Free service for businesses
Rising costs?
Need to reduce lead times?
Obsolete or outdated machinery, tools or equipment?
Want to prototype new products but don’t have the facilities?
The Black Country FE Innovation Service can help your business with:
• Additive manufacturing
• Modelling and design
• Automation and robotics
• Digital engineering, 3D scanning and printing
• Measurement and testing
• Product and service innovation
• Business process innovation
We’re on a mission to empower SMEs in the Black Country and South Staffordshire by identifying growth barriers, uncovering innovation opportunities, and providing tailored support to help bring new ideas to life. In partnership with four local colleges, we will help you to explore new ideas at no cost to your business, leveraging our technical expertise and state-of-the-art equipment.
Scan Wednesdays
As part of this project, we are introducing Scan Wednesdays, an opportunity for you to have a component of your choosing laser- or photo-scanned, whether it be a hand-made prototype, an old component that is difficult to measure with traditional contact measurement processes or a broken or damaged part for which drawings no longer exist. We will demonstrate the capabilities of the laser scanning and photo scanning processes, taking multiple scans to create a finished 3D model, as well as the post process and clean-up required to turn scanned data into a finished model that can be exported into CAD.
Each Scan Wednesday is open to a maximum of three companies (two people per company) and while your components are being scanned, we will take you on a tour of our facilities and enjoy a Starbucks coffee and breakfast in our ‘Stir’ café while you are here. To book your place, please call call 07436 950432 or email innovation@dudleycol.ac.uk
Reserve Your Spot
Interested in participating? Email us at innovation@dudleycol.ac.uk or call our Innovation Consultant Andrew Homer at 07436 950432.
Who We Are
Andrew Homer
Innovation Consultant
Andrew brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the field of innovation. Within his new role, as Innovation Consultant, he will provide local SMEs looking to implement digital projects with free audits, project advice and consultations. Upon starting the role, Andrew said that “I am looking forward to sharing my experience and extensive knowledge in advanced engineering and manufacturing with local and regional SMEs. The goal of this project is to help businesses develop innovative practices utilising emerging technologies.”
Catherine Jones
Innovation Support Technician
Catherine has worked across many industries, specialising in modern manufacturing techniques and will support Andrew in supporting local SMEs aiming to boost within their companies. When launching the project, Catherine commented that “I am really excited to start this role, I am eager to apply my experience and skills and to support local SMEs.”Get in Touch
For more information on how this project can support your business, please call 07436 950 432 or email innovation@dudleycol.ac.uk
About the Project
The Black Country FE Innovation Service is a Innovate U.K Funded project bringing together five Further Education colleges to support SMEs in fostering innovation and making efficiencies across your business. Colleges across the region have a huge range of equipment and technologies that usually support formal training courses, and the Black Country FE Innovation Service is committed to extending this, giving you the chance to try out innovative ways of increasing productivity or reducing waste before embedding them into your business. Dudley College of Technology’s focus is on advanced manufacturing and engineering.
Employers we work with
Mark Bailey, Sales Representative, GCG Electrical Wholesalers
Other than supplying materials for the college for the use of the students, we also donate prizes in the form of tool kits for the end of year awards ceremony to the pupils that have excelled in their course. I have also donated sample light fittings, displays and posters as I know they can be of use...
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Employers we work with
Stewart Hartshorne, Training and Development Specialist, E.ON Next
During our collaboration with Dudley College, they have consistently demonstrated unwavering support for our goals. The students have exhibited remarkable enthusiasm and a genuine eagerness to acquire knowledge. The college harbours ambitious aspirations and is committed to the success of each staff...
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