In the second of a regular series of articles about our sponsors, we hear from Bott Ltd – provider of workshop storage solutions for the BLOODHOUND Technical Centre – about why and how it is involved in the Project. Bott also tells of a highly successful joint educational event at one of its sites and how it helped BLOODHOUND solve a tricky engineering problem.
Supersonic storage, student inspiration and shaping stringers
The Bott Group is a world-leading manufacturer and supplier of workshop equipment, in-vehicle equipment and workplace systems. Bott Ltd supports BLOODHOUND by providing the Team with our highly durable workshop storage solutions, which have been installed throughout the Car assembly workshop and assigned to individual engineers working on the project.
We have also help the BLOODHOUND Team solve an engineering challenge at the front of the Car and worked with them on a joint educational event at our Bude site.
Who are we?
With production facilities in Germany, the UK and Hungary, and with licensed partners and importers across the globe, Bott has a worldwide service network enabling us to respond to local needs. From design and manufacture to supply and installation, Bott has a strong reputation for high product quality, service excellence and value for money.
Bott is proud to have supported the BLOODHOUND World Land Speed Record attempt since the early days of the Project, sharing the team’s desire to educate, innovate and test what’s possible with today’s engineering and technologies.
How are we involved?
Bott has provided workshop equipment to the Team at the Technical Centre. But our involvement goes deeper than this, because we feel that this project is crucial in inspiring future generations of engineers.
In 2010, Clive Woodward, CEO at Bott, said: “This programme has successfully reignited the passion that drove Britain's engineers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We feel that this is of vital importance if we are to continue developing Britain's engineering prowess for future generations. This project is more than just breaking records, it's setting milestones for the future."
One of the key aims of the BLOODHOUND Project is to develop a passion for engineering in young people and highlight the exciting career opportunities in the sector through the programme’s educational scheme. This focus was a real attraction for Bott, because in order to continue growing and expand on our success, we need to recruit young people with a passion for forging successful careers in design and manufacturing based businesses.
Looking beyond our own operations, the Bott team also believes in the power of manufacturing and engineering to solve problems and support the growth of the UK economy. These shared values have cemented Bott and BLOODHOUND’s successful partnership.
Inspiring the next generation
In keeping with our shared passion for inspiring the next generation, Bott and BLOODHOUND hosted an exciting educational event at Bott’s Bude manufacturing site, showcasing the project to local school children and staff.
Tony Parraman, Sponsor Liaison at BLOODHOUND, gave a fantastic presentation about the Project, followed by workshops featuring the replica of the Car, balloon car racing, a factory tour and rocket car demonstrations.
The event was a huge success, giving Bott staff a chance to see what their hard work has helped create and hopefully inspiring some of the pupils that visited to pursue careers in science and engineering. Read more about the day…
Solving engineering challenges
At Bott, we enjoy the prospect of an engineering challenge. So when Chris Dee from BLOODHOUND’s assembly team mentioned they were having difficulties shaping stringers for the front floor pan, we were only too happy to offer assistance and advice.
BLOODHOUND’s problem was that the lengths of titanium being used to create the stringers was simply too tough to be bent by their own press brake machine. Read more about our challenge…
The future
Usually, cutting-edge projects of this nature are kept hidden from view, but a key aim for the BLOODHOUND Team is to share the adventure with as many people as possible. The exposure of the workshop and engineering processes has enabled a wider audience to see how high quality workshop storage equipment is one of the unseen, but vital, components behind almost all successful engineering projects.
Our CEO Clive Woodward said: "It is a real privilege to be involved in this outstanding showcase of British Engineering. As the Project moves towards its final testing phase at Newquay and then onwards to the South African desert, we’re proud that Bott workplace equipment will play a continued and vital role in this daring and historic land speed record attempt. Such hi-tech projects generate real momentum and provide a sound base for the UK’s new industrial strategy”.
