Mechanical Engineering students at Camosun College held a showcase Friday with nine different working prototypes.
In teams of four, students spent 3,000 hours over four months constructing projects ranging from a two-stroke engine to an environmentally friendly egg incubator and a 10 foot tall, fully collapsible specialized rock climbing wall designed to improve grip and endurance.
Chase Ryan and his crew built an automated induction hardening system, a project sponsored by Nicholson Manufacturing, Ltd., who makes log debarkers.
“This is a proof of concept project,” Ryan said. “Phase one of this concept was: is it even physically possible to get this thing to work?”
Ryan said they were able to conduct preliminary testing at the Sidney-based manufacturer, using a thermal imaging camera. The system is designed to harden the teeth of traction inserts with heating and cooling to match the strength of the logs.
Evan Hagerty and Kory Pollner of Rainhouse Engineering were at the showcase to meet students and get to know their projects. Both Hagerty and Pollner are former students of the Camosun program.
“I thought the two-stroke engine, working, for students is pretty impressive,” Pollner said. “They built that whole thing from scratch.”
Of the induction hardening system, Pollner was equally impressed that from concept to design to finish, it took the students just three months to create a functional product.
“It’s always good when it seems like they’re actually going to be able to use the project,” Hagerty added. “That kind of gets our attention.”
The showcase marks the capstone event for this year’s 32 graduating students.
Chase Ryan, of the mechanical engineering program at Camsoun College, tours through the automated induction hardening system he and his classmates built.
