Design Challenge at NUST-PNEC and NED University 2019

This year IMechE Student Chapters at NUST PNEC and NED University introduced freshmen students to IMechE's Design Challenge: External pipe-climbing device. Mr. Muhammad Danish Siddiqui, Mr. Haider Ali, student at BE Mechanical – NUST PNEC, and NED University, Karachi report.

The Design Challenge is designed to simulate the requirements of a professional engineer so that students are exposed to real-world engineering.

Design Challenge at NUST PNEC

Senior members of NUST PNEC, integrated the Design Challenge was into the Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics course, with the approval of Dean Engineering Sciences (ES) Department. This ensured that all first-year students be a part of this competition and gain this invaluable exposure to real-world engineering that would aid them throughout their professional careers. All concerned students were informed of this competition one month prior to it. The team conducted a couple of sessions briefing the participating students about the purpose, rules and regulations, and details of the tournament. The competition was held on 3 May 2019 at NUST-PNEC; eight teams of five members each participated. The competition was chaired by Ms. Duaa Akhtar, Student Chair and Mr. Shaikh Adeem Ahmad Student Vice Chair, and faculty members of Engineering Sciences (ES) Department NUST-PNEC. The teams came up with fascinating ideas and sophisticated designs.

Winning team members: Mr. Anees Ahmed, Mr. Farzan Ahmed, Mr. Ali Raza, Mr. Asfar Younis and Mr. Muhammad Abbas.

Runner-up team members: Mr. Umar Sultan, Mr. Muhammad Umair, Mr. Haris Munir, Mr. Hammad Tariq and Mr. Osama Badar.

Design Challenge at NED University

Following NUST-PNEC Student Chapter, IMechE's Student Chapter in NED University organised the Design Challenge for freshmen on 25 June. The event started with an analysis of the knowledge of the teams through a viva conducted by the heads of the technical team: Mr. Ahmed Baig and Mr. Saim Ali.


^{Device made by team at NED climbing the rod}

After the completion of the vivas, the teams were called to the arena, where the heats were conducted. To manage time, the arena was designed such that three heats could be conducted and timed in parallel.More than 100 students of the mechanical department stood around the arena in awe, as the devices climbed the rods smoothly. The event gained a lot of appreciation from the participating teams, the spectators as well as from the Faculty of Mechanical Department. The results of the heats along with the viva clearly showed team Gear Hawks as the winner of the competition. The event concluded with a few words of appreciation for the event heads, Mr. Ahmed Baig and Mr. Muhammad, by the faculty advisor of IMechE NED Chapter, Dr. Tariq Jamil.  These teams will now be competing against teams from other universities in the national round of Design Challenge later this year.

IMechE has been conducting the Design Challenge for years. What is remarkable is that with time, the number of people participating has been increasing significantly. The reason behind this is that such events broaden one's technical knowledge and hands-on skills. One of the many reasons for this event’s success is the interest of students which develops only when they are allowed to use their own perspective and knowledge to create something of their own.