Embedded Files
Sophie Rourke: SSE
This picture is of my first site visit to the 275kV Tealing Substation in Dundee. As this was a live substation were required to all wear level 2 PPE and to follow very strict safety instructions Tealing is connected to four other substations and is also the connection point for one of the Seagreen Offshore Windfarms. Tealing substation supplies the local area of Dundee, Arbroath and Angus with 132kV. We were under very strict instruction not to touch anything and to not raise our arms in case we attracted the current as it has a habit of jumping. The one exception to this was we got to touch the grounded outside of a transformer to feel the vibrations coming from the oil inside used to cool and insulate it.
Joseph Parnum: Muller
Cows! It's not every day that I get to visit a farm, but you can't work in the dairy industry without knowing where the milk's coming from - even as an engineer. Day to day I work to support project managers and engineers to deliver cost saving projects at Müller dairies across the UK.
Will Thompson: STFC
This is an image of JET (Joint European Torus) which is a pioneering nuclear fusion research tokamak that ran from 1983-2023. JET has produced the most scientific publications out of any nuclear fusion reactor. Specifically, this photo is a picture of the 1:1 model of the torus used for test purposes as we were not allowed to go near the real one. I had the privilege of visiting JET in Culham, Oxfordshire as part of a tour during a conference I was attending on spallation materials technology, the sector I work in at STFC.
Sam Scott: Phlux
Here I am in the cleanroom Phlux uses to fabricate its semiconductor wafers, infront of a Molecular Beam Epitaxy machine. This facility fabricates our infrared sensor devices before being automatically tested, packaged, and shipped.
Esther Mbugua: AstraZeneca
From Day One to Knitting Needles: Starting my AstraZeneca journey with the classic “first-day nervous smile” and coffee in hand, I dove into initial meetings and quickly got the hang of things. Soon, I found myself joining the crafting society—knitting, pottery painting, and even origami (which takes more patience than you'd think!). A team volunteering day added a sprinkle of community spirit, capped off with a hearty pub lunch. These past few months has been a quirky mix of learning, laughter, and a dash of creativity!
Mai Jaafar: Bosch
Here's a photo of me plasma cutting and welding sheet metal parts for a jig I designed. Apart from the risk of sneezing black snot, I very much enjoy them. I've always loved making things from scratch (Nara Smith but engineering - hopefully this reaches my target audience) in the iForge e.g. furniture, electronic devices. Now I get paid to do it at a larger scale with industrial grade equipment and alongside professionals with decades of experience is such a bonus!
Emma Hayward: TTP
This photograph is of me exploding syringes containing viscous fluids using a tensile testing machine. Of course I had to take some slow-mo footage of it too!
Oliver Wood: Siemens
At Siemens, we are creating cutting edge technology that allows you to design, create and review 3D models in NX Immersive Designer using the Sony XR HMD (as shown in the picture!). With 4K resolution in each eye and the use of mixed reality, seeing full scale models has never been so real! (It was Halloween… so why not a dinosaur! 😂)
Ewan Farquhar: RWE
This photograph was taken from the top of one of RWE’s Vestas V112- 3MW Wind Turbine Generators. The Humber Gateway Wind Farm is located off the East coast of England in the North Sea. The reason I was working at the top of the turbine during my placement year at RWE was to assist one of the engineers in the replacement of a Pitch Ram which was leaking lubricant due to worn seals. This also gave me a good opportunity to learn more about the Turbines Hydraulic systems.
Charlie Derbyshire: EDF Energy
Here I am (left) stood in the pump house building at Hinkley Point C. In roughly 4 years, this building will be filled with sea water coming through the direction of the camera to act as a heat sink, cooling the steam in the secondary circuit. The circular outline on the walls will hold a huge feedwater pump, rotating about that axis and forcing coolant seawater through pipelines to the condenser. Much of this building is in its civils phase, but when that is complete, we will be designing and installing piping, mechanical support, HVAC and electrical instrumentation in it.
Kacper Pytel: Cummins
These are one of the many engines that we build here at the Cummins Daventry Plant - this one is a 60 Litre V16, quad turbocharged QSK60 diesel engine which produces 3000 horsepower at 2000 RPM. There can be as many as 40 engines ranging from 38-78 litre on the production along with the assembly of 95 litre engine-powered generators on the line at once and it is my job to ensure the metallurgical quality of every part in that engine is suitable for engine build. PS: Stick one of these in your motor 😎.
Islay Mclean: Siemens
This image captures a pivotal moment during my first event as part of my placement where I organized an information session on the Robotic Arm Competition I'm holding this year. The event aimed to introduce students to cutting-edge technologies like 3D scanning, CAD, and robotics and saw an impressive turnout of 90 attendees. As a result, 43 teams, totaling 102 students, signed up for the competition, which is a fantastic outcome. Following this success, attendance at our workshops and events has continued to grow, providing students with invaluable hands-on experience in Digital Engineering and Innovation.
