Patrick Faulkner Named As A Top30Under30
Today we’re celebrating a significant milestone at Accu, Patrick Faulkner, everyone's favourite engineer has been recognised as one of West Yorkshire’s Top 30 Under 30!
This prestigious accolade shines a spotlight on the region’s most promising young professionals, recognising their talent, hard work and leadership potential. Earning a spot on this list is no small feat. The programme highlights individuals who are not only excelling in their roles but also making a real impact in their industries.
From engineering innovation to living and breathing what it means to be part of TeamAccu, Patrick has proven they have what it takes to stand out in a competitive field. As part of the award, they’ll now embark on a year-long development programme designed to sharpen their leadership skills and take their career to the next level.
At Accu, we’ve always known Patrick has what it takes and now the wider industry is taking notice too. His passion, technical expertise and dedication to pushing boundaries make him a true asset to TeamAccu and the engineering sector as a whole.
To mark the occasion, we sat down to delve through Patrick's lore, what this recognition means and what’s next on the horizon. Let’s dive in!
Q: What's your name, position at Accu and what do you do?
A: I’m Patrick Faulkner, and I’m the Lead Engineer at Accu. I handle physical and digital solutions to problems, ranging from technical advice and data manipulation on our products and website, all the way to developing and prototyping solutions for internal processes.
Q: If you had to describe your work in one sentence to friends, what would you say?
A: I solve problems for people (and sometimes create them).
Q: How did you end up in engineering?
A: Accidentally! I initially wanted to pursue a career in Art, but thanks to poor GCSE results I was unable to take this to A level and had to find a subject that filled the slot left in my timetable, which was Product Design. I ended up loving this, as it played into my interest in making things which I’ve enjoyed since I was a child. After pursuing this at University, I had a number of jobs across the Engineering sector, in Machining and Fabrication, before settling into what was a technical sales position at Accu.
Q: What does a day's work look like for you?
A: It's difficult to say! On one day I could be analysing sales data to identify gaps in our markets and suggesting we onboard new ranges of products, then on another I could be in the workshop developing something to assist our warehouse team in making their picking components journey more user friendly and efficient.
Q: What’s the most exciting project you’ve worked on so far at Accu?
A: The most exciting project I’ve worked on so far at Accu was the creation of our first Antweight combat robot arena. Combat robotics is a passion of mine, and being able to bring that into work through a STEM angle has been incredibly fun. Although the newest V2 version is better in almost every single way, it was the first arena I’ve made (although probably the 5th or 6th I’ve designed) and it was the tool that allowed me to build a robotics club at work, growing into what we now call AccuBots.
Q: Do you think the work you do has a wider outreach than most people might think?
A: A lot of what I do is in the background of the activities of Accu which then helps our team offer a better experience to everyone they interact with. It's nice to see when a change I’ve put forward is welcomed or praised by someone else, especially when it’s from a customer.
Q: Are you optimistic about the future of engineering in the UK? If so, why?
A: It's a tough question, and I can’t really say if I'm optimistic or not. There are a lot of challenges facing the future of engineering in the UK, from energy prices affecting running costs of tools, equipment and heating workshops, the skills gap between the generation of machinists exiting vs new engineers and raw material prices fluctuating rapidly.
With overseas manufacturing now so affordable, and with quality also now on par with domestic production we need to double down on our efforts to be the highest-quality offering on the market. The global landscape is changing so rapidly that I couldn't hazard a guess where we’ll be in 5 years, let alone 15. We have the skills and heritage to produce fantastic work in the UK, and this is something that gives me great hope, but it's going to be a challenge to get back to where our reputation used to be.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your engineering career?
A: Getting my point across to someone who has decided that their way is the best to move forward. As a Junior employee, like many people I often found myself talked down to by people with more experience, even when I was pointing out important issues with ongoing projects. In manufacturing and engineering, there is a conflict between those who have worked up from the shop floor to the office and those who have got a degree and have been hired into the same position. It was sometimes difficult to show that despite my initial inexperience in the field, my ideas were sound and worth a try. Thankfully, I’m now in a position to provide my input and collaborate with many different departments within Accu to get the best outcome.
Q: What is the one skill you think is essential for any new engineer coming into the industry?
A: An understanding of how things are made. With Additive manufacturing now becoming so prevalent, impossible geometries are now achievable that simply couldn't be made without serious investment into advanced sintering techniques, whereas now it can be done on your desktop. While this is amazing, it does sometimes lead to some head-scratching when the part leaves the prototype phase. Along with this is an understanding of tolerances. It is far too easy to just blanket tolerance +/-0.1 on all features, but unless it absolutely has to be critical, the majority of machining can be done to a lower tolerance (provided the design has accommodations for this) which can significantly reduce the cost of parts, and the headaches of the people making them!
