Engineers are busy people. There are always deadlines to be met and standards to be kept. It comes with the territory.
Engineers can also be an introverted bunch, happy to take pride in a job well done rather than hogging the limelight.
But the profession needs to celebrate its successes – firstly as a means of recognising the unique contributions that individuals and organisations have made, and secondly as a way of selling the sector to the next generation of engineers.
That’s why the IMechE awards more than 400 prizes for outstanding merit and achievement in a variety of fields and areas of expertise. These accolades include the Prestige Awards – an eminent collection of prizes that celebrate excellent engineering, in both academia and professional practices. The Prestige Awards act to champion engineers who can truly be said to have improved the world, or advanced the discipline of mechanical engineering.
According to Alec Osborn, chairman of the Trustee Board Awards Committee, the Prestige Awards are the Oscars of the profession. Nominations for the 2015 awards are required by March next year, and he is keen to see as many engineers and organisations as possible put forward for recognition.
“Engineers are a modest bunch who are happy to let their achievements speak for themselves,” he says. “But I believe that recognition of the profession is extremely important, and the IMechE has a role to play to see that it happens.” Alec knows the profession inside out, having enjoyed a lengthy career in the design and development of internal combustion engines. He oversees the judging process for the Prestige Awards, and is responsible for ensuring that all nominations are fairly and rigorously reviewed.
“We want people to nominate individuals and organisations who they feel have made unique contributions to engineering,” he says. “IMechE staff will be available to provide guidance with the nomination process to make it as simple as possible.”
Alec is particularly proud of the breadth of the Prestige Awards. They cover individuals and organisations and all grades of membership, and are not restricted to engineers working in the UK. “The awards highlight the diversity of the profession,” he says. “And they are not about being backwards-looking – they are all about the here and now. They exist to remind the world that engineers are a force for good – they improve the world.”
Alec says he gets immense pleasure from overseeing the judging process. He says: “Each year, I get to meet the most amazing engineers. And by showcasing these superb individuals, the awards play a vital role in encouraging young people to enter the profession.”
Over the next few pages, previous winners of Prestige Awards talk about what it has meant to them to be recognised for their contribution to engineering. And on the last page there is a list of the awards that will be given out in 2015.
Professor Richard Parry-Jones
2014 WINNER OF THE JAMES WATT INTERNATIONAL GOLD MEDAL
Perseverance paid off for Richard Parry-Jones. Having been interested from a young age in how vehicles worked, he wrote while still at school to all the carmakers, asking for advice on his A-level subjects and university selection. Ford was impressed by his enthusiasm, replying with advice and later selecting him to become a sponsored undergraduate. Richard didn’t let Ford down: he graduated with a first in 1969 following a ‘thin sandwich’ degree course in mechanical engineering at Salford University.
After three placements at Ford during his degree, he was ‘work-ready’ and knew where he wanted to be after his studies – the European research and development centre, which had just opened at Dunton. He worked at Ford for 38 years, in roles ranging from vehicle research, design and test to managing manufacturing plants and leading business units. He also headed the Dunton centre and its sister site in Germany.
Over his career, Richard transformed the appeal of Ford cars, making them connected, responsive and smooth, through meticulous attention to detail in developing vehicle attributes. His team developed industry-leading metrics. Of particular importance was the way the dynamic performance was measured using objective data. For instance, he devised the ‘50m test’ to help evaluators focus on understanding the nuances of many dimensions of human/vehicle interaction. He is less well known for his equally transformational work on the introduction of sophisticated statistical engineering techniques to improve the reliability and robustness of designs.
In the latter stages of his career at Ford, Richard was the company’s chief technical officer. He oversaw the team of 33,000 in Ford’s worldwide product development, design, research and vehicle technology activities.
These achievements saw Professor Richard Parry-Jones CBE BSc FREng FIMechE FRSS awarded the James Watt International Gold Medal this year for his significant contributions to vehicle development in the areas of driving dynamics and refinement, and for his technical vision and guidance to steer the UK automotive industry towards a prosperous and successful world-class future.
