Accu backs STEM in FIRST Tech Challenge UK

Huddersfield-based Accu, a precision engineering component distributor, is celebrating the success of two of the student teams it sponsors at the FIRST Tech Challenge UK national championships held recently, as part of its commitment to STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics).

Accu’s sponsored team ‘Powercut Robotics’ from Langley Park School in Bromley won the highest accolade in the competition — the Inspire Award — competing against 63 other teams from schools around the country. The school will now go through to represent Team Great Britain at FIRST Global in Panama in October, an international youth robotics competition, which unites young people from 190 countries.

In addition, the team will go through to the European Premier Event in Eindhoven, becoming the first UK comprehensive school to compete internationally. Furthermore, Langley Park School collaborated with the Norwood School in London, which Accu also sponsored, to win the UK championship game, as a result of unprecedented gameplay.

As part of its sponsorship, Accu provided £250 worth of high-quality components to both Langley Park School and The Norwood School, which the students used on the robots they designed, built and coded for this year’s water-themed challenge ‘Into the Deep’.

Adrian Gupter, project manager at Powercut Robotics, said: “A huge thank you to Accu for their support this season, it has been invaluable to the team. By using Accu components, we could ensure we had a reliable robot that would perform well on the field, without having to worry about poor-quality components. We also love the extensive catalogue and fast delivery, which is important when we are working to tight deadlines.”

Stem activities
The FIRST Tech Challenge UK Championships was held at the Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. Sponsoring the two teams was part of Accu’s support for encouraging young people to consider engineering roles, through involvement in STEM activities.

Alastair Morris, managing director of Accu, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the success of our teams at the championships. This was a great event that showcased precision engineering in a fun and interactive way, giving young people the opportunity to create robots from scratch and gain an insight into careers in engineering. We wish Langley Park School all the best when they represent the UK in Panama and in Eindhoven.”

Adam Rodrigues, team leader at Norwood Industries, said: "Accu’s components were vital to assembling our robot, which includes over 1,000 fasteners and features five advanced sub-systems, our most complex build to date. On top of the components, Accu’s library of CAD models was critical to our success this season, helping us to model components efficiently.”

Accu supplied components including cap head screws, countersunk screws, hex bolts, grub screws, nyloc nuts, hex nuts, washers and cable ties, which were essential in helping these teams bring their engineering visions to life. As well as its involvement in FIRST Tech Challenge UK National Championships, Accu works with a number of student robotics clubs locally to design their own robots and compete against its in-house engineers. The aim is to offer students a valuable hands-on experience with CAD, additive manufacturing and basic mechanical design, inspiring the next generation of innovators and engineers.

Accu recently took part in the Makers Central event at the NEC, Birmingham, alongside Kids Invent Stuff, whose channel is dedicated to crazy inventions and bringing design concept ideas from four to 11 year olds to life. Accu believes that by equipping students with professional-grade components and real-world experience, they are helping the next generation of engineers and innovators to explore creativity, talent and STEM-related careers.