Tuxford Academy’s ‘Team Fast4ward’, supported by a STE Ambassador from Eminox Limited, the Gainsborough-based manufacturer of exhaust after-treatment systems for heavy duty vehicles, made it through to the national final of The Land Rover 4×4 in Schools Technology Challenge – a global competition for young people aged 11 – 19 years old.
Team Fast4Ward (Joe Limby, Eathan Oakley, Jacob Vernon, Philip Brackenridge and Jac Warriner) qualified for this prestigious event by winning the ‘Best Rookie’ and ‘Best Track Performance’ categories at regional competitions. During the regional finals, the team was given the chassis of a radio-controlled 4×4 and had to improve its performance. The team added a body, sensors which detected the angle of the vehicle, and light-detecting sensors which powered the headlights when it became dark.
One of the requirements of the regional competitions was that the team generate sponsorship in order to cover the costs of competing, which they did by contacting local companies.
Eminox sponsored Team Fast4ward to attend The Land Rover 4×4 in Schools Technology Challenge National Final and provided team baseball caps. The students were also encouraged to design a stainless steel stand to exhibit their vehicle and they visited the Eminox site in Gainsborough to see how it was manufactured.
For the national finals, the five Year 10 GCSE Engineering students designed and built a radio- controlled 4×4 vehicle that could negotiate a specially-designed test track. Team Fast4ward competed against 26 other schools from around the UK, performing extremely well in all areas and were praised by the judges for their professional image and knowledge of engineering.
Mr Dave Birchall, Engineering teacher at Tuxford Academy, said: “Team Fast4ward performed incredibly well and was a credit to Tuxford. To have made it to the national finals is an incredible achievement and I am very proud of their efforts. Competitions like these give students a fantastic opportunity to engage with employers, whilst making links between their subject and potential careers to the engineered world around them. We look forward to competing again next year and aim to become the UK National Champions. Team Fast4ward would like to thank their sponsors for their support and generous donations.”
Ken Hayhurst, Training Manager at the Hexadex Group of companies, said: “We have been extremely impressed with the dedication, enthusiasm and sheer hard work from Team Fast4ward and we hope that their success in this competition inspires at them to pursue a career in engineering.”
Ken added: “From the initial talk with students on the job opportunities, through to witnessing a team working on a live challenge and attending a national final, Eminox has drawn so many positives from supporting students who are interested in STEM subjects.
Collaboration with Tuxford Academy has continued with a group of Year 12 students studying engineering. Eminox presented a case study on automation for the students to study and develop solutions as part of their Computer Aided Manufacturing course. The reports will be reviewed by Eminox and the best proposal will be awarded an Eminox Engineering Scholarship to help with further studies.
Eminox STEM Ambassadors convey their enthusiasm and experience to encourage students in local schools to study STEM subjects. The Eminox team also supports teachers in the classroom with practical demonstrations showing how engineering can solve everyday problems.
For more information on Eminox, visit: www.eminox.com