Richard found out that he had won the award through a letter from the President of the Institution, and with characteristic modesty he said it came as a huge surprise. “I am not usually speechless, but this time I was.” He was pleased and flattered, if slightly wary of sharing the honour of this prize with other such eminent engineers. “When I compared what I have done with some of the previous winners, I didn’t really feel that I was in the same league, but my peers had voted for me, and out of respect for them I humbly accepted.”
Since his retirement from Ford in 2008, Richard has leveraged his experience into a wider variety of roles, which include technology consulting, industrial non-executive directorships and public service. He has broadened his sector involvement to embrace transport, energy and infrastructure, and enjoys the experience. He is involved in the development of industrial policy through the Automotive Council, which he chairs jointly with business secretary Vince Cable.
“It was important to get government and industry to work in a continuous strategic partnership, rather than the pattern that had been happening – sporadic communication followed by belated, ineffectual interventions triggered by a crisis,” says Richard.
He is pleased to see a more pro-manufacturing and pro-engineering stance emerging, from both government and society in general. “The financial crash reminded people of the dangers of being over-dependent on one sector or region – we need a more balanced economy,” he says. He is also passionate about getting young people into engineering. “Graduates five years into their careers are earning on average more in engineering than they are in financial services – and they have a fulfilling and stimulating mission,” he says.
Richard is also now chairman of Network Rail, and has a unique perspective on the transport industry. “I am motivated by using technology to solve problems for customers and society,” he says. “The challenge is to do this in ways that are sustainable and affordable, and therefore represent compelling value. Once you get this right, business can enjoy long-term, sustainable growth, and investors are provided with the consistent levels of return that encourage them to reinvest.”
Parry-Jones headed up Ford’s Dunton research facility
Andy Cowell
2013 WINNER OF THE JAMES CLAYTON PRIZE
Andy Cowell’s attraction to engineering and cars started while watching and helping his dad in the garage. That led to a fascination with motor-racing, which went on to become a defining factor in his career, with Andy now being Managing Director of Mercedes AMG High-Performance Powertrains.
“My father, along with Reverend Barry Whitehead, Alan Staniforth and Ian Scott, all sprinted and hill-climbed single-seater racing cars they designed and made themselves, and they mentored me as a boy up to the time I was old enough to compete,” he says. “Alan Staniforth, in particular, inspired me. He participated in hill-climbs for four decades and, although he was not a professional engineer, he designed, built and raced his own car and wrote about the experience in his book High Speed, Low Cost. He was a great technology developer, a keen competitor and, therefore, an ideal motorsport engineer.”
After graduating from Lancaster University, Andy joined Cosworth Racing on its graduate scheme, rotating through the company’s technical departments before specialising in the design and development of Formula One engines. By 1999, he was leading the engine project group responsible for the top end of the CK engine, as raced by Stewart Ford.
After a year spent with BMW Motorsport, where he managed the engineering group responsible for the concept and detail of the 2001 engine used by Williams BMW, Andy returned to Cosworth as Principal Engineer for F1 design and development, managing the new engine projects in 2001 and 2003.
In 2004, Andy joined Mercedes-Ilmor as principal engineer for the FQ V10 engine project. He then became Chief Engineer on the V8 project before taking responsibility for the technical and programme leadership of all engine projects, including the KERS hybrid. He was Engineering and Programme Director for Mercedes-Benz high-performance engines from 2008 until 2013, when he became Managing Director of Mercedes AMG High-Performance Powertrains.
Andy summarises his engine design work as specialising in the top end of F1 engines: valve train, gear drives and cylinder head design. “I particularly enjoyed developing the valve train to run at more than 20,000rpm, and designing the cylinder head architecture on the Cosworth 1999 CK engine project,” he says. “I enjoyed the performance development journey for the 2007 V8, and the round-trip efficiency and minimising-mass aspect of KERS for 2009. The journey of the V6 and KERS, from the definition of the regulations to this season’s racing, has been satisfying.”
