Studies

Context: ESSA is a public school from the Group Institut de Soudure, whose worldwide known formation trains technicians (IWT) and engineers (IWE) to the field of welding.
The fomation begins after a master degree.

The training includes various modules about welding, such as:
• Skills in common industrial welding processes and particular processes
• Knowledge in materials behaviours under mechanical and thermic conditions
• Knowledge in metallurgy and welding
• Skills in mechanical conception, calculus of welded assemblies, codes & normes
• Skills in fabrication, inspection, controls, health & safety

Beyond the theoretical part of the formation, the school uses its network to organize visit companies that needs welding engineers, presenting what they expect from the future welding engineers. Furthermore, a 3 months internship and a long term project are also planed to pass the degree: in order for the students to use in a practical way all they learned during the training.

Training: The degree ESSA IWE offers a full view of the industrial welding field, divided in relevant modules:

Internship:

Long term project:

Context: The UTC is a famous engineering school, offering a general training in engineering & Ph.D.
The engineering studies is a 5 years training that can be chosen just after high school or after a bachelor or preparatory school (french particularity, meaning the training begin at the 3rd year).

The trainings that can be chosen are:
• Mechanical Engineering (including Mechanical & Mechanical Systems)
• Biological Engineering
• Processes Engineering
• Urban Systems Engineering
• Computer Engineering

Besides the theoretical & practical aspect of the training, the school dispenses a training in human sciences through a wide choice of courses: foreign languages (in addition to english, which is mandatory), literature, communication, cognitive science, economy, ethics, etc.

Training: The Mechanical Engineering course is composed of a main training and a speciality students have to choose after the first year. The one I chose is called Materials & Technological Innovations (MTI). This speciality is focused towards Design, R&D, Research about the materials and their behaviours.

Projects: During the training, several projects had been suggested:

• Modelization of a metronome through CREO
• Study about biomimetism
• Study about the viability of innovative materials for intervertebral discs applications
• Study about polymer properties used in golf balls
• Prototyping of composite elements & their study
• Modelization of engine's elements of a Caudron C.430 (aircraft)

This last project was made in partnership between UTC and the aviation club of Margny-les-Compiègnes, called Cercle des Machines Volantes (The Flying Machines Society) whose main target is to rebuild the old aircraft Caudron C.430, and make it fly.
This project was meant to last several years, 6 months of work per student, and is divided in different sub-topics: modeling of the fuselage, modeling of the engine, research of suppliers, investors, etc.
My part was the modeling of the engine. I was the first and only student on this topic. The goal was to modelize all the parts of the engine for subcontracting the fabrication of a new engine because there is no more left undamaged. An organizational chart was also made in order to ease the transfer to future students on this topic. The focus was made on the mobile parts of the engine such as the links, the shaft, the pistons, the rockers, etc.
A sample of the parts made on Catia V5:

Context: L'Dundalk Institute of Technology is a college with several trainings (biology, engineering, law, art, computer science, etc.) and offering many international partnerships through the Erasmus program.
This year of study was an Erasmus partnership between DkIT and the University of Caen, Normandy, France, in which I had just finished a degree in Physical Measurements.

Training: The Mechanical Engineering training was a first step for me in a training focused on mechanics and industrial conception & production.

Context: The University of Caen is a college with various trainings (biology, mechanics, electronics, law, computer science, etc.) at different levels (bachelor, master, Ph.D, engineering, etc.).
This training is a good compromise between getting a degree and the possibility of scaling up towards a master or engineering degree.

Training: The Physical Measurements training is a training in general physics and chemistry, theoretical & practical. It allows to apply all the theoretical courses on practical projects, that are relatable to the industry.
2 spécialities can be chosen at the end of the training: Instrumentation or Materials & Physicochemical controls.

Context: TheMiddle & High School St François-Xavier is a famous school from Britany offering quality courses and a particular activity system (quite rare regarding the french education system).
After getting to high school, you can choose an activity in order to develop yourself in another way than just the tradiontinal scolar way. These activities can be sports (kayak, gym, climbing, etc.), arts (theater, dancing, music, etc.) or brain activities (research club, patrimony, etc.).

Training: Besides the basic training of french schools, optional courses can be also chosen. I chose to take:

• English (Lv.1)
• German (Lv.1)
• European german
• Latin
• Music
• Surfing

These optional courses & activities were taken from the beginning to the baccalauréat.