Engineering Newcomer 2021 honors future engineers for their remarkable innovative strength

Innovations and creative problem-solving are more important than ever to master the challenges of our time. The Engineering Newcomer was launched in 2014 to support young talents in developing trailblazing technical devices and machines while attracting attention to their project. 35 teams from Germany, Austria, Sweden, Italy, the UK, Nigeria and Turkey submitted their clever design ideas to this year’s 8th edition of the challenge. The three top rated projects were officially rewarded with attractive cash prizes totaling 7,500 euros for the teams and their respective educational institutions at the German trade fair Motek on 5 October 2021. The designs of the engineers were evaluated by jury members from organizers CADENAS GmbH, norelem Normelemente GmbH & Co. KG, Bundesarbeitskreis Fachschule für Technik, MDESIGN Vertriebs GmbH, TENADO GmbH and ZUKEN E3 GmbH.

The expert jury was impressed by the achievements and creativity of the participating teams this year: "In my view, Engineering Newcomer 2021 has reached a new level. The functional prototypes impressively demonstrate this quality. What’s more, almost all projects are market-ready and have a high market potential," said jury member Matthias Grywatsch, Bundesarbeitskreis Fachschule für Technik (Federal Working Group of Technical Schools). "Standards are used to a high degree or standardization and flexibility in application are very often considered and possible."

Numerous participants of the challenge, the representatives of the respective technical schools and colleges as well as the jury members gathered at the trade fair to find out which projects won the race this year.

Christian Rieger from Technikerschule München won first place in the Engineering Newcomer competition and prize money worth 2,000 euros. His project, the high-temperature 3D printer HTPx3 with tool changer, addresses the increasingly important topic of additive manufacturing. The 3D printer is able to print all common filaments, even PEEK material, easily and precisely at a maximum extruder temperature of 450°C and a maximum build chamber temperature of 120°C. Three individually controlled Z-axes also enable non-planar printing, giving curved parts a smooth finish. Christian Rieger will invest the Engineering Newcomer prize money in a variety of different filaments: "I will also further optimize the 3D printer and expand it with additional tools, such as a milling tool or laser," says the winner of this year's design competition.

Second place and 1,000 euros went to the 5-person team consisting of Patrick Körber, Jonas Zirlik, Michael Pröll, Thomas Hahn and Christian Roder from Rudolf-Diesel-Fachschule Nürnberg. With their project work, they also refer to a trend that is currently on the rise: Pellet smokers are increasingly being used alongside conventional gas or charcoal grills. Their even heat and subtle smoke development enable gentle smoking and cooking of grilled food. The young engineers convinced the expert jury with their automated pellet smoker SmokeMatik, which regulates the pellet and air supply independently and monitors the temperature in the cooking chamber with the help of sensors. Through the project work and participation in Engineering Newcomer 2021, the team members gained a lot of practical knowledge in the technical field and developed their social skills. "These experiences are important and highly beneficial for our further career path. The project work was a very good preparation for the future requirements for a state-certified technician," says team SmokeMatik.

Alexander Berkmann, Wilhelm Menke and Ilona Pollari from Technikerschule München were honored with third place and 500 euros in the Engineering Newcomer 2021 competition. With their twist-in device for tree protection, the team wants to make a contribution to environmental protection and the safeguarding of tree populations in the construction industry. This is because increasing building development in Germany means that more and more old stocks of trees have to be cut down because their roots are too close to, for example, driveways. To preserve the trees and ensure their stability, so-called root bridges can be installed to protect the root system. Until now, a hand tool and two workers were usually needed to effectively anchor the main elements in the ground with foundation bolts. With the junior engineers' screwing-in device, the foundation screws with a length of 50 to 150 cm and a diameter of 89 mm can be screwed into the earth or gravel soil more quickly and easily with the help of a mini-excavator. "We want to make a contribution with our project to bringing housing densification and tree protection down to a common denominator and ensure that they are no longer at odds with each other," affirm the team members. "That’s why we’re very happy that our prototype is already in use and is diligently turning screws in the ground." Schrauben in den Boden dreht.“

In addition to the individual teams, their educational institutions can also score points in the Engineering Newcomer by securing a place on the Eternal List with their young talent. Not only do the winners collect valuable points for their schools, but also each submitted entry is rewarded with points that are collected continuously over all competition years. The first-placed educational institution in the overall ranking at the end of the competition can look forward to an additional 500 euros. This year for the fifth time in a row, the Technikerschule München took first place in the Engineering Newcomer Eternal List.

Since 2014, the Engineering Competition has offered students and young professionals the chance to use their inventive talent to gain attention among experts and future employers. In the process, students can submit their advanced designs, projects, diploma or final theses together with their educational institution. Attractive cash prizes totaling 7,500 euros will be offered to the winners and their educational institutions.