Patrick Byrnes, a student at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and a native of Patrickswell, Co. Limerick, has won first prize in the Engineers Ireland Level 8 Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Awards 2013, sponsored by Siemens, it was announced today. Alistair Chambers from Carlow town and a student at IT Carlow, won the Level 7 category.
Byrne’s Level 8 project, Automation of Ultrasonic Cleaning and Blast Processes at Zimmer Orthopaedics, analysed the bottle neck locations in manufacturing practices to find a process solution now to be integrated into Zimmer’s improved manufacturing process.
The Level 7 category winner, designed by Alistair Chambers, is a device that allows straw moisture and quality to be easily and efficiently assessed at all stages from the field to the end-user. With the capacity to be retro-fitted to any tractor-mounted or loader-mounted bale handler with removable tines, the device is a cost-effective way of ensuring a quality product for sale in livestock and equine markets or new emerging markets in Green energy.
"There is a consensus among business and industry leaders that the innovative skills which engineers possess will be increasingly valuable over the next decade in Ireland," said John Power, director general of Engineers Ireland. "The growing take-up of higher level maths in the Leaving Certificate is positive recognition amongst our school students of the possibilities a career in engineering can offer. The Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Awards are designed to further encourage and reward the young ingenuity that is the hallmark of our engineering third level students across Ireland. I would like to once again this year praise the creativity and innovation that has been so noticeable in the submissions for this year’s competition."
Liam Mulligan, Siemens sustainability manager, said: "The Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Awards challenges students to think conceptually and strategically. Engineers will play a vital role in Ireland’s economic revitalisation and Siemens supports this competition as part of our programme to engage and encourage young people to consider careers in engineering."
The Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Awards sponsored by Siemens aims to promote and showcase excellence in engineering degrees across Ireland. The competition is judged on the merit of final year projects. Final year students of Level 7 and Level 8 engineering degree programmes, accredited by Engineers Ireland, are eligible to enter.
Other students shortlisted in the Level 8 category included John Roberts, Cork Institute of Technology, Darragh McCoy, Dublin Institute of Technology, Sean McMahon, NUI Galway and Adam Przedpelski, NUI Maynooth. In the Level 7 category Aoife Hegarty, Stephen Gibbons and David Healy, all from IT Sligo, and Darren McKenna, Institute of Art, Design and Technology were all also shortlisted.
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