CECAMM - The New Centre of Excellence

Welding Bays at CECAMM

Opened by HRH The Countess of Wessex in September last year, the exciting Isle of Wight College CECAMM facility in Whippingham offers students specialised education and a broad experience of engineering skills. The aim is to prepare students to enter their chosen field, help secure careers, and in some cases go on to higher study. 

Located at the Island Technology Park, the world class training facility includes workshops and classrooms for study programmes such as Boat Construction and Design, CNC Programming, Fabrication, Marine Engineering and MIG, MAG and TIG Welding, and it was for the latter programme that the college purchased six new Kemppi welding machines from Rapid.

Kemppi MasterTig 3003 MLS AC/DC

Having heard about Rapid through an existing customer based on the Isle of Wight, the order for three Kemppi FastMig X, and three Kemppi MLS 3003 AC/DC Tig for CECAMM soon followed, as well as further orders for PPE and consumables.

Welding Lecturer at CECAMM, Chris Wright said, "We are very pleased with the welding equipment supplied by Rapid Welding.The equipment is easy to use and it's always good to have industry standard equipment for the learners. I am very impressed with the level of help and support we have received from Rapid Welding. It's all good :)." 

With close ties to the Isle of Wight and a strong customer base, we are delighted to have had the opportunity to supply CECAMM with welding machines and equipment for this project. As a company, Rapid strives to bring our customers the products they really want, combined with the most up-to-date technology in the industry. This enables businesses as well as individual welders to safeguard quality and productivity, and in this case, will allow the future generation of welders and engineers to develop their skills with the most current equipment available, helping them prepare for the future and hopefully successful and rewarding careers.

They will certainly have an excellent start at CECAMM!

For more information about CECAMM and how to apply for engineering courses and apprenticeships, please visit their website: www.cecamm.co.uk. 

The Future Generation of Welders!

Roy & Marianne Edwards with Lynn Willacy from Air Products

When a representative from Air Products contacted Rapid asking if we’d like to be part of a space adventure of astronomical proportions, naturally we jumped at the opportunity no questions asked!

Most people have heard of the name Tim Peake. Well, if you’re harbouring secret desires to follow in his intergalactic footsteps and have your very own space odyssey (like we clearly are), then you might be interested in visiting the newly launched exhibition at The Novium Museum in Chichester - Tim Peake; An Extraordinary Journey.

An excellent occasion to bring the two businesses together.

Air Products is one of the world's largest Industrial Gas companies, and a Strategic Sponsor for the exhibition. As an Air Products agent offering a full range of Industrial Gases and cylinder gas solutions, and a local agent to Chichester where the exhibition is being held, we were very excited to receive the invitation from Air Products to support them during the launch which took place this week to coincide with the first anniversary of Tim’s take-off.

"We have been helping launch astronauts into space for the last 50 years. Since Tim's own extraordinary journey ended, his aim has been to encourage children to think about the importance of science, technology engineering and mathematics. We are really pleased to be involved in this exhibition and we hope it will inspire the next generation and be the launch pad for many more extraordinary journeys in the future." 

Air Products.

The exhibition allows would-be explorers to embark on a space mission, following Tim Peake's very own astronomical adventure. Starting with a 'rocket lift', transporting occupants into outer space, the exhibition aims to encourage and inspire young people to consider careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), and to think ‘big’ about their futures. From blasting into outer space and finding out about Tim’s Space Walk, to experiencing what it’s like to eat, sleep and work in an International Space Station, it’s certainly going to inspire and ignite. It’s a project we are very proud to offer our support to.

“It was a great pleasure to meet Mr Peake Senior, Tim’s Dad (Nigel Peake is part of the project group pulling the exhibition together) and see the obvious pride he has in his son’s achievements and the joint passion they share for encouraging and educating our future Astronauts, Engineers and Welders. Inspiring future generations is also an ideology both Rapid Welding and Air Products have shared throughout their years in the Gas Industry.”

Marianne Edwards, Rapid Welding

Roy & Marianne Edwards with Mr Nigel Peake

The Kelpies 

We think these sculptures are incredible and yet another display of amazing engineering.

Designed by sculpter Andy Scott, these visually stunning giant horseheads called The Kelpies are the largest works of art in Scotland. Standing at 30 metres (100 feet) and weighing in at 300 tonnes each, these beauties are Scotland's newest visitor attraction and were opened to the public in April this year as part of a multi million pound redevelopment of land between Falkirk and Grangemouth. Built of structural steel with a stainless steel cladding, the sculptures took a whopping eight years of planning and one year to manufacture and assemble. 

As well as The Kelpies, there are two sets of 1:10 scale models known as Kelpie maquettes which were sculpted from steel and then galvanized using a hot dip process. The Kelpie maquettes were welded by hand from small plates of steel and are displayed across Scotland in locations such as Edinburgh Airport,The Field Museum, and at several engineering events including Expo 2013 (Glasgow) and the Sheffield International Steel Celebration.

The maquettes on display at Edinburgh Airport