As for his leadership style, Andy focuses on teamwork. “Ever since 1994 when I was made a Senior Engineer at Cosworth leading a team, I’ve enjoyed getting the best out of a team. Technical development is not a solo game – it is a task of setting a target, presenting a vision of where you want to go, and including everybody from suppliers, to build, to test in that journey.” He finds it exciting to work with talented engineers: “It is rewarding to see a team of people well-motivated, joined-up, enthused and amazed when they deliver something they thought impossible.”
This remarkable career led to Andy Cowell CEng FIMechE being awarded the 2013 James Clayton Prize, for his outstanding contributions to engine design and development in the F1 world, especially V10, V8 and the new V6 with hybrid energy recovery system. He has also been recognised for his inspirational leadership at Mercedes-Benz.
The James Clayton Prize is awarded for contributions to modern engineering science, and it means a lot to Andy. “It was a complete surprise to learn that I had won, and not something I ever imagined. I was pleased to discover I had been nominated by some of the employees at Mercedes AMG High-Performance Powertrains, so it was especially gratifying to find my leadership style is appreciated. Looking at the list of previous recipients, it’s humbling to think the IMechE regards me as worthy of being added to such a prestigious list.”
He regards the Institution as being very important for engineers: “It helps open the eyes of school children to the job satisfaction that a career in engineering can offer. It provides a development plan for young graduates coming out of university to become chartered engineers. And it also provides a good structure for senior engineers by providing continual professional development.”
Andy has supported the Formula Student motorsport competition for many years and is now a sponsor of the event, regarding it as a great place for undergraduates to put their theoretical knowledge into practice while demonstrating the strengths of their personality.
Cowell is MD of Mercedes AMG High-Performance Powertrains
Dr David Ward
2013 AWARD FOR RISK EDUCATION IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
David Ward didn’t begin his career intending to become a renowned engineer in the automotive sector. After a degree in physics from the University of Cambridge, he did a PhD studying the electromagnetic effects of lightning on aircraft. It was from there that he moved to MIRA, the engineering, research and test consultancy, to research electromagnetic fields and their effects in cars. “Combining practical and theoretical experience was a sound foundation,” he says.
As the amount of software in cars increased, so David began to focus on the implications for the control systems, safety and reliability of the vehicle. These efforts began with the Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) and have continued with the development of the international standard ISO 26262, which David and his team at MIRA continue to influence. He has been instrumental in developing codes of practice for the design, development and verification of embedded software, which has implications for vehicle safety. “Common standards and a common approach lead to good practice and efficiency in the supply chain,” he says.
Starting as recommendations for automotive applications, MISRA guidelines are now being adopted by the rail, aerospace, military and medical sectors. “While the constraints may vary between sectors, they can all learn from each other,” he says.
As software in the automotive industry moves from driver assistance to driverless cars, the importance of safety increases. The standards and regulators need to have a common approach and must keep pace with the technology. The standards need to extend their scope beyond passenger vehicles to all vehicles and, ultimately, to the road transport infrastructure. “Greater connectivity with increased safety and security is the challenge,” he says.
In 2013, David, then Head of Functional Safety at MIRA, was chosen as the winner of the Prestige Award for Risk Reduction in Mechanical Engineering, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to establishing international standards for system safety in the automotive industry. The award recognises an eminent engineer who has contributed most to the understanding of risk reduction in mechanical engineering. He is proud to have received this award, he says. “Winning this accolade reiterates MIRA’s leading position in functional safety. To be recognised for my work on these influential activities, and to be part of an innovative global team, is something I’m really proud of.”
David is a keen supporter of the IMechE. “It is an important resource, and has a key role in making the voice of engineering heard,” he says. He is keen to help nurture the next generation of engineers, and is now a mentor for a young engineer.
