Students get a practical taste of engineering in Victoria Tuesday, 21 June 2016

High school students in Victoria are getting a taste of real-world engineering practice, using their skills and working with industry partners to design an automated fruit-processing machine.

The students undertaking the Certificate II in Engineering Studies at Swinburne University’s Wantirna campus designed the machine as part of their 40-hour project as part of the Industry Pathways program delivered at the Knox Innovation, Opportunity and Sustainability Centre at Swinburne University.

The assignment was to automate a manual cherry-processing task capable of handling 6000 kg of fruit per hour. The students worked with GP Graders, a leading supplier of produce grading, sorting and packing machinery.

They leveraged their skills in mathematics, computer design and problem solving to build a complex prototype of the mechanism that would form the core of their solution.

The design process took two days, and involved plenty of hands-on experience for the students, in line with the aim of the Industry Pathways program. The students had the opportunity to work with engineering drawings, and apply basic calculation, fabrication and machining techniques under instruction.

According to Swinburne team leader Shanti Krishnan, the Industry Pathways program provides students with critical practical experience during their Vocational Education in Training (VET) studies as part of their VCE.

“The design project is intended to enhance the students’ overall understanding of the engineering industry and introduce them to the diversity of technical and employability skills required to succeed in the industry,” Krishnan says.

Other teams of students within the program undertook various other practical projects in partnership with industry partners, including one team which designed fixtures accurate to one micrometre for Kilsyth-based JBO Engineering. They solved a complex design problem that created efficiency for machinery parts being used in casings for computers and dashboards for racing cars.

Another team worked with Draffin Street Furniture in Bayswater, building a prototype of a device used to transport panels for street furniture.

According to the program organisers, Industry partners are critical to the success of the program — host employers ensure that all the work complies with industry health and safety requirements. Some have even offered students future employment.

Don't forget to register for the Australian Engineering Conference 2016 in Brisbane on November 23-25.