History of the Institution of Manufacturing Engineers

This forerunner institution was known in all but its last year as the Institution of Production Engineers (IProdE) and was initiated by H. E. Honer. He wrote to technical periodical Engineering Production suggesting that the time was ripe to form an institution for the specialised interests of engineers engaged in manufacture/production. The resulting mass of correspondence spawned a meeting at Cannon Street Hotel on 26 February 1921. There it was decided to form the IProdE to:

• establish the status and designation of production or manufacturing engineers
• promote the science of practical production in industry
• facilitate the interchange of ideas between engineers, manufacturers and other specialists.

The term ‘production engineering’ came into use to describe the management of factory production techniques first developed by Henry Ford, which had expanded greatly during the First World War. The IProdE was incorporated in 1931 and was granted armorial bearings in 1937. From the outset it operated through decentralised branches called local sections wherever enough members existed. These were self-governing and elected their own officers. They held monthly meetings at which papers were read and discussed.

Outstanding papers were published in the IProdE’s Journal. The work of six foremost production engineers took centre stage in certain national meetings: Viscount Nuffield, Sir Alfred Herbert, Colonel George Bray, Lord Sempill, E. H. Hancock, and J. N. Kirby. National and regional conferences were arranged dealing with specific industrial problems. Sister Councils took hold including in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and South Africa.# ISO certification in India

The Institution’s education committee established a graduate examination which all junior entrants undertook from 1932 onwards. An examination for Associate Membership was introduced in 1951.# ISO certification in India

The Second World War accelerated developments in production engineering and by 1945 membership of the IProdE stood at 5,000. The 1950s and 1960s were perhaps the most fruitful period for the Institution. Major conferences such as ‘The Automatic Factory’ in 1955 ensured that the Institution held a place at the forefront of production technology. A Royal Charter was granted in 1964 and membership stood at over 17,000 by 1969.# ISO certification in India

In 1981 the IProdE instituted four medals starting from its Diamond Jubilee: the International Award, the Mensforth Gold Medal, the Nuffield Award and the Silver Medal. The Mensforth Gold Medal was named after Sir Eric Mensforth, founder and chairman of Westland Helicopters and a former IProdE President. It was awarded to British recipients who had made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of production engineering technology. Renamed the Mensforth Manufacturing Gold Medal, it is the IET’s top manufacturing award.# ISO certification in India

Financial constraints, a slowing in membership and a blurring of distinctions between the various branches of engineering led the IProdE to merger proposals in the late 1980s. The Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) had interests very close to those of the IProdE. The IEE was a much larger organisation than the IProdE and the proposal was that the IProdE should be represented as a specialist division within the IEE. While these talks were reaching fruition in 1991 the IProdE changed its name to the Institution of Manufacturing Engineers. A merger with the IEE took place the same year, with the IMfgE becoming the IEE’s new Manufacturing Division.# ISO certification in India

IET Presidents

The IET is governed by the President and Board of Trustees. The IET Council, on the other hand, serves as the advisory and consultative body, representing views of the members at large and offering advice to the Board of Trustees. Since founding the IET, several prominent engineers  have served as its President and the recent Presidents are listed below:

• 2000 Professor John Edwin Midwinter FREng FRS
• 2001 Professor Brian Mellitt FREng DIC
• 2002 Professor Michael John Howard Sterling FREng
• 2003 Sir David Brown FREng CEng BSc DMS
• 2004 Professor John O’Reilly FREng
• 2005 Sir John Chisholm MA FREng
• 2006 Sir Robin Saxby BEng FREng
• 2007 John Neil Loughhead BSc(Eng) MSc DIC FCGI
• 2008 Christopher Martin Earnshaw FREng BSc
• 2009 Christopher Maxwell Snowden FRS FREng
• 2010 Nigel John Burton BSc(Eng) PhD
• 2011 Michael John Short FREng BA
• 2012 Andrew Hopper CBE FRS FREng
• 2013 Commodore Barry P S Brooks BSc(Eng) Royal Navy
• 2014 William Timothy Webb FREng BEng MBA PhD
• 2015 Naomi Climer FREng BSc
• 2016 Jeremy Daniel McK Watson CBE FREng MSc DPhil
• 2017 Nicholas Paul Winser CBE FREng BSc
• 2018 Michael Douglas Carr OBE FREng BSc(Eng) HonDTech
• 2019 Peter William Bonfield OBE FREng BSc MSc PhD
• 2020 Danielle Amanda George MBE BSc MSc PhD
• 2021 Sir Julian Young KBE CB FREng

Purpose and function

The IET represents the engineering profession in matters of public concern and assists governments to make the public aware of engineering and technological issues. It provides advice on all areas of engineering, regularly advising Parliament and other agencies.

The IET also grants Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer, Engineering Technician, and ICT Technician professional designations on behalf of the Engineering Council UK. IEng is roughly equivalent to North American Professional Engineer designations and CEng is set at a higher level.^{[citation needed]} Both designations have far greater geographical recognition. This is made possible through a number of networks for engineers established by the IET including the Professional Networks, worldwide groups of engineers sharing common technical and professional interests. Through the IET website, these networks provide sector-specific news, stock a library of technical articles and give members the opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas with peer groups through discussion forums. Particular areas of focus include education, IT, energy and the environment.

The IET accredits degree courses worldwide in subjects relevant to electrical, electronic, manufacturing and information engineering. In addition, it secures funding for professional development schemes for engineering graduates including awards scholarships, grants and prizes.

