Use Of Computers In U.K. Industry Increasing

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29377, 2 December 1960, Page 7

Use Of Computers In U.K. Industry Increasing

The increasing use of electronic computers in industry in Britain was one feature which impressed him during his year’s refresher leave in Britain, said Mr K. Stephen, senior lecturer in electrical engineering at the University of Canterbury. Mr Stephen, who spent most of the year in factories in the Associated Electrical Industries, Ltd., group, said that in the field of design, computers had greatly reduced the time spent on designing new plant. Previously many designers worked on one particular item. Now one or two designers submitted designs to a computing machine which gave them the optimum design. This did not mean designers were being surpassed by machines, but firms could now utilise the intellectual abilities of the

employees in more profitable directions. “Much of the slogging work on design has been taken over by machines,” he said. Mr Stephen studied aspects of rotating machines during his year in Britain. He said he studied the design of water and turbo generators for hydro-electric purposes. Britain did not have much scope for the use of water generators but she supplied many countries with them. Asked for his views on the value of university lecturers having the opportunity of spending some time in industry, Mr Stephen said he considered it was an invaluable experience. “In my case I have been away from industry for 10 years and it was an experience to have the chance of a change from an academic life to see what developments were occurring in indus-

try and see what standards graduates had to meet,” he said. In Britain the outlook on engineering training was different from New Zealand. But both countries were badly short of engineers. In Britain an engineer was expected to do at least two years’ post-graduate work in industry. There was more emphasis on academic studies at British universities, whereas in New Zealand practical work was quite an important part of the engineering degree. A New Zealand engineer was expected to be able to do any type of job immediately he left the university.