On Thursday 10th July, three Year 12 students from Magna Academy with a strong interest in STEM visited Superior Seals on the Ferndown Industrial Estate for an inspiring and hands-on experience. Accompanied by Mr Barrett, students were welcomed to the Superior Academy by Andrew Browning (Academy Tutor and Magna Chemistry Teacher) and Liam Stratten (Training Manager).
The day began with a fascinating lecture on polymerisation, exploring how the materials used in sealing products are created at the molecular level. Students then took on a robotics programming challenge, successfully coding a robotic arm to move an O-ring from a stand to a brass peg — a task they absolutely excelled at!
Afterward, they toured the production floor, laboratory, and apprenticeship training areas, gaining real insight into the career pathways available through Superior’s outstanding apprenticeship and degree-apprenticeship programmes. A highlight was experimenting with liquid nitrogen, a key part of the process used to remove flashing from moulded products.
The day also included a Q&A session with current and former apprentices, followed by a delicious buffet lunch. To finish, students explored Factory 4, where they witnessed cutting-edge robotic automation in action — from robotic stock pickers to autonomous forklifts.
Our students represented themselves and Magna Academy brilliantly, and a couple seemed ready to apply on the spot! A huge thank you to Superior Seals for hosting such an informative and inspiring day.
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