The competition is generously sponsored by Weir Minerals.
Overview
In 1988, the Panel on Engineering Design initiated a national "design and build" competition, known today as the Weir Minerals Design and Build Competition. In the past it was named the Warman Competition due to sponsorship by the Warman pump company. Following their takeover by Weir Minerals it has changed name and is very generously sponsored by Weir Minerals. The competition is open to students in mechanical engineering who are in their first or second year of study. The competition receives entries from the Asia Pacific region, with most from Australia and NZ. Heats are held as part of design engineering courses, typically in second year, at most universities. The campus winners then converge on the national final to determine who are the region's best budding designers.
A retrospective - "Eleven Years On"
2010 Competition - Project "Pass"
2010 Rules:
2010 Competition Rules for Project "Pass" (PDF - 139KB)
2010 National Final Registration:
2010 National Final Student Registration Form
THE CONTEXT:
The Gondwanan landscape is again being reshaped by tectonic plate movement and regular thermal eruptions. A major crevice (predicted to grow into a significant crevasse) has formed but valuable materials need to be repositioned by land based means through the region. This is an evolution that must be done with accuracy, safety and security. Transport of the materials must be achieved within a time frame defined by the regular eruptions to avoid the scorching heat that would limit the success of the mission. The exchange is also a potentially dangerous activity that should be done well away from the safe havens of the existing and proposed new storage depots.
THE CHALLENGE:
The challenge is to design a system to move a valuable yet sensitive material stockpile under very difficult circumstances. In the opinion of the Gondwanan engineers, tectonic plate movement may continue for some time. It has already created serious ground surface discontinuities and variability at and near the crevice. Current climate conditions have ruled out the use of air operations. Therefore, and to allow for multiple transfers, the Gondwanan engineers are of the opinion that two vehicles will be needed working together, with one positioned on either side of the crevice. In that case, a way must be found to pass the material between them across the crevice.
Fortunately, teams of engineering students from Earth are about to visit Gondwana as part of their work experience programmes. On previous visits such engineering students have rendered invaluable assistance with solutions to similar engineering problems, and the Gondwanans again are hoping to benefit from the ideas of the innovative budding engineers.
THE OBJECTIVE:
The objective is to design, build and prove a prototype system in a laboratory environment that serves to transport a payload across a disjointed and cambered track modelling the newly forming landscape. Can you design the most efficient system incorporating two devices and a transferable container carrying the payload ?
Can you assist in Project PASS – re-Position with Accuracy, Safety and Security?
National Organiser
Dr Warren Smith
w.smith@adfa.edu.au
Phone: 02 6268 8262
Past Winners & Competition Reports