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06-11 Festo engineers inspire students

Students from CTS have had the chance to work alongside world class engineers.

Students from CTS have had the chance to work alongside world class engineers.

Nearly 50 students from Years 7 and 8 visited Festo, a leading world-wide supplier of automation technology, which has a UK base in Northampton.

The students had the chance to speak to engineering apprentices about their experiences, take part in pneumatics workshops and look at 50 products made by the company.

Design and Technology teacher Nigel Barrett said: “Festo makes the stuff that makes the stuff that makes the stuff we use in everyday life. It is at the cutting edge of robotics and manufacturing.

“About 10 per cent of their profits go into research and development and their employees have a free hand to try things out. They create fantastic things such as their Smart Bird which weighs only 410 grams and flies like a real bird.

“The students loved their visit – they had a fascinating time.”

Year 8 students Bartosz, Matthew and Shannon took part in the visit.

Bartosz said: “I enjoyed looking at the exciting machines. I would like to work there and I found it interesting to talk to an engineer.”

Matthew would like to become an engineer.

He said: “I liked looking at their ping pong machine. It has a jet which blows the balls up in the air.”

Shannon added: “I liked learning about the sewage machines – it separates the rubbish out into a different pipe and recycles it.”

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