Welcome to the Western Region
The Region covers the five Areas listed below (with Chairmen):
Bath & Bristol - Peter Williams
Devon & Somerset - Mel Temple
Gloucester - John Logue
West Devon and Cornwall - Mike Homer
Swindon - Neil Grant
In addition there are Young Member Panels centred around Bristol and Plymouth. There are also three Divisional Centres for those with specialist interests in the Aerospace, Automobile and Railway industries.
Western Young Members (Bristol) - Charlie Milner
Devon & Cornwall Young Members - John Pitt
Aeronautical - Martin Soltau
Automobile - Chris Brace
Railway - Please contact the Hon Secretary, Michael Winstock, in case of queries
The Region is supported by a professional Regional Manager, Alan King.
Information about events and contacts for each Area or Panel is provided in their respective pages.
The overall programme for the Region aims to provide a mixture of learned society activities including prestige lectures, talks on popular subjects, visits to industrial organisations, aspects of Continuing Professional Development, student prizes and social functions.
Details of the programme, typically comprising around 90 events organised by the Region, Areas, Young Member Panels and Divisional Centres, are printed on a single card, which is sent to all our members during September each year via an insert in Professional Engineering.
I believe it is important that the members in our Region are properly supported. If you would like to discuss any of the above please feel free to contact me, or any of the Area, Panel or Centre Chairmen.
Roger Dilley
Chairman
Currently running throughout the Western Region is the 'Flying Start' schools scheme. More details can be found HERE. Please take a look and get involved.
15 March 2010 | 16:45 - 19:00
Ross Bradley, Head of Innovation at Knorr-Bremse and Sanjay Albert, also from Knorr-Bremse, will present a paper on the latest innovations in freight wagon wheel damage protection technology.
The four parts of this topic will be:
Market drivers for the innovation.
Details of the innovative technology.
Barriers encountered in the development and certification process.
Outline of how barriers are being overcome.
17 March 2010 | 18:30 - 20:30
Nomination Meeting and talk
"Geo-engineering and Adaptation - Components in an integrated engineering response to climate change?"
17 March 2010 | 19:00 - 21:00
18 March 2010 | 19:00 - 21:30
Formula One is famous for a high-technology product developed at break-neck speed and applied in one of the most competitive markets that exists. Having worked in this demanding environment for over 17 years and with more than 10 years experience as either Chief Engineer or Technical Director, Jon will draw out a number of key lessons that can be learnt from how this is done. Now running his own engineering business developing fly-wheel based automotive hybrid technology Jon will show how F1 techniques can be applied to speed development, encourage innovation, deliver complex projects on time and make a profit.
27 March 2010 | 09:30 - 16:30
In order to provide the best service possible to our local members, Bristol and Bath Young Member’s Panel has organised for other Western YM Panels (South Wales and Devon and Cornwall) to share their expertise and work out how to improve our service and quality of events.
12 April 2010 | 16:45 - 19:00
A lecture by Professor Andrew McNaughton, Chief Engineer, High Speed Two Limited.
High Speed Rail has been developed successfully in Europe and Asia to enable a step change in journey times and reliability over conventional rail and provide a genuine alternative to short haul air and long distance motorway modes.
The technology is becoming standardised - but how it is used depends on the nature, size and economic needs of each country in question.
It is these questions that HS2 was set up by government to answer for Great Britain.
Andrew will set out the technical and environmental challenges and choices and the environmental and energy implications.
He will go on to describe the potential impact of a high speed network on the way 21st century British conurbations develop.
This meeting is being held jointly with the PWI.
14 April 2010 | 19:00 - 21:00
"Routes to Professional Registration and Beyond"
An evening for anyone working professionally in Mechanical Engineering, who is considering applying for MIMechE and CEng status.
19 April 2010 | 18:30 - 21:00
IMechE Western Aerospace Centre 2010 Prize Evening
27 April 2010 | 19:00 - 21:00
29 April 2010 | 19:00 - 22:00
29 April 2010 | 19:00 - 21:00
10 May 2010 | 19:00 - 21:00
18 May 2010 | 19:00 - 21:00
21 May 2010 | 19:00 - 21:00
Grape to glass. A talk on wine followed by buffet supper.
26 May 2010 | 18:30 - 20:30
You do have a future and it is not preordained. If you don't create your future then events will create it for you, and you may not like what is created. You are the only common factor in your life and only you know what you really want, so I think you should take control of your future. This session will prove that you can change life's events to your benefit on a fairly regular basis by adopting a few simple rules.”
01 October 2010 | 00:00 - 00:01
Western Aerospace Centre 2010 Prestige Lecture
