Archie Newbold winner of the LEEA Robert Gordon University award reflects on his one year career so far.
The Mechanical and Electrical Engineering student won the 2023 Lifting Equipment Engineers Association Award, which recognises outstanding performance by a student at Robert Gordon University (RGU) in Aberdeen relating to Lifting Engineering.
His final year project was on a Predictive Maintenance Model for Crane Components and in partnership with Alatas, Newbold developed a predictive maintenance model that would determine the remaining life of a crane’s slew bearing, based on its lift usage data.
“In my 12 months since finishing university and collecting my LEEA award for my dissertation, I have been exposed to a variety of experiences and challenges that have developed my knowledge and understanding of the industry,” said Newbold.
“Joining Alatas after university I was placed into the projects team helping to support the Ad Hoc side of the business. This involved working for a variety of clients on many different scopes ranging in size and complexity. These scopes included CCE/LOLER inspections, rope changeouts, gearbox and spline inspections and SLI calibrations to name a few. This range in scope complexity and client base allowed me to really develop my thought process and approach to each scope making sure all key aspects were captured in the quoting and planning stages.
“As part of my training and development I also attended lunch time sessions and training courses put on by vendors and Alatas. These courses covered SLI systems such as MIPEG, general rigging basics, hydraulics, various torque equipment and guidance on how to complete certain scopes. Through these courses I was able to meet vendors and start to build industry relationships with them along with getting to know their products and how they can support different work Alatas executes.
“I also completed my standard offshore training as part of my graduate scheme, this has since allowed me to complete many site visits both on and offshore to vessels and platforms. These visits have allowed me to complete inspections for upcoming projects and get a real understanding and feel for how the job needs to be executed and the size of the equipment involved.”
At the end of 2023 Newbold became a dedicated engineer on a managed contract Alatas holds, allowing him to plan, manage and execute various planned maintenance scopes across the client’s six North Sea assets.
“Working on a managed contract has allowed for me to get an insight into how planned yearly maintenance is set up and operated along with the timescale on when certain maintenance should be completed,” he said.
“Working as a dedicated engineer has also allowed me to get more involved with the client and get to know their specific needs. I have been able to get involved with the asset teams and advise on upcoming scopes and what will be required to complete them.
“Overall, my first 12 months in the industry has exposed me to many different situations and experiences that have developed my knowledge and understanding. Through working with different clients I have been able to develop my technical understanding. I am looking forward to the next 12 months, and continuing my development to work as a dedicated engineer.”
