Case Study - Hethel Engineering Centre

The Hethel Engineering Centre will be celebrating its explosive first year’s success with an opening in the last quarter of 2007. This will be your opportunity to view the new, cutting-edge, Haas CNC suite - the biggest of its kind - and discuss your business development and training requirements with leading industry experts, partnered to the Hethel Engineering Centre.

The chief aims of the Hethel Engineering Centre are: conference and business services; start-up facilities; business development for young businesses; and professional skills training for precision engineering and manufacturing companies.

Situated Just 9miles South of Norwich, the centre is based on a 5 acre site, part of a 55 acre site owned by lotus group, which is being populated by engineering entrepreneurs. Funded by Norfolk County Council and EEDA (East England Development Agency), it provides services to companies based in, and around, the six counties of East Anglia.

Dorian Hindmarsh, Training Sales Manager for the Hethel Engineering Centre, says, “Our 3D computer-aided design training and development programme is focused on SolidWorks, as research showed this to be the system for design and manufacture being adopted predominantly by engineering companies in the East Anglia region”.

The appointment of a SolidWorks Training and Development Partner was awarded to NT CADCAM Ltd. As one of the UK’s most successful SolidWorks suppliers, they have extensive engineering application experience and an established network of businesses able to support and provide further services for design, prototyping and build. “NT CADCAM Ltd make the ideal partner,” says Hindmarsh.

SolidWorks courses run all year, ranging from introduction and certification, to bespoke requirements. Uniquely, clients can develop individual design concepts and proceed to rapid prototypes and CNC machining all in-house, under the guidance of NT CADCAM Ltd’s experts.

Hindmarsh says, “The quality of training from NT CADCAM has been excellent. Being run by the County Council, we operate an active feedback system and all candidates are required to complete a course appraisal. To date, training has received an unprecedented 99% to 100% rating!”

Obviously, both the Hethel Engineering Centre and NT CADCAM Ltd have been delighted with their partnership and have now extended their commitment to each other for a further two years. Together they look forward to supporting engineering success in the East Anglia region.