In August 2019 the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) appointed the IET as the lead organisation in charge of designing and delivering the new UK Cyber Security Council, alongside 15 other cyber security professional organisations collectively known as the Cyber Security Alliance. The council, which officially launched in April 2021, will be “charged with the development of a framework that speaks across the different specialisms, setting out a comprehensive alignment of career pathways, including the certifications and qualifications required within certain levels”.

Membership

• Honorary Fellow (HonFIET)

• Fellow (FIET)

Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET) refers to a person who has demonstrated significant individual responsibility, sustained achievement and professionalism in engineering areas relevant to the interests of the Institution. # ISO certification in India

• Member (MIET or TMIET)

This category is open to professional engineers (MIET) and technicians (TMIET) with suitable qualifications and involvement in areas relevant to the interests of the Institution. MIET is a regulated professional title recognised in Europe by the Directive 2005MIET is listed on the part 2 professions regulated by professional bodies incorporated by Royal Charter-Statutory Instruments 2007 No. 2781 Professional Qualifications-The European Communities (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations 2007.

• Associate

Open to persons with an interest in areas relevant to the interests of the Institution who do not qualify for the Member category.

• Student

Open to persons studying to become professional engineers and technicians.

Publication

The IET has a journals publishing programme,  totalling 24 titles such as IET Software as of March 2012 (with the addition of IET Biometrics and IET Networks). The journals contain both original and review-oriented papers relating to various disciplines in electrical, electronics, computing, control, biomedical and communications technologies.

Electronics Letters is a peer-reviewed rapid-communication journal, which publishes short original research papers every two weeks. Its scope covers developments in all electronic and electrical engineering related fields. Also available to Electronics Letters subscribers are something called the Insight Letters.

Micro & Nano Letters, first published in 2006, specialises in the rapid online publication of short research papers concentrating on advances in miniature and ultraminiature structures and systems that have at least one dimension ranging from a few tens of micrometres to a few nanometres. It offers a rapid route for international dissemination of research findings generated by researchers from the micro and nano communities.

Awards and scholarships

Achievement Medals

The IET Achievement Medals are awarded to individuals who have made major and distinguished contributions in the various sectors of science, engineering and technology. The medals are named after famous engineers and persons, such as Michael Faraday, John Ambrose Fleming, J. J. Thomson, and Oliver Heaviside. The judging panel look for outstanding and sustained excellence in one or more activities. For example: research and development, innovation, design, manufacturing, technical management, and the promotion of engineering and technology.

• Faraday Medal

The Faraday Medal is the highest medal and honour of the IET. Named after Michael Faraday, the medal is awarded for notable scientific or industrial achievement in engineering or for conspicuous service rendered to the advancement of science, engineering and technology without restriction as regards nationality, country of residence or membership of the Institution. It is awarded not more frequently than once a year. The award was established in 1922 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the first Ordinary Meeting of the Society of Telegraph Engineers.

• J J Thomson Medal for Electronics

The J J Thomson Medal for Electronics, named after J. J. Thomson, was created in 1976 by the Electronics Divisional Board of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), and is awarded to candidates who have made major and distinguished contributions in electronics.

• Ambrose Fleming Medal

The Ambrose Fleming Medal for Information and Communications were first awarded in 2007 to Professor Simon Kingsley. It was named after John Ambrose Fleming, the inventor of vacuum tubes, and is awarded to candidates who have made outstanding and distinguished contributions to digital communications, telecommunications, and information engineering.

• Mensforth Manufacturing Gold Medal

The Mensforth Manufacturing Gold Medal is awarded to candidates who have made major and distinguished contributions to advancing the manufacturing sector. Like the Faraday Medal, the Mensforth Manufacturing Gold Medal is awarded without restriction regarding nationality, country of residence or membership of the IET.

• Mountbatten Medal

The Mountbatten Medalcelebrates individuals who have made an outstanding contribution, over a period of time, to the promotion of electronics or information technology and their application. Contributions can be within the spheres of science, technology, industry or commerce and in the dissemination of the understanding of electronics and information technology, whether to young people, or adults. The Medal was founded by the National Electronics Council in 1992 and named afterThe Earl Mountbatten of Burma, the Admiral of the Fleet and Governor-General of India.

Other Recognition

• IET Volunteer Medal

Introduced in 2015, the IET Volunteer Medal is awarded to individuals for major and outstanding contributions voluntarily given to furthering the aims of the IET.

• Young Woman Engineer (YWE)

Since 1978 the IET has awarded the Young Woman Engineer award to top female engineers in the UK to recognise the contribution they make and to encourage young women and girls to consider engineering as a career. The award was created as part of an initiative to address the shortage of women in engineering roles.

Scholarships

The IET offer Diamond Jubilee undergraduate scholarships for first year students studying an IET accredited degree. Winners receive between £1,000 to £2,000 per year, for up to four years to help with their studies. Eligibility is partially based on the exam results at the final year of school prior to university. IET also offers postgraduate scholarships intended for IET members carrying out doctoral research, the postgraduate scholarships offered by the IET assist members with awards of up to £10,000, to further research engineering related topics at universities. The IET Engineering Horizons Bursary are offered at £1,000 per year for undergraduate students on IET accredited degree courses in the UK and apprentices starting an IET Approved Apprenticeship scheme. For those UK residents who have overcome personal challenges to pursue an engineering education.