Lewis Murray

Meet the Team: Lewis Murray – Apprentice Electronics Engineer

 

Tell us about your role at EMP Designs.

I'm an Apprentice Electronics Engineer and part of the Research & Development team.

 

How long have you been with EMP Designs?

I've been here for just over five years now. I've completed my HND and I'm now moving on to the final two years of my Level 6 qualification, which is really exciting.

 

What does a typical day look like for you?

I start work at 9am and drive into the office. Once I'm here, I log in, check my emails, and review what I need to work on for the day. Usually, I've already planned out my tasks, but if not, everyone is very approachable, so I can always check with my line manager before getting started.

 

What were you working on recently?

Yesterday I was working on an in-house potting compound dispensing machine. This will be used by our manufacturing team to accurately dispense potting compound into products during assembly. I've been tasked with designing and building the machine, and at the moment we're in the testing phase to make sure the components we've selected are capable of doing the job.

 

What does the development process look like?

It starts with research and testing. Potting compound is thick and difficult to handle, so we first needed to prove that the system could repeatedly dispense a consistent amount of liquid. Initially we've been using water to validate the mechanics and control systems before moving on to the actual potting material. Part of the process has involved selecting suitable motors and pumps. We tested a range of motors we already had in-house before identifying that we needed something with more torque. We eventually selected a 24V DC brushed motor with an encoder, which gave us the performance we were looking for.

 

What software are you using?

For this project I'm using TwinCAT 3, which is the software platform we use with our Beckhoff control systems. At the moment the testing is quite basic. I'm manually jogging motors, setting different speeds, and validating how the system behaves. It still looks fairly rough and experimental at this stage, but that's all part of the development process.

 

What has surprised you most about working at EMP Designs?

This was my first full-time professional role, so one of the biggest surprises was seeing how structured everything is. When I started in manufacturing, I was impressed by the level of documentation, traceability, and product serialisation that goes into everything we do. There is a lot more process behind the scenes than people might expect.

 

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I really enjoy being able to work through an entire project from start to finish. At EMP, you're not just given a small piece of a larger task. You often get involved from the initial concept and planning stages, through development and testing, right up to seeing the finished product being used. With the dispensing machine, for example, I've been involved from the original brief and will eventually see it being used by the manufacturing team.

 

Is there anything you've worked on that you never expected to be involved with?

Definitely the animatronics and motion control projects. One of the standout projects for me was the Dragon Cage installation at Warner Bros. Studio Tour. I really enjoy working with heavy-duty motion systems, and that project was a lot of fun. The Dragon Cage is a large metal structure featuring a drawbridge, moving bars, and a sliding door to reveal a dragon. The system uses five servo-driven axes: Two motors control the drawbridge. Two motors shake the cage bars to simulate movement from inside. A fifth axis controls a large sliding door. Seeing the final installation working was incredibly rewarding.

 

What would people be surprised to learn about EMP Designs?

I think people often assume we're primarily a lighting company, but there's so much more to what we do. We work on motion control systems, automation, custom electronics, animatronics, manufacturing equipment, and all sorts of bespoke engineering projects. Even after five years, I'm still learning about projects the company completed before I joined.

 

What are some of the biggest skills you've developed here?

The biggest one is teamwork. Because everyone has different specialities and areas of expertise, collaboration is essential. You learn a huge amount from the people around you. Other key skills I've developed include: PCB design and board layout Analogue electronics Manufacturing and hand assembly techniques Software development Project planning and management I've learned far more practical engineering skills here than I could ever have learned in a classroom alone.

 

How would you describe EMP Designs in three words?

Innovation. Robustness. Community.

 

How would you describe the company culture?

It's a very friendly place to work. Everyone gets on well and there's a genuine team atmosphere. Whether it's collaborating on projects, going to the pub after work, or company events like Christmas celebrations, there's a strong sense of community. People are always willing to help each other and share their experience.

 

What kind of people succeed at EMP Designs?

Adaptable people. Because we're a relatively small company, everyone gets involved in different areas of the business. Being able to learn new skills, tackle unfamiliar challenges, and work across multiple disciplines is really important.

 

How much freedom do you have to experiment and develop new ideas?

Quite a lot. Working in R&D means many of our projects start as concepts rather than customer-driven products. That gives us the freedom to experiment, test ideas, build prototypes, and see what works. Experimentation is a big part of what we do.

 

What's it like working across hardware, software, and mechanical systems?

I really enjoy it because you get exposure to all aspects of engineering. A lot of our motion control projects combine electronics, software, and mechanical systems, so you get to see how everything works together. It can be challenging at times, but it's very rewarding when you turn code and hardware into a real moving system.

 

Finally, what keeps you motivated?

The variety. No two projects are ever quite the same, and there's always something new to learn. One week you might be working on manufacturing equipment, the next on motion control, and then on a custom electronics project for a film production. That variety keeps the job interesting and means you're constantly developing new skills.