George Lampeas
WINNER OF THE 2013 GEORGE STEPHENSON GOLD MEDAL
George Lampeas has done more than his fair share to ensure that budding engineers are enthused about the career that lies ahead of them. Having started work as a Research and Production Engineer at the Hellenic Aluminium Industry, he became an Associate Professor in the mechanical engineering and aeronautics department at the University of Patras in Greece, where he specialises in analysing the structural response of vehicles (aeronautic, marine and automotive) as part of the design process.
Working closely with students, he has an important role in encouraging them into the profession. “I motivate them to explore the magical world of engineering. As my topic is closely related to aeronautics and general vehicle engineering, students are attracted,” he says.
Innovative designs for transport vehicles need to be validated to demonstrate reliability and provide confidence. It is normal practice to study the mechanical response of vehicle structural elements by comparing numerical results obtained from finite element simulation models with results obtained from experiments.
As an expert in this area, George and his colleague Vasilis Pasialis produced a paper entitled ‘A hybrid framework for nonlinear dynamic simulations including full-field optical measurements and image decomposition algorithms’. The paper emphasised the need for full-field computational model validation, and detailed how applying sophisticated comparison techniques can result in increased design reliability and structures with a smaller ecological footprint.
The paper addressed a key area, says George. “Engineering simulation plays an important role in the design and analysis of all engineered products. Validation is one of the most important aspects of simulation.”
In 2013, the work of George as the lead author, and of Vasilis, was recognised when they won that year’s George Stephenson Gold Medal for the paper. George was delighted. “It is an indication that the research is of interest and importance for
the engineering community,” he says.
Looking forward, he sees engineering as the way to improve people’s lives: “For example, by focusing on production of low-cost, clean energy that is accessible to everyone, engineers can increase the competitiveness of the engineering sector and play a major role in securing people’s jobs.”
Jan-Mels Brandt
WINNER OF THE 2013 THOMAS HAWKSLEY GOLD MEDAL
From motorbikes to hip replacements is quite a leap, but that is the journey made by Dr Jan-Mels Brandt.
Jan enjoyed working with motorbikes from an early age, and did an apprenticeship as a mechanic for three years at ABB in Germany. This experience led him to the University of Essen, where he graduated with a degree (Dipl-Ing) in mechanical engineering, followed by a PhD from the Department of Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada.
He has been working in tribology for more than 15 years, and in 2013 was part of a team of researchers from the Concordia Hip and Knee Institute in Winnipeg when their paper on ceramic hip replacements won the Thomas Hawksley Gold Medal.
Metal-on-metal hip articulations have been largely withdrawn from the market owing to concern about high metal ion concentrations and implant failure, and more attention is therefore being paid to the ceramic type. For young, highly active patients, a ceramic-to-ceramic total hip replacement is a reliable option, without the pitfalls of detrimental metal ions. Improved ceramic materials exhibit low wear characteristics and, despite the common misconception, a low incidence of failure due to fracture.
Jan was the lead author on the award-winning paper entitled: ‘Clinical failure analysis of contemporary ceramic-on-ceramic total hip replacements’, the co-authors being Trevor Gascoyne, Leah Guenther, Andrew Allen, Dr David Hedden, Dr Thomas Turgeon and Dr Eric Bohm.
Jan says the paper addressed the failure analysis of ceramic-on-ceramic hip replacements, using damage assessment techniques combined with patient information, to identify influential factors that affect the wear process in vivo. “These factors range from design parameters and surgical techniques to patient characteristics, and provide both the implant designer and the surgeons with valuable information,” he says.
The team had plenty of data to work on, he says. “We had a great data set on the retrieved implants and the 815 patients who had received ceramic-on-ceramic total hip replacements over the past decade. I think we all enjoyed working on this project, as it took several years of going through clinical data, surface analysis data and implant retrieval assessment. The value of the paper first dawned on us when we submitted it to the German Orthopaedic Society and it won the annual Heinz-Mittelmeier Award in 2013.”
