Third-year Mechanical Engineering Technology students Mitchell Soares, Jake Cavan and Matt Gamsby are participating in a unique field placement opportunity with Nolet Electric Scooters of Pickering, Ont. that will see them work together to reverse-engineer an electric scooter in approximately 300 hours.

March 23, 2011

Third-year Mechanical Engineering Technology students Mitchell Soares, Jake Cavan and Matt Gamsby recently teamed up with Nolet Electric Scooters of Pickering, Ont. to participate in a unique field placement that will see them work together to reverse-engineer an electric scooter in approximately 300 hours.

“We’re always looking for new placements for students,” said Susan Todd, dean of the School of Science & Engineering Technology. “They help bridge communication within the community and give students real work experience.”

The placement opportunity arose when Leopold Nolet, a machinist and the inventor, designer and creator of the Nolet Electric scooter, contacted Chris Daniel, a professor and field placement co-ordinator for the Mechanical Engineering Technology program, looking for students to help get the scooter ready for mass production.

Although he invented the scooter, Nolet cannot provide the exact measurements of each of its 80 parts, only how they fit and work together. Soares, Cavan and Gamsby will be taking apart and testing each component of the scooter to determine their individual sizes. When finished, Nolet will take the measurements to a manufacturer to determine the requirements for mass production and distribution.

“We are very excited for the real-life work situation that we will be experiencing,” said Soares and Cavan. “Our names will be published and it will give us a portfolio for future employers. We are also encouraging first- and second-year students to see what they do for their placements.”

The scooter has a speed of 20 km per hour with a range of 100 km per charge; can fit through doorways; can be operated in stores; and comes with an optional roof and windshield.

Durham College’s Mechanical Engineering Technology program integrates classroom studies with hands-on experience to provide students with experience in design and development using scientific, mathematical and engineering skills and principles.

For more information on the Mechanical Engineering Technology program, please visit the program’s web page and for more information on the Nolet Electric Scooter, please visit the Nolet Electric Scooter website.