George Wilson: Siemens Healthineers
In the photo I am stood with a completed MRI magnet, the external metallic case is the helium vessel which contains the 1000L of liquid helium required to cool the magnets coils so they have superconducting properties. This year I have been working as a process engineer in coil manufacture completing many tooling, material and productivity based projects and for a week every 2 months I am on line support, managing the resolution of the issues that comes from my area.
Ben White: Jaguar Land Rover
"Walking my pet V8" ... As part of my placement of future propulsion engineer I am working in power systems test and validation for all MHEV vehicles in JLR, most recently the defender OCTA a V8 defender with amazing off road capability. Recently we have been engaged in winch testing this was me at Easton test facility setting the winch lead up to test the DCDC converter capability at high strain (a very boggy track). It was a great success the new software and power pack worked amazingly hence my smiling face 😂
Yanelle Redaus: ARUP
The electrical team at ARUP decided to organise a team building activity where we participated in an endurance event called Tough Mudder consisting of a 15k mud run with 23 obstacles. We all ran the course together and helped each other out in each obstacles, which were very challenging and difficult to do without a team. We supported/cheered on one another throughout and got to know each another further. We all completed the course at the same time feeling very accomplished with newly built relationships.
Tobias Smith: Red Bull Technology
As part of my placement as a composite design engineer at Red Bull technology I got the opportunity to travel to Mexico and spend the weekend with the race team. Definitely the highlight of my placement so far, getting to meet the pit crew and seeing parts I have designed being installed on the car.
Eloise Hieatt: Renishaw
This is a demonstrative surgical theatre which is used to test Renishaw Neuro Solutions' targeted drug delivery system, surgical robot and surgical planning software. The system is verified using artificial skulls and the one I holding is named Janet and it has gone under too many brain surgeries to count!
Hannah Kendall: McLaren Automotive
This photo perfectly captures the unique experience of working at McLaren Automotive. Watching a supercar get wheeled into the office on a Friday isn’t something you see in most workplaces. It’s a great reminder of how even the smallest tasks contribute to these incredible products. My placement has given me the chance to work on a variety of projects, from checking parts for current models to contributing to future cars like the W1. It’s been an amazing opportunity to learn from industry experts, gain hands-on experience, and witness groundbreaking automotive technologies in action. I just wish I were able to share more of it!
Osian Kelly: GSK
The photo is of myself and another IP Rachel in one of the site's plantrooms with a large Purified Water Storage tank behind us. Purified water is crucial in the pharmaceutical industry serving as a component for a product to a solvent for cleaning product contacting surfaces. As an equipment engineer frequently working with ancillary equipment, I find it fascinating to observe this machinery operating behind the scenes in the plant rooms, which the manufacturing cleanrooms heavily depend on to produce the final drug product.
Kirolos Farah: Spirax Sarco Engineering
Hello! I’m Kiro, an Electronic, Instrumentation and Control Engineer in Spirax Sarco Engineering. Part of my role is to test new actuators with the existing packages that we sell. In this photo, I was wiring up a new pneumatic actuator to an EasiHeat, which is a product the company sells worldwide to transfer energy extremely efficiently via steam!
Philip Skelton: MetLase
This is me sitting next to one of the factory logistics robots I've been working on recently. For the past 5 months that I've been at MetLase I've designed and built everything from battery welding fixtures to titanium sintering mold shells. Its been incredible despite the short time here!
Himanshu Kriplani: Siemens Healthineers
As a Helium Process Engineering Intern at Siemens Healthineers, I explore the fascinating world of cryogenics and its crucial role in medical technology. Demonstrating how ultra-cold temperatures, achieved through liquid helium and nitrogen, enable superconductivity in MRI machines, I represented Siemens at a Science Fest in Oxford. Sharing this knowledge with the next generation is key to inspiring future innovators, showcasing how complex technologies like MRI save thousands of lives by merging physics and engineering.
Morgan Mitchell: Drax Power Station
This is me on top of the Drax Power Station main chimney, which is close to 260m tall and is the tallest chimney in the UK. From this height you can see the Peak District over 55 miles away on a clear day. It has recently undergone a major restoration project to Stub 2 where 2 tonnes of Duplex Stainless Steel was used in re-capping and 1.3 tonnes of broken out and repaired. I was up on the chimney to take photos of the repair and relaying the Civil Engineering team and SLT
Thomas King: RWE
This photo was taken within the cooling towers of Ratcliffe-on-Soar, the UK’s last operating coal-fired power station. A month before the station's closure, I had the opportunity to tour the site, which was an invaluable experience for me as a newcomer to the energy industry. It provided a unique insight into the past backbone of the UK’s energy grid. The tour also highlighted the significant differences between my daily work at combined-cycle gas turbine stations, particularly in terms of the sheer scale of the coal plant.
Rachel Kovacs: GSK
My friend Osian and I at GSK Barnard Castle site. Here, we manufacture lifesaving medicines for lupus, asthma, HIV and more. I work within the production of Syringes at the Inspect, Assembly and Packing stages which is equipped with a variety of advanced machinery, meaning no day is the same. Witnessing the production process first hand is incredibly rewarding and I was lucky enough to get involved in many different projects so far. For instance, Osian and I designed a precise syringe holder, which has been met with great success.
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