Institution news
The five students from Hurstpierpoint College won the Senior Engineering category in the UK Young Scientists and Engineers Competition at the Big Bang Fair South East on 28 June, as well as the IMechE Award for Engineering Design.
Ben Berrill, Ben Lawrence, Maisie Hobbs, Callon Peate and Nick Smart, all aged 17, submitted a project called “Spring Compression Jig for Fibre Optic Connector”, where they worked with Western Geco, a company specialising in seismic surveys, on a problem they were experiencing with a fibre optic connecting losing huge amounts of data.
Watch a video about the 2016 Big Bang Fair
The students’ task was to design and manufacture a jig to test and quantify the ‘stickiness’ of the springs in the connector.
Judges at the Big Bang said that the students “came over as a strong team”, and that the amount of development work in their project was “impressive”.
School children also enjoyed finding out about the University of Sussex's Formula Student team and car at the fair
Dick Atkins CEng FIMechE, the Institution’s Regional Education Officer, who presented the Hurstpierpoint team with their award, described them as “business-like and professional in their approach and execution”, adding that their work was to BEng degree standard.
Dick said: “There is no doubt in my mind that thanks to events like the Big Bang many young minds will take on board the excitement of undertaking serious design and engineering projects.
“With students like these, we are assured of a brighter future for all.”
School students at the fair were impressed with the University of Sussex's Formula Student team car
The Hurstpierpoint team will compete for the title of UK Young Engineers of the Year at the national Big Bang Fair in Birmingham in March 2017.
The Big Bang Fair South East and the regional Big Bang Young Scientists and Engineers Competition are organised by STEM Sussex, the outreach support department of the University of Brighton.
Find out how to volunteer as a STEM ambassador in your area.