Q: What’s the one tool or software you couldn’t do your job without?
A: Without a doubt, CAD. We use Fusion at Accu, and my role relies on it for model production, quick renders and producing drawings of parts to be produced. My CAD literacy has helped me get and perform well at every job I’ve held, and it’s something I recommend everyone try to push themselves to improve on.
Q: If you had to choose a role model or someone who inspires you, who would it be?
A: Adam Savage is the person I think I’d have to choose as a role model. I loved Mythbusters as a kid, and experimenting with devices and taking them apart helped set me down the road I’m on now. I once had a sideline making costumes and props for Cosplayers in college, and after rediscovering him a few years later on his Tested YouTube channel where he did the same thing I found even more common ground. His mastery of manufacturing, creative techniques and inquiring mind is something I hope to emulate and develop myself.
Q: If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring engineers, what would it be?
A: Get your CAD skills developed as early as you can, and try to work on best practices for everything you produce. Make sure your parts are parametric so that changing a feature or dimension won't break the file. Most importantly, no under-defined sketches!
Q: If you could work on any engineering project in the world, past or present, what would it be?
A: It's tough to say, there are so many options. If it has to be a strictly “Engineering” project then the Falkirk wheel would be it. It's a great demonstration of what can be done with smart engineering, and how to move great loads in an efficient way.
Q: What’s one innovation or trend in engineering that excites you the most?
A: High-performance additive manufacturing (e.g. Minifactory, Markforged) is really blurring the lines between what is and isn't possible with designing and manufacturing small, high-strength components, in some cases reducing the need for machined parts in high-stress applications.
On the other end, devices like Photocentric’s JENI are changing how easy it is to produce high-volume parts while still retaining the customisability of everything that is made. The idea of a manufacturing cell capable of producing an entire component library with no stock required other than a common set of resins is incredible.
Q: What about one trend that you think we need to leave behind?
A: Hot take here, I'm not a fan of 3D-printed generic grid/X-based organisers. For things that don't have their own wall mount or drawer organiser, making a pegboard adapter for it is genuinely really really useful, but the time to make and print them is astounding compared to a piece of pegboard or a hanging screw. I can see the appeal for people developing their space, but the time investment to make them just doesn't add up with the utility they provide. I do have a number of these systems in my personal workshop, but I keep going back to regular Pegboard and Velcro.
Q: How does it feel to be named one of the top 30 under 30 in West Yorkshire?
A: It feels a little overwhelming! It was a surprise to be nominated, and an even bigger one to be named as one of the 30.
Q: What do you think set you apart from other nominees?
A: I honestly have no idea, I try to do the best I can with tasks that I’m assigned or that I create, but I imagine that’s the same with everyone who was nominated.
Q: Has this recognition changed where you want to be in the future?
A: This hasn't changed what I want to do or where I want to be, but it's a nice reassurance that I’m on the right track.
Q: Hex socket or Torx?
A: Hexagon Socket - I like Torx Drives but I still find it hard to pick the correct driver by sight when they aren't labelled! I’ve been using them more and more now for our Polyfix screws, and this may change shortly.
Q: Metric or Imperial?
A: Metric! I used to work in Imperial settings on CAD as I found it easier to visualise the measurements as it's what I used for woodwork, but I moved to Metric when I went to University and never looked back.
Q: 3D printing or CNC machining?
A: CNC is always my preferred choice to make a part, but it's rarely what I use. Due to the ease of printing and the speed now achievable with desktop machines, I can solve almost all my problems with printing. I even use printing to create drill guides with bushings to simplify making parts that I can’t print.
Q: Low-tech or high-tech solutions?
A: I’m a big fan of low-tech problem solving, and my skillset lies in finding quick, easy, minimum-viable solutions.
Q: Tea or Coffee?
A: I have to pick Coffee here, don’t I? I was on the selection team for “Grounds for Innovation” and I think it's a particularly nice Espresso blend.
Q: Favourite tool?
A: This is a tough one, it's like asking who my favourite child is! I used to carry a range of tools in my pockets day in and day out, but I stopped during Covid and only started again recently. The things I reach for most often nowadays are probably hex screwdrivers, but my current favourite has to be the Knipex Cobra XS pliers. They’ve saved me on a number of occasions, from fixing the clutch on my motorbike on the side of the road to digging out splinters after carrying a pallet, and even adjusting the tension on the screws in my glasses.
Q: What music did you listen to on your way in today?
A: Papa Roach - Time For Annihilation: On the Record & On the Road.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating Patrick’s well-deserved recognition. We hope this peek into his journey has inspired you to embrace your own curiosity and push the boundaries of what’s possible in engineering. Keep watching this space for more insights, fresh ideas and stories about the remarkable talent that shapes Accu’s innovative spirit.
