Sir David McMurtry, who has long-standing links with the University of Huddersfield, received his award for ‘services to design and innovation’
INNOVATIVE engineers are vital to the UK’s future prosperity, said a leading figure in the field when he received an award from the University of Huddersfield. Sir David McMurtry, an engineer, inventor and founder of the multi-national company Renishaw, which has long-standing links with the University of Huddersfield, received his Honorary Doctorate of the University for services to design and innovation.
After receiving his award, Sir David paid tribute to the quality of the academic staff and students and stated: “This University has played a great part in the development of the science of measurement in this country. Not many universities have taken on this challenge.”
Sir David is a visiting professor at Huddersfield and Renishaw are a key industrial partner in the University’s EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Advanced Metrology and now he has the same role with its successor, the EPSRC-funded Future Metrology Hub, a £40 million research centre.
The oration for Sir David was delivered by the University’s Professor Liam Blunt, who described a career that began in 1958 at Bristol Aero Engines – now part of Rolls-Royce. Sir David had a talent for engineering design and made a major breakthrough when he invented the “touch trigger probe” that solved a problem with the measurement of fuel pipes in the supersonic Concorde aircraft. The invention was a “roaring success”, said orator Professor Blunt, and would lead to the creation of Renishaw, now a major multi-national with a turnover of over £500 million.
“The School of Computing and Engineering at the University of Huddersfield has been proud to work with Sir David and Renishaw since 1992,” said Professor Blunt.
The collaboration had led to research projects in the areas of machine tool accuracy, laser metrology systems and optical probes and gauging instruments.
“The University is honoured that Renishaw is collaborating with the Royal Academy of Engineering to sponsor a chair in Precision Metrology within the School,” said Professor Blunt, who added that: “It is inspiring to see such a world-leading and cutting-edge company as Renishaw led by an outstanding and acclaimed engineer”.
Sir David McMurtry
Sir David was employed at Rolls-Royce plc, Bristol, for 17 years, latterly holding the positions of Deputy Chief Designer and Assistant Chief of Engine Design for all Rolls-Royce engines manufactured at Filton, Bristol. After inventing the original touch-trigger probe for co-ordinate measuring machines in 1972, Sir David co-founded Renishaw with John Deer in 1973, which today employs over 4,000 people in 35 countries, of which 2,800 are located in the UK.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, a Fellow of the American Society of Manufacturing Engineers, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and in 2011 became a Fellow of the Royal Society. His knighthood was awarded “for services to Design and Innovation” and he was appointed a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) in 1989. The Institute of Physics jointly awarded its 2012 Swan Medal to Sir David and John Deer for their role in founding Renishaw and leading it to become one of the world’s principal manufacturers of metrology equipment.
Whilst at Rolls-Royce, Sir David was named as inventor or co-inventor on 47 patents or patent applications, and over 150 at Renishaw
