We are thrilled to say that a team of Ricoh UK Products Ltd (RPL) Engineering Apprentices received the ‘Highly Commended’ Award at the Apprentice Automation Challenge Finals, which took place at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, on Friday 27 September 2024.
RPL’s team ‘Ricoh Pride’ was made up of Shrewsbury Colleges Group apprentices – Josh Wynne, Lupin Brown, Lewis Heeley, Adam Briggs and George Chadwick, mentored by Senior Engineer, Mark Smith. They have been working to design and program a device which helps to automate an everyday process in the home, garden or workplace. They worked together to develop a ‘Personal Mobility Assistant’ – a device that attaches to a standard NHS manual push wheelchair turning it into an electric wheelchair. It also works as a stand-on mobility aid and walking assistant device, allowing more independence in a person’s, who may have mobility issues, daily life.
Eleven UK teams took part in the finals, with a huge variety of products created for the final ranging from a toothbrush cleaner to an automatic tea making machine. A panel of volunteer judges evaluated each team’s work, taking all aspects of the process into consideration, alongside a peer review between the teams.
Read more about the Apprentice Automation Challenge Finals on the IMechE website: https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/niftylift-crowned-winners-of-the-apprentice-automation-challenge-2024
Congratulations to the team for this fantastic achievement!