The plastic injection moulding manufacturer Pentagon Plastics continues its education programme and recently welcomed students from London South Bank University and on a separate site visit, product design and engineering students from the University of Brighton.
Managing Director, Paul Edwards, of the family-run company highlights the purpose of education days to give students hands-on experience, enhanced insight into design for manufacture and the opportunity to better understand the plastic injection moulding process.
Whilst visiting the Sussex-based company, students were greeted with a presentation on all aspects of the business and were encouraged to ask questions to further enhance their understanding. A tour of the premises followed, including the newly acquired site of Phoenix Engineering. The final stage of the day involved visiting the post moulding department, which is an expanding element of the business.
Steven Smith, the course tutor to students from the University of Brighton offered the following feedback to both Paul Edwards and Gabby Day who arranged the site visit:
“Visits to companies like Pentagon Plastics are crucial to students’ understanding of industrial processes like injection moulding and tool making. In university lectures, we are able to describe the theory, but witnessing the operation in practice is an experience that will stay with them all of their professional lives. And the better they understand the constraints (and opportunities) of these materials and processes, the more likely it is that they, and their ideas, will succeed.
We are really grateful to Paul for his expert insights and to Gabby for setting the visit up and opening the students’ eyes to what is possible”
The team at Pentagon Plastics and Phoenix Engineering enjoy sharing their knowledge through these types of educational events and appreciate their role in shaping the product designers and engineers of the future, which is essential for growth within UK manufacturing and engineering given the current skills gap that the industry faces.
One of the most beneficial aspects of a site visit to Pentagon Plastics is the fact that not only does the company run 10 moulding machines on site it also offers a full on site tool room, providing added value and knowledge to the students on the complete processes involved.
The team are looking forward to welcoming more students in the future, not only those in higher education but also those of school age who have a keen interest in this highly skilled industry.
