VAMK`s mechanical engineering students achieved excellent results again, now in a design competition where they won the second and the third prize. Student team VAMK Tiimi 4, consisting of four 2nd year students in mechanical engineering Antti Leppälä, Sebastian Sjökvist, Jussi Mäki-Saari and Antti Rautakorpi, got the silver medal and a nice prize of 1500 euros. The bronze medal winners were the team UnBendable Steel Cowboys consisting of three students coming from 3rd year course in mechanical engineering: Alexander Juustovaara, Mikael Jutila and Mika Heinilä. Their prize was 1000 euros.
The silver prize winner Team VAMK 4 with “New control unit design” idea.
VAMK`s 3rd prize winners with “Cloud gaming and UI Modernisation” idea.
All engineering students of VAMK and students of University of Vaasa had the great possibility to develop future factory concepts for Prima Power which is a leading specialist in machines and systems for sheet metal working. Their product offering in this field is one of the widest in the world and covers all applications for laser processing, punching, shearing, bending and automation. Future Factory Concept design competition aimed at developing new ideas for Prima Power products – how sheet metal working will look like in near future.
The competition time was 6.3. -16.5.2013. During this period the students had a possibility to visit the Prima Power factory in Kauhava and they also had two coaching workshops organized by Muova. Final presentations were given 29.4.2013 at University of Vaasa to a prestigious jury consisting of the CEO of Primapower Finland and several R&D managers of the company. The chairman of the jury was the “father” of the whole competition: Mr Esko Petäjä, R& D Manager of software and controls at Prima Power.
Prima Power is a leading specialist in machines and systems for sheet metal working.
Altogether 53 students and 13 teams participated in the competition. VAMK had five teams and three of them came from VAMK`s mechanical engineering department. The winner of the competition consisted of two MSc students from University of Vaasa and their first prize was worth 3000 euros. Three other teams got also special awards, 300 euros each and one team got a smart phone.
We can be very proud of VAMK`s mechanical engineering students performing so well in this tough competition. The results of the competition were very good and probably many of the ideas can be seen later in the future models of Prima Power machines. This type of competition is a modern way to co-create totally new types of solutions for metal industry.
We congratulate the winners and also Prima Power for finding such an innovative and modern way of doing product and concept design and also express our gratitude for giving such good prizes for the winners and other team, too. Hopefully we can have a new competition next year and perhaps some other companies in the region also find this possibility interesting in order to get new fresh ideas for their product and concept designing.
Text: Lotta Saarikoski, HOD in Mechanical Engineering Department
Photos: Lotta Saarikoski and Prima Power