Mechanical Engineering Semester Highlights

From tackling real industry challenges to laying the groundwork for a professional career, our Mechanical Engineering students spend their time here doing far more than studying theory. Here's a look at some of the highlights from this semester that show exactly what that looks like in practice, and what you can expect to be part of when you join us.

Solving real industry problems: additive manufacturing for oil and gas

One of the standout projects this semester tackled a genuine engineering challenge facing the oil and gas sector: what happens when a critical component becomes obsolete or impossible to source?

Congratulations to Michael Roberts for his superb project exploring how additive manufacturing through 3D printing, applied at an industrial level, could offer a solution, using ER70S-6 material as its focus.  Through detailed mechanical testing, the work assessed how well components produced this way could perform under real operating conditions, building a case for additive manufacturing as a practical route to replacing hard-to-find parts.

The project was showcased at GradEX, the University's annual degree show and a genuine highlight of the final-year calendar. Here, final year engineering students present their work directly to industry professionals, employers, and expert judges as a professional exercise.
It's a rare opportunity to get direct feedback from people working in the field, start building the professional connections that matter for your career, and demonstrate the kind of technical expertise and creative problem-solving that employers are actively looking for.

Explore select Engineering GradEx projects

Building the Engineer alongside the skillset

Great engineering isn't only about technical ability, it's about knowing how to apply that ability, communicate it clearly, and build a career around it. That's the thinking behind our Engineering Professional Development module, taken by our Level 4 students this semester.

The module is built around problem-based learning, hands-on laboratory work, and structured professional development workshops.  Rather than learning engineering principles in isolation, you'll explore how working engineers actually identify challenges, analyse problems, and develop solutions, all using the same industry-standard software and simulation tools you'll rely on throughout your career.

Alongside the technical grounding, the module puts real weight behind the skills that often get overlooked early in a degree: employability, communication, teamwork, networking, and career planning. Through reflective and analytical coursework, you'll be encouraged to think seriously about your future in engineering, what kind of engineer you want to be, and how to build the professional identity to get there.

Learning from industry: heat pump technology and the path to Net Zero

Sustainability isn't an abstract topic in our engineering courses, it's a live, practical challenge students engage with directly. That was the focus of a recent CPD session, "Introduction to Heat Pump Technology and its Role in Net Zero," delivered by an industry expert from STREBEL Heating Technology, a UK-based advanced heating technologies company.

The session gave students a grounded introduction to how heat pumps actually work, the UK legislation driving heating decarbonisation, and the real design and installation considerations engineers face when specifying these systems. Real-world case studies brought the theory to life, showing students exactly how low-carbon heating solutions are being applied in practice.

Sessions like this matter because they close the gap between what's taught and what's happening in the field right now. Students left with a stronger grasp of renewable energy technology, a clearer sense of the practical obstacles standing between industry and Net Zero, and direct exposure to the kind of decision-making engineers are grappling with today.

Mastering simulation: Computational Fluid Dynamics

For final-year students, the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) module is where technical depth really comes into focus. Working with industry-standard software including ANSYS Workbench, ANSYS Mesher, and ANSYS Fluent; students learn to model and analyse complex fluid flow problems using the same tools engineers rely on in professional practice.

That means building and refining computational meshes, applying boundary conditions, running numerical simulations, and interpreting the results to inform real engineering solutions. It's demanding, detailed work, and it pays off in more than just technical capability.  Through assessed project work, students also sharpen their ability to present complex technical findings clearly, a skill that matters just as much as the analysis itself once you're in industry.

Together, this combination of specialist software experience and communication skill gives students the confidence to walk into a workplace and apply what they know.

Celebrating our Graduates and welcoming what's next

As this academic year draws to a close, we want to take a moment to celebrate our graduates and wish them every success as they begin the next stage of their engineering careers. It's genuinely rewarding to see so many of our students progressing into exciting industry roles, putting the knowledge, skills, and practical experience built during their studies straight to work. We'll be following their journeys with real interest and look forward to celebrating what comes next.

We're also delighted to welcome some of our graduates back to continue their development through postgraduate study: deepening their expertise and pushing into new areas of engineering innovation.

Looking ahead, we're excited to welcome a new cohort of engineering students, support our returning students as they progress through their degrees, and keep building the kind of hands-on learning, industry engagement, and professional growth that defines an engineering education at University of Staffordshire.