Student Profiles
Asaf Rafid Graduated in MSc Advance Manufacturing Systems
I studied Advance Manufacturing Systems at the School of Engineering and Design, graduating in November 2011.
The thing that attracted me the most to Brunel was the wonderful mix of subjects on the Advance Manufacturing Systems course. After eight years of working in the industry as a manufacturing engineer, the courses offered at Brunel, appealed to me the most and seemed to have the highest potential to enrich my professional career. In addition, I read that Brunel is accredited as one of the top Engineering schools in the UK and I enrolled with great expectations.
With a full heart, I would say that my study experience was simply excellent. Each one of the eight modules was delivered by top professionals and experienced teachers. This has made every lesson both interesting and challenging and I hardly missed a class. On top of the modules I had a remarkable experience when working on the dissertation. My supervisor, who is a true professional in his field, was extraordinary both as a tutor and as a professional guide, and I learned greatly from him. I loved my research thesis which we shaped together and eventually delivered a successful project. Overall I feel that the modules and the dissertation have highly contributed to my experience as an engineer and provided me very useful tools to go back to the industry. In addition I can easily say that all the facilities and teaching materials were at a very high level, including the Computer Centre, the library and more.
As I mentioned before, beyond being professionals, the teachers were also highly approachable and I could easily find a time to go to them with any questions about the lecture materials. During the course, the Course Director kept full communication with the students, and was always looking to hear our feedback and remarks on the course. In addition, the administration team led by the course secretary was also remarkable, always friendly, patient and supportive.
My dissertation project was not involved in a particular company in the industry; rather it was a personal research. Yet, as mentioned above, it has highly contributed to my engineering experience and equipped me with some very powerful tools. The dissertation thesis was “Developing Algorithms for Automatic Dimensioning and Tolerancing of Mechanical Parts”. The goal of the project was to find an automatic algorithm that defines manufacturing dimensions and tolerances to parts (i.e. cylinder, block, etc) in the most sustainable and cost effective way. I chose this subject because being a mechanical engineer I had to design and develop parts, then to assign dimensions that can be used later for production. My dissertation research had helped me to explore ways for finding a more effective ways to assign these dimensions, so that a design will be more economical and costly. In addition, my other goal was to turn this logic into automated system that will save precious engineering developing time.
I am currently working as a Product Engineer at and international leading company, Objet Geometrics LTD. I get to practice and bring into use many of the theoretical things I learned at Brunel, and this gives me a great feeling of satisfaction. I also feel that the MSc in Advance Manufacturing Systems was a significant contributor to being accepted to Objet.
Finally, based on my personal experience, I can whole heartedly recommend applicants to come and study at Brunel. It has a wonderful administration team with a good customer service approach, excellent student facilities including a Computer Centre, labs etc. Most importantly, I felt that the teaching staff were highly professional, trained and experienced. All of this creates a wonderful environment for studying and learning, and it certainly was the case for me.
Alexander Komashie
My name is Alexander Komashie. I was born in Ghana. I came to the UK in September 2002 after receiving a Chevening Scholarship from the British Council for my Masters Degree in Brunel University.
I chose Brunel mainly because of their responsiveness and the programme on offer. My MSc in Advanced Manufacturing Systems (AMS) was both challenging and motivating. The balance between lectures and lab sessions was very helpful in understanding the course.
Even though my first degree was in Mechanical Engineering, I learnt a lot of new things during my AMS course including my new interest, Systems Modelling and Simulation. It is a fascinating area that cuts across every field from healthcare to Banking.
I am currently studying for my PhD in Systems Engineering with focus on the application of real-time Simulation Modelling in Healthcare. This is being funded by the North West London Hospitals (NWLH) NHS Trust in London. I work as part of the Research and Development (R&D) team in the trust undertaking various service improvement projects alongside my research. I am gaining very valuable experience.
I have realised that the need for applying Systems Modelling in health care is great. The prospects for jobs in this area seem to be increasing, which I find very exciting and encouraging. I think being involved in finding solutions to real life problems whilst still a student is a great opportunity and prepares the student for the job market.
The knowledge I have gained in the AMS course has been very helpful. I started a whole new field of study here in Brunel that is different from my degree in Mechanical Engineering. I will also give credit to the academics because the interest I have in my current research in Systems Modelling and Simulation was ignited by my academic supervisor who has been very supportive and encouraging.
