Factory 'geared up' for school tour

Nov 10

Compact Orbital Gears which was established 60 years ago and is based in Rhayader, Powys, recently worked with Mid Wales Manufacturing Group & Myrick Training Services to showcase their facility and provide activities to 30 Year 6 pupils from the local Rhayader Primary School.

View more images here - https://www.mwmg.org/events-workshop-gallery/compact-orbital-gears-tour-with-rhayader-primary-school-nov-23

Since it’s creation, the company has supplied many thousands of gearboxes for a wide range of applications and to countries all over the world. The gearboxes produced range from those with a speed of ½ rpm to 150,000 rpm or 2 ½ thousand revs per second. The sizes range from something that would fit in the palm of your hand up to 38 tons.

As part of the factory tour, Production Manager Rob Price explained the function of gears, and pupils were able to feel the weight difference of different metals including copper, aluminium and steel, and to discuss their benefits and usage.

The importance of maths in engineering processes was explained and pupils were able to measure a width of paper compared to a width of hair using digital vernier callipers.

Several activities had also been set up for pupils to participate in, Jago Harling from Compact Orbital Gears helped pupils check measurements of engineering drawings and parts using rulers and digital callipers, parts included shafts, output coupling and a sunwheel.

Neil Morrison & Russell Bramwell from Myrick Training Services were on hand as pupils tried their hand at welding a T Joint using a 6m butt weld with the virtual welder and building a motorised drive mechanism which simulates a car valve injector activation.

Alex Jarman – Jones from Compact Orbital Gears worked with the pupils on assembling lego gear kits to make different gear ratio’s.

Tricia Evans from Compact Orbital Gears explained “We were delighted to be able to show the pupils the work that is undertaken at one of the businesses in the town, the pupils were very engaged and asked lots of questions, it is important for the future skills of the business that we engage with young people”.

Ceri Stephens from Mid Wales Manufacturing Group who helped arrange the visit added “we are grateful to the team at Compact Orbital Gears for working with us to provide an excellent tour for the pupils and help embed the importance of STEM in their learning and the range of career opportunities that are available to them in the region.”

Following the visit head teacher Linda Crockett commented “The children really enjoyed the visit, they are keen to come again. It was great that they could see the skills they are learning in class are transferred to the workplace. Their measuring yesterday was much more focused and accurate.”