Now that my aching feet and ankles have subsided I feel I can write about the Autosport show; but before that; will someone explain why I can spend all day, no, all weekend plus a test day at Silverstone in the pouring rain and my feet don’t ache, but spend a day at the NEC walking around, pottering and making a nuisance of myself with exhibitors and I am nearly crippled? (Please, no-one write in, you will just encourage him, Ed)
The NMA Stand at the Autosport Show.
This is the first year in a long time that I have really felt that motorsport is on the Up; Enthusiasm, talk of good deals, even sponsorship….. plus of course the Engineering Hall.
Here at NMA Towers we are still contacting all the people that asked for information, even signed up for, the Online Motorsport Engineering Degrees that we run. It is fantastic to see people that have been in the industry for a number of years looking at further education to enhance their prospects in this cut throat area of employment. Ladies as well. I don’t mean anything sexist in this at all but there are not enough ladies in the motorsport arena and those that there are, are highlighted mainly because they are drivers – one being Susie Wolff.
Well, Susie got onto social media and probably thinking the same thing as me, “Where are all the ladies in motorsport?” asked for a little detail from ladies that are at all levels in the business/sport..
One of our students on the online Foundation Degree in Motorsport Engineering course replied and got featured in Susies’ social media postings and on the Autosport stage as part of the Dare To Be Different campaign (http://daretobedifferent.org/). A fantastic opportunity for Julie.
Source: @Susie_Wolff
Source: Julie Colye
In the Engineering Hall the stands were awe inspiring as always and the big one for me was the EOS stand. They are in the business of industrial 3d prototyping and printing. This is an area that is right at the cutting edge of technology and has changed so much since it first appeared on the scene. The case study highlighted here gives one example but the one for me – look at those brake pedal pictures.
Made from sintered metal and then 3d printed, the original pedal started off feather light and using a sophisticated series of step changes the lightened pedal retains its strength and loses weight. This is for top end superbike racing and shows the level of effort these teams are going to get an advantage.
Remember the slightly tongue in cheek valve I described made of expensivium and unobtanium – well look at this then……….Ta da; a hollow valve, 3d printed and then joined………. Witchcraft!
Source: EOS e-Manufacturing Solutions
Over on the other side of the NEC was the COYS Auction where I saw many cars of my motorsport youth and road cars that made the Top Trumps card game the world beating kids game it was.
Some of the prices at the hammer fall were astronomical but at the time of writing the actual results are still awaited. To finish, why not drool over some of these beauties and think about them being in your garage.
Roger Grimshaw – NMA Tutor.
