Railway Challenge students on the right track thanks to HARTING
HARTING have recently utilised their knowledge of railway technology by helping to inspire the next generation of prospective young engineers. Working alongside our client Bombardier, we’ve assisted students from the University of Derby as they tackle a Railway Challenge set by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
This innovative and exciting competition challenges young engineering students to work together in order to design and manufacture a miniature railway locomotive by following a detailed technical specification.
Then, over the course of the weekend of 29th June to 1st July 2018, the eleven teams will go head-to-head at the Stapleford Miniature Railway near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, battling it out over a series of tricky technical challenges in order to see whose locomotive will be crowned the Railway Challenge champion!
Mike Brookes, HARTING’s Market Manager for Transportation, explained how HARTING became involved in this valuable test of teamwork and manufacturing skill.
“We’re already a global supplier to Bombardier, working with the engineers there. The students approached us asking for support with the fitting and function of connectors for control, power and signal, as well as advice on tools and termination techniques. The connectors we supplied are the same as Bombardier currently use onsite, so the students could utilise techniques they were already familiar with
Mike went on to explain which HARTING products the students will be incorporating into their locomotive design.
“Han-Snap was used for control as there was no requirement for any high IP rating and the Snap range is easy to install and assemble. For the DC power, we supplied Han-Eco with finger-proof contacts, keyed inserts and insulated connectors to ensure maximum safety around the battery supply. All these products were supplied free of charge to support the project, allowing the students to maximise their budget in other areas.”
The Railway Challenge is now in its seventh year and has attracted university teams from as far away as Germany and Egypt. A key focus of the competition is emerging technology and teams will be judged on maintainability and energy storage, as well as other factors such as reliability and ride comfort.
We caught up with James Wright, Team Leader of the Bombardier Transportation and University of Derby team to find out more about this tricky technical challenge.
Could you give us some background to the Railway Challenge?
“The Railway Challenge is an annual event organised by the IMechE which is tailored for the rail engineering sector. It allows graduates and students the opportunity to practice, develop and showcase their skills and knowledge, as well as experience an overview into the basic processes behind the design and manufacture of rolling stock.”
What are you hoping to get out of your participation alongside the University of Derby?
“Bombardier recognises that involvement with local educational institutions are crucial to developing and encouraging future engineers, which are needed to address a national shortage. Through our involvement in opportunities like this and the STEM Ambassador programme, we hope to entice and enthuse the next generation of engineers.”
Aside from technical abilities, what other skills will the students gain from their involvement in this challenge?
“As a team-based competition, there is a lot of importance on the softer skills such as teamwork, communication and time management. Business acumen is also central to this challenge, as part of the competition involves students presenting their business case. Throughout the design phase, we held meetings and design reviews which required team members to produce presentations, building confidence and developing communication skills.”
How is the project progressing currently?
“We are currently still in the build phase with the testing phase to follow ahead of the competition weekend. The students are currently divided into two disciplines, electrical and mechanical, based on their courses. The electrical students have recently been involved in the design, simulation and build of circuits whilst the mechanical students have been charged with responsibility for the bogies.”
How important a factor is emerging technology?
“Innovation is one of the challenges of this competition. For this, we naturally look at emerging technologies and how we may be able to implement them in our design. This competition has been running for seven years and we are competing against some extremely talented teams and well-developed designs. Being able to take advantage of anything that may provide an advantage over the competition is therefore important.”
Finally, how have HARTING assisted you with this project?
“HARTING have provided excellent support to our electrical sub-systems team since the design phase. They have provided expert guidance and support in choosing and installing the electrical connectors we require to get our electrical sub-systems operational and working to a high level of reliability and safety. HARTING visited us at our site to discuss our requirements and options and have been kind enough to provide us with the connectors we need free of charge. HARTING have been an excellent sponsor and we will be proud to display their logo on the side of our locomotive at the competition weekend.”
We’d like to wish James, his Bombardier colleagues and the University of Derby all the best for their Railway Challenge! We’ll let you know all the results from the competition in July.
To find out more about the Railway Challenge and how you can attend the competition weekend, please visit www.imeche.org/events/challenges/railway-challenge or give the team a call on 02079 731276.
