TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Two Salatiga vocational school graduates, Arfi’an Fuadi and M. Arie Kurniawan, were able to defeat Oxford University engineer graduates. The two brothers succeeded in winning first prize in a 3D Challenge Printing held by General Electric (GE) this year.

"Arfi’an and Arie succeeded in designing a jet engine bracket—a component to lift an aircraft engine—the lightest from similar components that have ever been created in the world," Handry Satriago, GE Indonesia CEO, said in a statement at Mulia Hotel Jakarta yesterday.

The superiority of the jet engine bracket designed by Arfi’an and Arie is the weight factor component of the post-process making prototype, Handry said. The jet engine bracket that currently exists weigh 2 kilograms, while Arfi’an and Arie’s jet engine bracket made only weighs 327 grams or 84 percent lighter. "The ability to suppress weight component became an advantage point for their design due to it’s efficiency," Handry said.

Arfi’an and Arie, the graduates of State High School 7 Semarang and State Vocational 2 Salatiga, are able to put aside 700 designs out of 50 countries. "They even defeated participants with a Ph.D title from Sweden who places second and engineer graduates from Oxford University who places third."

Arfi’an said his achievement was a result of hard work together with his brother, M. Arie Kurniawan, under Dtech Engineering firm which they pioneered five years ago. "Our huge interest in engineering and manufacturing design are the factors that encourage us to reach an achievement," Arfi’an told reporters.

RAYMUNDUS RIKANG R.W.