Product Design goes Nuclear.
The
Technology Department are taking part in the Engineering Education Scheme which
is an exciting new venture which links teams of Year 12 students and their
teacher with local companies to work on real, scientific, engineering and
technological problems. The scheme provides students with an in-depth experience
in science, engineering and technology that will enable them to make an informed
decision about their future studies and career.
Click on the photograph for a larger image
On Tuesday 16th October the team travelled to the URENCO plant at Capenhurst. URENCO are a leading firm specialising in the enrichment of uranium for use by power stations around the world. Due to the sensitive nature of their business the team had to go through rigorous safety and security checks before entering the facility. On arrival the student’s passport credentials were scanned and logged and photos were taken for temporary access security passes. All electronic devices were temporarily confiscated and placed in a high security locked bag for the duration of the visit to stop industrial espionage. Then we had to cross through a Police border control. Mr Parry had his car searched and all the students bags were swabbed to check for explosive compounds. Luckily we passed through without any hitches!
On arrival at the training centre the group were provided with a lovely buffet lunch whilst watching a DVD on URENCO, their facility and the use of their end product. A site tour then followed which included detailed analysis of the centrifuge technology used to enrich the uranium.
The team have been commissioned to design a product to solve an engineering problem that has arisen in the testing phase of some of the sensitive laboratory equipment used. They are going to design a product that can tighten test bottles onto a rig to a set torque. Each bottle is worth £1000 and the test rig is used to check for any weak points or fractures. The team will be manufacturing a working prototype in December which will then be judged at a national level in April.
