• Question: do you need any speial equipment for your work?

    Asked by foggy+mum to Shruti, Mark, Faranak, Douglas, Charlene, Alistair on 4 Mar 2019.
    • Photo: Shruti Turner

      Shruti Turner answered on 4 Mar 2019:

      Sometimes. Depends how special you mean! I use a pretty standard computer for a lot of my work, it just has higher processing power than most because I do a lot of programming and some modelling as part of my work. It allows me to create web apps for people to use to see the information more clearly and for my to analyse the data. Then I use things that are found in the engineering workshop at Imperial for when I need to make things: I make circuit boards etc. so I use a soldering iron for that, I have used a 3D printer to get parts that I need and I use a special machine to test sensors that are part of the technology I’m designing to apply forces repetitively. So they can be quite specialist, I’m just in a very lucky position where I don’t have to worry about accessing the equipment needed.

    • Photo: Mark Bentley

      Mark Bentley answered on 4 Mar 2019:

      I have 2 workshops,

      1. a machine shop with precision CNC machines, laser cutters, lathes, plastic printers
      2. a fabricating workshop for larger items, welding, wood work

      Its all standard equipment you would find in any machine workshop.

      I use a pretty standard PC, it’s a little bit tweaked to help with the CAD software I use, but not crazy expensive as my budget is quite small.

    • Photo: Faranak Bahrami

      Faranak Bahrami answered on 5 Mar 2019:

      Yes,
      I need access to a computer model program (Abaqus) which I can design the material that I’m working with, in there and then apply different conditions to see what happens to it.

      I also need to have access to a big heated press (it can get as hot as 1000°C) which allows me to make the materials that I need for my project in there.

      There are many other bits and pieces that I need, but it’s not just for me, it’s in our labs and all the other engineers can also use them

    • Photo: Charlene Chung

      Charlene Chung answered on 6 Mar 2019:

      I need computer software program called InfoWorks ICM to build a hydraulic model of the sewage and drainage network. I can do analysis there on the current condition of drains and test different types of scenarios that could occur and what would help prevent them, such as flooding or backing up of sewage.

      Also I use MapInfo to look at patterns in mapped data, and QGIS to also look at to capture,investigate and present spatial or geographic data. I end up making A4, A3 to massive A1 plans of sewage systems of towns, villages and cities.

      When I go out on site to look at sewers and related assets, the crew bring with them specific apparatus for being lowered in and out of the sewers to inspect them and gather the information I need.

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