Results of MTA's TDI Challenge announced

Last week saw the Manufacturing Technologies Association's (MTA) TDI Challenge final take place at Yamazaki Mazak in Worcester. The annual competition – now in its 11th year – is open to students of Engineering and Design & Technology in two age groups; 14 to 16 and 17 to 19. This year, in addition to the main categories, a special prize was awarded to an under 14 year old entrant.

This year, a record-breaking 97 entries were submitted from across the UK detailing innovative engineering projects ranging from an electric ukulele, a green energy bike light and a rotational moulding machine.

Of the entries, 14 outstanding submissions were selected as finalists and the students were invited to take part in a competitive showcase event staged at the headquarters of MTA Member, Yamazaki Mazak. The students were required to demonstrate their product and present their ideas to the panel of judges assembled by the MTA. Not only were the judges looking for great innovative engineering, but also the ability to think commercially about their idea, and the skills to present clearly and logically to an industry panel.

The judges were:

Nick Baldwin – Director, Design & Technology Education Partnership
Bob Shanks – Chairman of the Imagineering Foundation & MTA Committee member
Bob Hunt – Managing Director, Star GB & MTA Committee member
Paul Cross – Project Manager, Planit Software & MTA Committee member
Andrea Rodney – Director, Hone All Precision & MTA Committee member

Bob Hunt, Chair of the MTA's Education & Training Committee, was delighted with the quality and innovation of projects presented: "Every year, I am encouraged, intrigued and inspired by the exciting and varied selection of projects submitted to the TDI Awards, and 2011 was no exception with almost 100 entries in the mix. It is vital we celebrate these engineers of the future to help them grow and learn – and TDI does just that. There is such innovative talent amongst our young people, and it gives us at the MTA great hope for the future of UK engineering based manufacturing."

After some tough deliberations, the panel of judges arrived at the following decisions:

14-16 Age Group

17-19 Age Group

In addition to the above, a special prize was awarded to an entrant in the under-14 age group; Congratulations to Verity McVey (Royal Masonic School) with her project, the Aeroplane Candle Holder, made of sheet metal and pop rivets.

Winners and finalists were presented with prizes ranging from iPads, Amazon Kindles and gift vouchers, and all attendees were treated to a tour of Mazak Yamazaki's European Technology Centre and Manufacturing Facility.

For a full list of winners and finalists, and details about how to enter next year's competition, visit the MTA website.