Staff profile

Responsibilities within department

To develop and construct complex and precision apparatus for teaching and research; to provide mechanical engineering support to teaching laboratories and research groups within the Department of Physics.

Qualifications

• HNC in Mechanical and Production Engineering
• ONC in Mechanical and Production Engineering
• BTEC 1^st Cert. in Engineering
• NVQ Level 3 in Engineering

Personal Statement

After leaving school in 1989 I served a five year apprenticeship with Whessoe Systems and Controls as a machinist, manufacturing components for the oil and gas industry. This was in collaboration with South West Durham training centre and Bishop Auckland Technical College. Within Whessoe I was promoted to a Production Engineer where amongst other things I was involved in Machining and Assembly method improvements, Design and manufacture of jigs and Capital expenditure requests.

I went on to work for various precision engineering companies that include Altec Engineering, Aycliffe Tool and Gauge and MT 2000. Within these companies I was responsible for working with press, mould, extrusion tools and jigs and fixtures mainly for the automotive industry. Daily duties included programming and operating 4 Axis EDM Wire Erosion machines, 3 Axis Turning and Milling machines and Computer Aided Design.

In 2005 I started work for the University as a Mechanical Workshop Technician. I have worked on various projects during my time here, many of which have been for CfAI.