The euspen Challenge 2015 was this year held in Stockholm, Sweden, and was a huge success, with an array of student talent on show from the precision engineering sector.
In line with the overall networking objectives of euspen, the Challenge benefits students and industry alike. Students gain great national and international teamwork exposure, and develop engineering and business skills. The Challenge also facilitates professional networking opportunities, and allows contacts to be nurtured with leading companies operating in the precision engineering field.
In a similar way, the euspen Challenge allows industry to tap into the cream of new talent in precision engineering, and to make unique connections in prominent research institutes
The international competition is designed to identify students throughout Europe with potential to be future leaders in the field of precision engineering and nanotechnology. National heats were held across Europe earlier in 2015 identifying the best national students, who came together to compete in international teams for the coveted title of euspen International Challenge Winners in Stockholm.
During the event (which was held at and supported by the KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Hexagon Metrology Nordic AB in Stockholm), students were required to address a technical challenge, and to conclude with a presentation of their solution. An international jury of leading industrialists and academics selected one team for their overall best solution, and awards were also given to teams recommended for their most innovative solution and best presentation.
The event provided students with the tools to embrace and apply current and newly acquired skills in a constantly changing and demanding market. Working in culturally diverse teams, students had access to respected industry leaders to develop their commercial acumen.
The technical challenge in 2015 centred on high precision metrology using low cost imaging sensors. The challenge was to design and build an optical coordinate measuring machine (CMM) in order to achieve maximum accuracy with low economic budget. Issues to be focussed upon were appearance and functionality of the prototype, design and construction of the machine, verification of performance, and a review of the innovative aspects of the solution, the economics of its production, the compelling nature of the allied business case, and the overall quality of the presentation.
Teams (made up of three members in each) were presented with the challenge at 08.00 on the 8th July and had until 11.45 on Thursday 9th to complete their work.
The winning teams (named after famous Swedish scientists and entrepreneurs) were Oskar Benjamin Klein sponsored by KTH Royal Institute of Technology which won the award for “Overall Best Solution”, made up of students Alberto Figueroa de Godos from Bilbao Faculty of Engineering in Spain, Aslan Hüsnü from Aarhus University in Denmark, and Christian Young from the University of Huddersfield in the U.K.
The winner of the “Most Innovative Solution” award was team Christopher Polhem, sponsored by Hexagon Metrology Nordic AB and including students Paolo Micalizzi from ETH in Switzerland, Olatz Canovas Ahedo from the University of the Basque Country/Faculty of Engineering in Spain, and Qilin Fu from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden
The “Best Presentation” award (sponsored by Johannes Heidenhain GmbH) was won by team Baltzar von Platen including Steven R. Gillmer from the University of Rochester in the USA, Jan Brajer from the Institute of Physics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, and Johann Uphoff from Technische Universität Bremen in Germany.
Winning teams–
Team name: Oskar Benjamin Klein – “Overall Best Solution” sponsored by KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Team name: Christopher Polhem – “Most Innovative Solution” sponsored by Hexagon Metrology Nordic AB
Team name: Baltzar von Platen – “Best Presentation” sponsored by Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
Team name: Oskar Benjamin Klein – “Overall Best Solution”L-R: Prof Hans N. Hansen, euspen President, Dr Andreas Archenti, Associate professor (Docent) Precision Manufacturing and Metrology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Alberto Figueroa de Godos (Bilbao Faculty of Engineering (UPV/EHU, ES), Aslan Hüsnü (Aarhus University, DK), Christian Young (University of Huddersfield, UK)
Team name: Christopher Polhem – “Most Innovative Solution”
L-R: Prof Hans N. Hansen, euspen President, Mr Magnus Lindbom, Business Development Manager (Hexagon Metrology Nordic AB), Paolo Micalizzi (ETH Zurich, CH), Olatz Canovas Ahedo (University of the Basque Country. Faculty of Engineering (Bilbao), ES), Qilin Fu (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE)
Team name: Baltzar von Platen – “Best Presentation”
L-R: Prof Hans N. Hansen, euspen President, Dr Markus Meissner, Dr Johannes Heidenhain GmbH, Steven R. Gillmer (University of Rochester, USA), Jan Brajer (Institute of Physics Academy of Sciences of the Czech R