PECM Issue 36 2019 | Page 106

MACHINING PRACTICAL TEACHING SPELSBERG SPELSBERG HELPS TECQUIPMENT TO DELIVER ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE IN STEM EDUCATION TecQuipment, leading provider of high quality educational equipment for engineering disciplines across the world, is using customised enclosures from Spelsberg UK in its latest sediment transport channel flume for teaching engineering students about fluid mechanics. To deliver suitable enclosures quickly, the products were produced via Spelsberg’s in-house CNC machining service. Many engineering departments incorporate an element of practical teaching into their syllabus, which over the years has defined a global market of engineering education equipment providers. It’s a competitive market place, with TecQuipment positioning itself as a leader in its sector by delivering high quality products with a 5-year warranty. The company, based in the Midlands, has been established for 60 years and exports to over 100 countries with more than 1500 customers. One of TecQuipment’s core competencies is the development and manufacture of laboratory apparatus for teaching fluid mechanics. In particular, one of the most interesting products developed recently focuses on open flow channels. Peter Skinner, Principal Mechanical Engineer at TecQuipment, explained: “These are used to simulate rivers and canals as well as various features found that may affect flow and current: such as weirs and sluice gates.” TecQuipment’s FC300 range of Open Channel Flumes were built to provide students and academics with the opportunity for advanced research and student study on a wide range of fluid flow topics. The large open channels that range from 5 to 15 metres long, can simulate different naturally occurring and man-made conditions with some of these requiring the functionality to incline to various gradients. This calls for an ‘inclination box’ that measures the tilt of the flume. This contains a printed circuit board (PCB) inclinometer, displaying the angle of the flume. The PCB is highly accurate and has a resolution of 0.05 degrees. However, the device is also extremely delicate, and any water splashes or spills can heavily damage it, compromising the entire equipment. In addition, as TecQuipment products are distributed worldwide, any protections for the PCB needs to meet international standards, including European, U.S. and Canadian regulations. In need of a high-quality solution to protect the PCB installed on the FC300 range, TecQuipment chose Spelsberg UK as its enclosure supplier having previously specified its enclosures for the company’s very popular Digital Hydraulic Bench. In need of a high-quality solution to protect the PCB installed on the FC300 range, TecQuipment chose Spelsberg UK as its enclosure supplier having previously specified its enclosures for the company’s very popular Digital Hydraulic Bench. 106 PECM Issue 36