On Friday 13th December, the 2019 Tinplate Design Event took place in the Department of Materials at Loughborough University.

The annual event showcases group design work in tinplate and steel wire, which students undertake throughout semester 1 in the second year of their materials studies.

The event is made possible due to a generous donation by the Worshipful Company of Tinplate Workers' alias Wire Workers of the City of London

Students presented their work to members of the Worshipful Company in the morning and then exhibited their work and posters of their designs in the afternoon, when staff and research students came and voted for their favourite posters and enjoyed some refreshments with our guests from the Worshipful Company, including Laurence Mutkin, (Company Master) and John Swain, Nick Mullen, Past Master Peter Wilkinson and Bev Page (Worshipful Company Members.)

Cash prizes were awarded for the best designs and posters in tinplate and steel wire and  certificates were presented by the Master to the groups.

Winners at the event were:

T1 - Best Design in Tinplate - Hunaynah Abdulgafar, William Davis, Leo Kirkpatrick-Baird and Haimini Parmar (pictured above with Laurence Mutkin, Company Master)

S1 - Best Design in Steel wire - Sanya Chhugani-Vaswani, Olly Gook and Jimra Yewri

T2 - Best Tinplate Poster - Hawa Botan, Francesca Tavares-Questiaux and Ciara Law

S3 - Best Steel Wire Poster - Samuel Corston-Garner, Alex Haydock-Wilson, Theophile Nicaise and James Smith

This module gives students the valuable opportunity to see what it is like to design an item and then pitch it to industry. The Worshipful Company Representatives pull no punches in the way that they assess students' designs; drilling down into the work that the students present and checking their thinking and work at every stage of the design process.

This event takes place on the final day prior to finishing for the winter break and with everyone in high spirits, the event is always a success.

The Department of Materials would like to offer thanks to the Worshipful Company, not only for their generous donation, but also for their ongoing support throughout the year.