At the end of its first full year of operation, the University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre is already delivering results for engineering businesses in and around Sheffield.
In this short space of time, over 200 apprentices have passed through the doors of this brand new facility, having gained a mix of practical machining and fitting experience, along with business administration skills.
To gain a place at the centre, students are subjected to stringent interviews and tests; and this rigorous selection system is paying dividends for the companies that employ them.
Lead trainer Gareth Wilkinson says: “The process we have for recruiting apprentices ensures that those taking up our offer are keen to progress, and that after their time at the centre they are ready to enter the work environment back with their employers.”
To ensure that its students are ‘ready for work’, the AMRC has made a significant investment in workshop equipment that ranges from manual machine tools through to five-axis machining centres. Initially, all training is done on manual machines, and students spend up to six months at the AMRC Training Centre.
The manual machines were supplied by Derbyshire-based Huvema (
www.huvema.co.uk), which installed 30 turret mills and lathes. So far, 120 students have undergone basic engineering instruction on them.
To win the business, Huvema was subjected to a lengthy tendering process, as Mr Wilkinson highlights: “We needed machines that would meet the needs of students but also match our requirements on cost and quality. The Huvemas feature a relatively heavy-duty construction and were competitively priced; this, combined with the promised service and support — plus a two-year warranty — won the business for the company.
“Furthermore, we called on Huvema’s service offering almost immediately. When the machines were delivered, the building wasn’t completed, so they had to be installed at another AMRC facility. When we were ready, the company relocated the machines and made sure that everything was OK — with no charge for labour.”
Machine types
The turret mills are Huvema HU 4VK Newall-4 Topline machines, which have a 1m bed length as standard; that said, the Training Centre also specified a number of 1.5m-bed machines as special-order items.
The lathes are a mix of Huvema HU410 VAC 1,000mm and 1,500mm manual lathes, each equipped with a selection of standard accessories that include three- and four-jaw chucks, steadies, a faceplate, a variable-speed spindle, and a Newall digital read-out.
As standard, the machines are also fitted with a multi-fix quick-change tool-post and saddle guards. As part of the contract, the AMRC Training Centre specified certain modifications; these included splash panels to help maintain a clean working environment.
To keep the centre as ‘real life’ as possible, the manual machines are split into two cells, with students working in separate groups on a range of machining tasks. Mick Fairman, one of AMRC’s engineering trainers, says: “We make it clear from day one that if their work isn’t right, it goes in the bin.
"We are trying to drag apprenticeships into the 21st century and make them relevant to the needs of local industry. Having the Huvema machines and using them in the way we do ensures that there are no culture shocks when the apprentices go back to their employer at the end of their time with us.”