My first significant role was playing a pivotal role in producing in-house prototypes and contributing significantly to the manufacturing and assembly process. This employed a wide range of practical skills, many of which I learned about during the degree, everything from vacuum casting to sheet metal bending and carbon fibre hand layup.
Another of my contributions was testing new materials and writing a new internal standard for abrasion testing. The abrasiveness of a part against the cow’s hide is of utmost importance when selecting a material. I consolidated the concurrent Animal Science and Design Engineering approaches and pre-existing knowledge into one test standard and accompanying material database, negotiating with the Animal Science team to gain acceptance and clearly update documentation.
My final contribution was the design and build of a fundamental component within the ZELP product, the Neck Animal Attachment (N-ANA). Throughout the development process, I conducted design reviews with senior members of the engineering team and received input from stakeholders, including the product development director, head of Animal Science, and even the CEO. Ultimately my design was used in the most recent trial, with plans to use it for the subsequent three with minimal change.
