically used for bulk handling machinery. Using facilities at Loughborough University to run tests with calibrated weights and scales, and with the help of a mentoring engineer, the students were able to produce useful and relevant information as well as enjoying a was a very worthwhile experience .
Simon Hooper, Engineering Manager, said, “The Engineering Education Scheme is a brilliant programme that gives students the opportunity to gain work experience and a valuable insight into the engineering industry. It also highlights the need for young engineers in a number of industries, an issue that the Engineering Development Trust is helping to resolve. The programme enthuses participants and, gives them a glimpse into a world that very few think about, helping to broaden pupil’s horizons when it comes to thinking about a future career that uses their Maths and Sciences.”