MTC Engineers Win Two World Records

Engineering expertise supports world record-breakers 

Graduate engineers from the Manufacturing Technology Centre have successfully smashed two world records for a human-powered hand driven vehicle.

MTC graduate engineers Leandre Mestre Garcia and Stephen Perry, who have recently completed a Masters of Engineering degree at the University of Liverpool, were part of the Arion Project team who have just smashed the world records in Nevada. Riders included Paralympian gold and silver medal winner Karen Darke MBE.

Karen smashed her previous female world record reaching 46.05 mph, while rider Ken Talbot broke the male world record at 51.86 mph, making him the fastest human ever riding an arm-powered vehicle.

The Arion team is made up of engineering students from the University of Liverpool who have been designing and building speed bikes for the annual Arion event since 2013. The team set the British land speed record for a human-powered vehicle in 2015, but now have become world record holders.

The Coventry-based MTC operates a manufacturing technology facility in Liverpool to support manufacturing growth and innovation in the region.

Based in the Peter Jost Enterprise Centre, the MTC@LJMU is home to 16 engineers and business development staff. MTC engineers and apprentices at Coventry helped the Arion project by CNC machining the formwork for the bike's carbon fibre bodywork.

Charles Whitford, technology manager leading the MTC's Liverpool operation said they were delighted to support the Arion Project.

"This has been an exciting project for the students and the team has done fantastically well to smash these two world records. We welcome them with excitement into the Liverpool team as graduates," he said.

"I was a lecturer for Leandre and Stephen in their first year at Liverpool, so they have come full circle and we look forward to welcoming them back from Nevada," he added

The MTC was founded by the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and TWI Ltd. The MTC’s industrial members include some of the UK’s major global manufacturers.

The MTC aims to provide a competitive environment to bridge the gap between university-based research and the development of innovative manufacturing solutions, in line with the Government’s manufacturing strategy. The MTC is part the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, supported by Innovate UK.