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3 Manufacturing Team Challenge (MTC) MTC covers designing and manufacturing equipment assemblies. Each team has three members who are issued with a project specification one year prior to the competition. The teams will then design their individual assemblies in advance and build them during the competition. At the beginning of the event, teams are given another surprise task. Comprehensive project documentation must also be produced. In 2003, the project specification was for a solar powered water pump. The project for 2005 will be a battery powered city vehicle. The vehicle must fit in a transport container measuring 1m x 0.3m x 0.3m. Further specifications: turning radius 1m; load capacity 80kg; velocity 6km/h. The time allocated for the project is 22 hours. Competitors are assessed objectively, based on project costs. Prospective competitors must be Mechanical Engineering students in further education. They must be able to demonstrate innovative thinking, multi-disciplinary skills and team spirit. This involves a variety of skills including design at draft level and computerised level and applying manufacturing skills such as manual and computer-aided machining, welding, installing and assembling, automation and electronics. This kind of multi-skilled professionalism is also required in real life mechanical workshop environments.
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