The tribology sector is changing; there is a shift from costly physical testing to more computational product development and in silico testing, he adds. “This reduces the overall development costs of products and the time to market. Even the most difficult test scenarios will be done by computational methods within the next decade.”
Jan has recently become the Director of Basic Tribology at the Centre of Competence for Surface Technology at Schaeffler Technologies in Germany. Here, he will turn his skills to a new industrial sector: “I will address the issue of reducing friction and wear in moving parts, with the goal being to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, as well as overall costs to societies and economies.”
Winning the award meant a lot to him and his team, he says. “I am honoured and humbled to be awarded this prestigious medal. The award also goes to the team that helped to collect the data, and the staff who are not on the author list but who still contributed to the overall goal of making hip replacement surgery more successful.”
WE NEED YOUR NOMINATIONS
Have you been inspired by the stories of engineers who have won Prestige Awards? Do you know an individual who deserves similar recognition? Or maybe you are aware of an organisation or community group that has made a real difference? The IMechE is seeking nominations for the 2015 Prestige Awards. For more details, go to www.imeche.org/prestigeawards
AWARDS AVAILABLE
Alastair Graham-Bryce Award
New for 2015, this prize is awarded to an individual or group making a significant contribution to the encouragement of young people towards a career in engineering.
Nominations will be sought from:
- An organisation, charity or company
- A community group or activity
- A teacher or school
- An individual
- An initiative that has potential or has achieved impact.
The award is open to all IMechE members and non-members with a £5,000 prize and a trophy.
James Clayton Prize
This prize is awarded to a Member(s) of the Institution who contributes most in that year (or over recent years) to engineering science – by research, invention, experimental work, a paper on a modern engineering subject, originality in engineering design or service to engineering.
Open to all Institution Members of all grades, the award comes with a £10,000 prize plus a certificate.
The Verena Winifred Holmes Award
Previously the Equality and Diversity Award, this prize is intended to recognise those individuals who have achieved by undertaking a unique challenge or experience, perhaps to benefit people from groups with different needs, or those with a past record of disadvantage or of low participation.
The fundamental attribute for this award is that candidates recognise that innovation is stimulated by embracing diversity, by listening to and respecting the perspective of others, and by constructive engagement and dialogue. The definition for this award is intentionally broad, to allow for a wider pool of potential candidates, who in the widest remit will have approached these attributes in a variety of situations.
The award is open to Institution members of all grades, and comes with a £1,500 cash prize plus certificate.
Award for Risk Reduction in Mechanical Engineering
This award recognises any eminent engineer who has contributed most in the understanding and/or reduction of risk in any area of mechanical engineering. This contribution may include reducing dangerous dust arising from mining and industrial tunnelling during the removal of rock from the surface or underground, as in the original bequest, but now could also be any other aspect of reducing risk to health through the application of improved mechanical engineering.
This award comes with a £1,000 prize plus certificate to the lead author, and certificates to co-authors.
Thomas Hawksley Gold Medal and George Stephenson Gold Medal
These medals are awarded for the best original papers published by the Institution in the past 12 months.
Only one Gold Medal is presented each year for each award, and only if a paper is deemed worthy. If the prize-winning paper is the work of more than one author, the co-author(s) receives a bronze replica.
The award is open to all Institution Members and to non-members.
Nominations process
Nominations will be considered by the Trustee Board Awards Committee in May. Successful recipients are notified at the end of June, and invited with a guest of their choice to a celebration of their success in London in the autumn.
Closing date for all applications
The closing date is 31 March 2015. If you have queries, or experience problems downloading the form, contact us by email: awards@imeche.org or
telephone +44 (0)1284 717887.
The nomination process for the awards is now open, with full details available at www.imeche.org/prestigeawards
For help with the application, call +44 (0)1284 717887