University honoured to host IMechE's presidential visit to Huddersfield

It was engineering all the way when the president of one of the world’s oldest and most respected mechanical engineering organisations, paid a fact-finding visit to the University of Huddersfield and met the President of the prestigious Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Cryan CBE.

Once a year the president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers visits regions across the UK to witness the achievements of firms and universities in the engineering field and West Yorkshire was this year’s chosen location to host the IMechE Presidential Visit.

The day commenced with a morning outing to two local companies, Paxman Coolers and AUS Ltd, both of which the University has longstanding relationships with, before concluding at the University of Huddersfield. 

Phil Peel is the 137^th president of the IMechE and has over 35 years of experience in the global power generation business. His career has focused on the development and design of large steam turbines, being based initially in Rugby, UK with GEC Turbine Generators and subsequently Alstom Power.  He relocated to Switzerland in 2001 and led the development of new steam turbine technologies, advancing to the position of Chief Engineer in 2012, which he now holds with the current company owner, General Electric.

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers was founded in 1847 and its first presidents were the legendary railway and locomotive builders George and Robert Stephenson, so it was fitting that the IMechE President’s first port of call was the University’s world-class railway institute.

Leading the tour around the Institute of Railway Research (IRR) was its Director Professor Paul Allen who told the visitors about the specialist research the IRR carries out for the UK’s railway industry in the fields of railway engineering and railway safety.

The visitors were taken to see the ‘HAROLD’ and ‘Pantograph’ full-scale test rigs and the ThomOS motion simulator followed by a meet and greet with some of the students who are involved in this year’s IMechE Railway Challenge, of which the University won in 2021 and 2013.  To go on a virtual tour of the IRR and the facilities mentioned above click here.

“It was a pleasure to show the IMechE’s new President Phil Peel around the Institute of Railway Research,” said Professor Allen.

“Phil was impressed by our state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, strong links with industry and the work we are doing to promote engineering to students via our involvement in the IMechE’s Railway Challenge.”

Fellow of the IMechE and Director of the University’s Turbocharger Research Group, Professor John Allport, supervised the planning of the day’s itinerary which included a tour around the University’s Laura Annie Willson Building.

The building was officially opened last year following an £8million renovation and now houses a flagship research space for the School of Computing and Engineering where scientists and engineers research topics as diverse as digital manufacturing, virtual reality, internet of things (IoT), digital forensics, fluid sciences and electric vehicles.

The Automotive Lab was next on the agenda. The guests were greeted by students taking part in IMechE’s motorsport challenge Formula Student and heard about the project they have been working on for the competition and how they enjoy being part of the University’s Team HARE. 

Members of the University’s Team HAWK, a group of student engineers competing in IMechE’s Drone Challenge, also shared their ideas with the guests about this year’s entry to the competition.

A tour of the full-size Smart House test facility followed led by Professor Rakesh Mishra which was concluded by a visit to the Centre for Precision Technologies (CPT) where Professor Andrew Longstaff explained how the CPT is a Centre of Excellence for collaborative metrology research.

The day drew to a close with IMechE’s President expressing his gratitude to everyone involved with hosting the visit and presented plaques to the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Cryan, Glenn Paxman, Chairman of Paxman Coolers Ltd and Nick Garner, the Managing Director of AUS Ltd.