On Tuesday 4th June, fourteen pupils between the ages of 13-14 were taken on a tour of the labs and workshops at Cambridge Design Partnership following an introduction to the company by Dr Jez Clements, which included an overview of careers in engineering.
As an exciting example of working with technology and engineering, pupils were shown the design process around the Bloodhound SSC steering wheel, which CDP is currently finalising for manufacture, on a tour which highlighted CAD and 3D printing of prototypes. They then worked in teams to plan and build a Bloodhound balloon car, working alongside Cambridge Design Partnership engineers to optimise their designs and take part in test runs. The pupils then raced their cars against the other teams in a final challenge, with their speed measured by a special detector built by CDP for the activity. Retroreflective infra-red position sensors timed the cars over a set distance to calculate speed, and were scaled up to the size of real cars to see if the balloon cars could go the equivalent of 1,000mph!
The Bloodhound Project is the UK’s attempt to build a jet and rocket powered car that will exceed 1,000 miles per hour, smashing the current world land speed record. Cambridge Design Partnership is a sponsor and is also involved in a number of projects – such as the design of the steering wheel – as part of the engineering and design of the supersonic car. As an international educational initiative, Bloodhound has a dedicated education team who has built up a wide range of free curriculum resources and teaching activities for schools and colleges.
The school workshop was run by Ben Crundwell, an electronic engineer at Cambridge Design Partnership who is also a STEM Ambassador. STEM Ambassadors work on a voluntary basis on behalf of STEMNET, an independent organisation that helps create opportunities to inspire young people in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
The challenge was won by the Orange Team who were presented with a miniature steering wheel as a trophy specially printed on Cambridge Design Partnerships’ 3D printer during the visit.
Jez Clements, Partner, Cambridge Design Partnership said: “This workshop has given us a great platform to continue with our STEM initiative, and speak to the next generation about the exciting possibilities offered by STEM subjects. Using our involvement in the Bloodhound Project as an example gave us a great opportunity to show how exciting STEM careers can be, and to highlight the importance of the UK’s engineering industry.”
Kristin Coldwell, mathematics teacher at Stanborough School said: “This has been a brilliant opportunity for our pupils to see behind the scenes at a real technology & engineering workplace. Days like this help bring science and maths to life.”
View a short film of the STEM day at http://www.cambridge-design.co.uk/news/school-stem-day/
About Cambridge Design Partnership LLP
Cambridge Design Partnership is a consulting company that develops ‘first of a kind’ products in the medical, consumer and cleantech sectors. We combine leading engineering talent with business acumen and a deep understanding of the technical and human needs that drive innovation.
Cambridge Design Partnership’s multi-disciplined experts and proven process will benefit any multinational or ambitious company aiming to maximise their return on investment in innovation.
Working as an integrated team, the company creates new products with a dynamic, flexible approach that leads to enduring client relationships, anchored by high quality work and excellent customer service. Our diverse team of engineers, scientists and designers has grown rapidly to establish a world-leading reputation for technical excellence, astute project management and, above all, thinking differently.
www.cambridge-design.co.uk
[email protected]
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Contact Laura Cavaliere at CDP for more information at [email protected] / +44 (0) 1223 264428
BLOODHOUND SSC: www.bloodhoundssc.com
Jules Tipler: [email protected] / +44 (0) 7811 166 796
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