The evening did not disappoint, with many commenting that it was the best overall delivery to date. Not only was the atmosphere electric, but this year’s programme also attracted an increased number of entries across the seven categories, with all the Finalists being deemed to be of the highest quality by the independent judging panel.

The Judging Session, which for the second-year running was held virtually via Zoom, again employed a comprehensive suite of assessment protocols together with a corroborative ‘points scoring system’ to determine the Finalists in each category. This process also identified the category Winners, although of course, this information was kept a closely guarded secret until being revealed by the category sponsors during the prestigious Awards Ceremony.

The 2022 AEMT Awards Winners are as follows: -

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by PLANT & WORKS ENGINEERING

Preformed Windings: QualCoil H

Preformed Windings is a global leader in the supply of HV diamond coils. The latest HV coil specification launched to market is QualCoil H, the first ‘Class H’ resin rich coil specification in the world, developed over two years and 15,000 hours of R&D with a leading OEM and insulation supplier.

PROJECT OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by EMiR SOFTWARE

Sulzer: National Grid Project

The National Grid detected failing resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) on two Ex rated, 16 MW motors at gas booster stations in England. To secure Ex condition monitoring compliance, it approached Sulzer. As the motors were important for the UK's gas supply network, repairing the fifty-one ton, six-phase synchronous units quickly was vital. Sulzer's Birmingham Service Centre conducted turnkey redesigns and rewinds on both motors, helping National Grid to provide reliable power to millions.

SERVICE CENTRE OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by ABB

Hayley 247

Hayley 247 Engineering Services provide a specialist reconditioning and repair service for all types of industrial gearboxes and pumps with a lifting capacity up to fifty tonnes. Combining a general machining and repair facility with a range of on-site services, the company offers a 24/7 operation. It specialises in providing a comprehensive range of reactive and planned mechanical engineering services to a broad range of industry sectors.

SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by DRIVES & CONTROLS

WES

WES was founded as Wire Electric Supplies in 1990 with the sole objective of providing the best service, quality, and product range to the electric coil winding industries. In a marketplace which is dynamic and constantly evolving, WES continue to set the standard in product development and service back up, supplying its customers with the very best products that money can buy. Year on year the portfolio of stocked products grows to an ever-widening range of materials carefully chosen by us to ensure that customers get the exact product they need, when they want it.

CONTRIBUTION TO SKILLS & TRAINING - Sponsored by SULZER

ADC Electrical

Most people within engineering will be aware of how difficult it is becoming to find and keep hold of good engineering people. This year ADC Electrical have collaborated with Primary Engineer to try and increase awareness of engineering within schools in the Northeast of England to help produce our next generation of engineers. Although thrilled to have won this award, it is hoped that this may help raise awareness of the Primary Engineer scheme and that others will see its value and want to get involved themselves.

RISING STAR AWARD - Sponsored by FANUC UK

Greig Johnston, Sulzer

Since beginning his apprenticeship with Sulzer in 2018, Greig has committed his time to learning all that he can about Mechanical Engineering and has taken every opportunity to develop his skills. In under 5 years, Greig has gained his Level 4 Apprenticeship, a Higher National Certificate (HNC) and a Higher National Diploma (HNC) and is now looking to start a degree in Engineering.

DIVERSITY IN ENGINEERING AWARD - Sponsored by PREFORMED WINDINGS

Houghton International

From its systems to its culture, Houghton International seeks to increase diversity and promote inclusion in everything it does. Through comprehensive policies and employee support initiatives, the business strives to provide equal opportunities for employment and progression, supporting employees to achieve their goals. It offers an award-winning apprenticeship scheme and engages with schools and young people to promote diversity within our industry by encouraging and inspiring the next generation of engineers.

LIFETIME CONTRIBUTION AWARD - Sponsored by AEMT

Gary Downes, EMiR Software

There are not many other individuals who have dedicated so much of their time and resource to the AEMT. This year’s recipient joined the association in 2003 as an associate member, and since that time his business has helped upwards of sixty-eight members succeed in their workflows, jobs, stock control and much more! In 2011, he joined the Council and was our first ever associate member to become Honorary President in 2017. During his tenure he was pivotal in initiating many of the most popular events in the AEMT calendar. Closest to his heart is the annual Golf Day, which continues to be a sell-out event every year thanks to his continued hard work and sponsorship! It was under his Presidency, that we launched the inaugural Awards Ceremony and five years on he remains a key supporter. Aside from numerous accolades as President, he has been a stalwart champion of the Association, continually promoting its events and services via his own channels. As a result of the strong relationships he has built right across the industry, he has encouraged many new members to join the AEMT.

Commenting on the awards dinner, Thomas Marks, Secretary and General Manager at the AEMT said, “We were delighted with the entire event from start to finish. The venue, food and drink were all excellent, the stage-set and overall presentation was fantastic, and the after-dinner entertainment, mind-reader, and mentalist Alex Crow, was simply brilliant. Bringing together so many people from across our sector to celebrate the excellent work it undertakes is extremely pleasing and our sincere congratulations go to the eight Winners, as well as each and every Finalist.”

Further details

For more information on the 2021 AEMT Awards and to review the image gallery, please visit the dedicated awards website www.aemtawards.com or contact the producers, Touchwave Media on 07785 290034 or by email at andrew@touchwavemedia.co.uk.

The ‘call for nominations’ for the 2023 awards programme will open in the spring of next year, so if you or your company have a product, project, service, or other achievement which you feel is deserving of industry-wide recognition, be sure to submit an entry. The PR value associated with being selected as a Finalist is highly desirable, but if heralded a Winner, the value is even greater. So, what have you got to lose?

AEMT Conference

During the day, ahead of the awards dinner, the AEMT staged its Annual Conference, during which both practical information and innovative inspiration was imparted.

Delegates were treated to a series presentations and discussions on a range of topical issues, including: how the correct use of data from connected motors can deliver better service decisions, how the advances in additive manufacturing and 3D scanning has enabled repairs that were not possible using conventional methods, and additionally, how these new technologies are helping to advance the design of electric motors.

The topic of how SME’s can access the type of external support for technical innovation, process improvement and business development which seems readily available to larger organisations was addressed, as was the process by which small businesses can gain greater success in their PR and social media endeavours.

The challenges of retaining and recruiting staff was also tackled with talks on how to inspire the engineers of tomorrow, how ex-military personnel can fill the engineering vacancies of today, and what HR practices can be undertaken to protect and retain staff during the cost-of-living crisis. Information on all these presentations, including PDF downloads, can be found on the dedicated conference website - https://www.aemtconference.com/.