I am a 4th year Mechanical Engineering student undertaking a summer placement at FastBlade as a Research & Data Engineer. I’m a part of many ongoing projects spanning design, manufacturing, data analysis and other fields.

During my placement I was responsible for designing and manufacturing a new saddle for turbine blades through VARTM (Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Moulding), the new design will allow improved load transfer when testing blades, whilst reducing lead time on saddle production and cutting costs.

Another project of note was finding and proving FastBlades operating efficiency when using our regenerative system. This project gave FastBlade the complete figures for operating efficiency over all 4 system pumps.

Throughout my placement, I have been provided with many opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge with practical applications, collaborate with industry professionals and academics, gained valuable experience of new packages and tools for all forms of analysis and testing, and broadened my understanding of composites and their manufacturing process and applications.

Overall, my experience with FastBlade has given me a wealth of knowledge to take forward with me to my final years of university and further into industry. This knowledge allows me to address and create solutions current and future issues in my working career. I am eager to continue my professional development as a Mechanical Engineer and make an impact in the field.