Renishaw supports Foundation Degree in metrology

WMMMC, based within the University, will work closely with the School of Lifelong Learning, which will deliver a Foundation Degree that is designed to fill the skills gap in the understanding and application of measurement. "In the current economic climate, organisations are keen to maximise the potential cost savings and increased value to customers that come about through accurate measurement. The new programme, which is mainly studied in the workplace, gives a student all of the tools required to become a 'champion' of measurement and implement metrology best practice," said Trevor Toman (WMMMC) and Sue Rivers (School of Lifelong Learning). The two-year Foundation Degree Fdeg in Metrology will include levels 1 and 2 of the National Physical Laboratory's (NPL) framework to gain an industry recognised qualification. Time spent away from the workplace will be kept to a minimum, with learning materials available through Coventry University's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Marc Saunders (pictured), Renishaw's UK General Manager, said: "We are delighted to see that one of our Productivity Centres is supporting this exciting measurement education initiative. Our vision for the Centres is that they help SMEs throughout the UK to have access to contemporary manufacturing engineering education, and the new Metrology Foundation Degree is in keeping with those aims." The WMMMC was the first of a network of Renishaw Productivity Centres. These Centres deliver a course based around a Renishaw concept called the Productive Process Pyramid, which is used to systematically identify and control sources of variation in machining processes, resulting in increased automation, improved process capability, and reduced scrap and rework. Students learn about design for manufacture, control of process inputs, environmental stability, machine performance optimisation, tracking machine geometry changes, process set-up, in-cycle process control and on-machine verification. They leave with an action plan to implement process improvements in their factories. For more information about the Foundation Degree, contact Katherine McHugh at the School of Lifelong Learning on 024 7688 7867