Sixteen pupils from Wellington School took part in a visit to Exeter University’s engineering department recently. The university laid on four hours of varied engineering, opening with a talk on the opportunities available in engineering at the university and the possibilities for future careers.
Pupils were then challenged to design a surfboard made principally out of corrugated cardboard and were able to view the huge 3D printers and the items they create.
The university also houses a state-of-the-art vibration platform. The pupils were treated to a demonstration of how the equipment helps prevent dangerous situations caused by vibration in structures like the Millennium Bridge in London, which swayed violently when people walked in time across it.
The pupils also heard about a military engineering project, with the university bringing up to date an army carrier and cutting its weight in half through the use of a hybrid components.
