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Niftylift crowned winners of the Apprentice Automation Challenge 2024

Institution News Team

The team of apprentice engineers secured their win following impressive presentations and product demonstration at the Challenge’s ten year anniversary finals


Eleven teams of apprentices took part in the Apprentice Automation Challenge finals held at the held at the prestigious Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, with a wide variety of different products developed for the 2024 competition.

The finals event comprised of an evaluation of their work by a panel of volunteer judges, all senior engineers from across the manufacturing sector. These covered both formal presentations of their design and business proposals and a demonstration of their prototype device.

This included a design specification document, manufacturing process, a user-friendly manual, and a business case for the production, marketing and sale of their proposed product.

Thales Academy from Thales won the Peer Review Award, an award voted for by the other teams at the finals, while challenge newcomers Ricoh Pride from Ricoh UK Products walked away with the Judges' Highly Commended Award.

The winning team go home from the MTC with a prize of £2,000 for their effort sand will go on to exhibit their work at next year's Smart Manufacturing and Engineering Week.

The organisations who participated in this year’s Apprentice Automation Challenge and their projects are as follows:

  • Leonardo: BANG!, Standalone Medical Diagnostic Device
  • NiftyLift: Elevate Elite, Self-Measuring Ingredient Device
  • Leonardo: EcoLogic, ELIS – Recycling Sorter
  • ITP Aero UK: Hucknall Harriers S.P.A.R.C.S
  • Leonardo UK: JustUs 7, Smart Bin
  • Leonardo UK: Leaf It To Us, Plant Regulation System
  • Leonardo UK: RAPID, Hydroline Toothbrush Cleaner
  • Ricoh UK Products: Ricoh Pride, Personal Mobility Assistant (PMA)
  • Domino Printing Science: The Dominators, Automatic Tea Maker
  • THALES: Thales Academy: Automated Fire Suppression System
  • BAE Systems Submarines: Trident Tested, Automated Re-Plating Machine

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Manufacturing Industries Division’s Young Members Committee offer their thanks to The Manufacturer and The Manufacturing Technology Centre for their continued support of the Apprentice Automation Challenge.

Finally, the Institution would like to thank all teams for taking part in the Apprentice Automation Challenge 2024 for our 10th year anniversary.

We hope that you enjoyed developing your products and that you will benefit from the experiences and skills you have gained as you progress in your careers.

The Apprentice Automation Challenge will open for new registrations for the 2025 competition towards the end of the year, please bookmark the Challenge website, mark your calendars and we look forward to welcoming new and returning teams for the next year of the Challenge.

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