TESAC 2013: Tempting Conference excursions

From t-news issue 65, August 2013

TESAC 2013 workshops include a number of visits to educational institutions and design studios around Wellington.

Weltec: Growing the engineering pipeline

The 2010 National Engineering Education Plan (NEEP) project reported on projected shortages in the movement of students through the pipeline of meaningful tertiary qualifications into productive engineering related employment. In response to recommendations in this report, the Government is currently committing significant additional funding in an effort to grow this pipeline. 

This Monday afternoon excursion to Wellington Institute of Technology (Weltec) will give up to 30 delegates the opportunity to focus on  the pathways open to motivated school students to enter and staircase  through the current comprehensive range of NQF Level 3-7 engineering programmes – courses designed to bring together the best of theory and engineering practice, and delivered nationally through Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs). The visit will be hosted by Graham Carson, Head of the School of Engineering and Glynn McGregor, Techlink Pathways coordinator at IPENZ Engineers New Zealand.

The tour of the learning environment will include WelTec's Centre for Smart Product - an initiative set up to assist New Zealand companies that design, make and sell innovative products internationally, where students get the opportunity to work for real clients. 

Time for interaction with staff and  students has been integrated into the  programme and strategies for building on current secondary /tertiary liaison initiatives at a regional and national level will be outlined and discussed.

Formway Design Studio

This Wednesday morning fieldtrip will see a maximum of 20 people pack into two minibuses and head off to a 90-minute tour of the  Formway Design Studio. Visit organiser Kevin Meyer says that those attending will have an opportunity to see how one of the world leaders in innovation in the seating design field takes an idea through to the finished prototype ready for mass production.

“Formway prides itself in being leading innovators in product design and its products are produced and sold internationally at the upper end of the market,” says Kevin. “At their Wellington design studio they have a team of qualified product designers researching, designing and implementing the latest ideas. Their workshop incorporates a full range of Engineering machinery, large scale 3D printers and a testing facility - and Mark Pennington, the founder of Formway design has offered to share with us his insights of modern design.”  Attendees will be expected to sign a confidentiality clause as they enter the studio as much of Formway’s work is under contract to large overseas clients. 

Massey University FabLab

Lecturer Chris Jackson and MIT Professor Neil Gershenfeld prepare to cut the ribbon at the inauguration of Fab Lab Wellington.

FabLabs began as an outreach project from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Bits and Atoms in 2003. To be MIT-affiliated, a lab must adhere to a set of operating principles and provide a standard range of equipment. Massey’s FabLab at the School of Design in Wellington was the first to be set up in Australasia, and there are now well in excess of 100 existing and planned FabLabs worldwide.

Industrial Design Lecturer Chris Jackson says that they wanted to be a hub to get labs across New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific. The hope is that the FabLab will help make digital fabrication technology accessible to sole traders and small start-ups in New Zealand. “Until relatively recently, 3D printers were costly and inaccessible to the public. What we’re seeing now is the domestication of the technology, with more and more people finding ways to share projects, expertise and equipment,” he says.

Chris also says being part of the global FabLab network opens up huge opportunities for New Zealanders. “FabLab projects are open source and can be shared between labs. There’s good evidence that openness can stimulate people to be more innovative, and speeds up invention. There’s already a DIY maker movement here working on the cusp of new technology with a contemporary Number 8 Wire mentality. FabLab feeds into that culture. We can provide access to technology, but also help people make connections between disciplines and industries, and that should be a catalyst to more innovation in New Zealand.”

Overseas, FabLab projects have included solar and wind-powered turbines, thin-client computers and wireless data networks, analytical instrumentation for agriculture and healthcare, custom housing, and rapid-prototyping of rapid-prototyping machines. In this guided walk through FabLab conference delegates will gain and understanding of the various digital manufacturing processes available to student, have an opportunity to see work in progress as well as a range of completed projects and participate in a follow-on Q&A session.

 Victoria University’s School of Design

This afternoon session at Victoria University’s School of Design in Vivian St, lead by Nan O’Sullivan, will provide an opportunity to gain a better understanding of skills and knowledge required to be successful at design school.

There will be a focus on 3D design, product design, spatial design,  idea generation, design theory and visual communication together with a chance to view first year design student work.