Mr Kevin Smith MSc CMgr MCMI MIED FRSA
Faculty Production Facilities Manager
Mr Kevin Smith is the Production Facilities Manager for Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Southampton.
Responsible for the teaching and research interface with all production facilities in the School of Engineering for undergraduate, post graduate and for research and enterprise activities.
He is a time served, apprentice trained engineer who has also gained an MSc in Rapid Product Development from Bournemouth University.
Kevin has considerable experience of working within the aerospace manufacturing industry and has held a variety of industrial roles from shop-floor manufacturing through to Supervision and into Senior Management.
He has vast experience in both Production Manager and Works Manager roles and has managed several sub-contract manufacturing companies.
The majority of his work experience is connected with producing very high quality machined components for a large number of the aircraft and aerospace companies across the world including Agusta-Westland, Airbus, BAE Systems, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, McDonnell-Douglas, Rolls Royce, Safran and NASA.
During this period he also accumulated substantial knowledge and experience in Design.
Kevin has used his expertise in Rapid Product Development and in particular his knowledge of 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, to produce numerous novel and bespoke components for many research and undergraduate projects both here and at Bournemouth University.
Since joining the University of Southampton, Kevin has overseen the restructuring of the Engineering, Design and Manufacturing Centre and its associated facilities, including the provision of three new Design Studios and increased access to workshops.
He has been responsible for encouraging considerable new investment in modern manufacturing processes and has been integral to the process of ensuring that students have far greater access to the practical aspects of engineering.
He is particularly keen that as many students as possible, experience both the Design and the ‘making’ process and encourages practical involvement at every level…
“Engineers both design and manufacture and as such should have at least basic practical skills to enhance their academic knowledge”.