Posted: 17/12/24
Remembering the fallen, thanks to engineering talents
Staff and students at the Engineering Innovation Centre have put their technical skills into practice to create some wonderful pieces which are connected to this weekend’s Remembrance Sunday.
Fabrication and welding workshop controller Chris Wagg recently had a request from Clipstone’s Royal British Legion (RBL).
Wes Orton, membership officer for Clipstone RBL, contacted the college to see if the engineering team could assist with creating some low-level railings to go around the village’s war memorial, which is situated in the grounds of Clipstone’s Welfare, opposite the bowling green.
Chris said: “The RBL had already got the materials but they weren’t quite right for the purpose, so we donated some mild steel bar and made a few alterations to make the railings just right. Wes drew up a plan of what they wanted and, with help from my colleagues Gemma Beilby and Michael Hurst, we created what they needed.
“My dad was ex-military, so I feel proud to have been involved in something like this for our community. To know our work is out there is very fulfilling.”
Wes, who joined Clipstone RBL in January, said: “Our branch is really pleased with how the railings look and the support given by the college has been brilliant. We had an unveiling and memorial service last Friday and, of course, we’ll be there this weekend on Remembrance Sunday at the welfare.
“I was in the reserve forces for 22 years in Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) Corps and also served in the Iraq war. I retired as a sergeant in 2018.”
Chris and his colleagues within engineering are looking forward to getting the curriculum’s learning company up and running in the coming weeks, so that staff and students can take on more projects for people who may want something customising out of metalwork.
He added: “We’ve done some work in the past, both for the college and external companies. We created a barbeque grill for the Derby Road campus and also modified some memorial benches for Nottinghamshire County Council, which acknowledged the work the NHS did throughout the pandemic. We’re open to all kinds of ideas if anyone would like to contact me. We will consider almost anything if people would like something customised out of metalwork.”
Wes will be visiting the Engineering Innovation Centre (EIC) on Monday to present Chris and the team with a certificate of appreciation.
Meanwhile, another area of the engineering department has been working on a Remembrance Day-themed project.
Engineering teacher Kev Porter’s Level 2 Diploma students Luke Barker, Warren Bramwell, Yiannis Giakalis, Oliver Hoole and Josh Osbourne have been using computer-aided design (CAD), 3D printers and the laser-cutting software to design and prototype poppies. Prior to the recent half-term break, the group had access to the centre’s equipment to manufacture a range of keyrings, garden crosses and soldier statuettes, which they have since been selling at the engineering and construction campuses.
Head of engineering Ben Toule said: “The group has been really busy manufacturing an initial batch of 100 keyrings and six garden crosses, and they’ve sold these at the engineering and construction campuses.
“The process involved melting plastic filament wire that’s then deposited onto a heated bed in a selection of layers, each layer building on the last to bring the item to life from the base up. They look really effective, and the group has done a great job.”
Kev added: “The group has done brilliantly and have worked on all the designing and manufacturing themselves. They set up the laser, although staff had to operate the laser-cutter machine. The soldier statuettes are really impressive. They’ve made 12 so far and sold these to staff and students at the EIC and the construction campuses. They stand around 130mm (5 inches) tall and cost £3 and if anyone from our other campuses is interested in having one of these items made, please contact me and we’ll ensure they’re manufactured and distributed as quickly as possible.”
