Experience Matters - Grand Valley State University

EGR 290 Co-op Experience

Eric
Major: Mechanical Engineering During my internship at Flexfab, I worked with four other engineers and I had a large role in multiple projects. My first task was to learn daily activities such as quoting, part setups, and how to process engineering change-orders. I was also a part of several large-scale projects. One of the projects I was tasked with was to create a new expander tool for use in the company's 204-4-5 value stream. Flexfab has traditionally used pneumatic expanders, but these have now been deemed obsolete with the inception of the new expander I designed and tested. This project utilized knowledge obtained in both EGR 209 and EGR 309, primarily to ensure that it would stand up to the cyclical loading induced on it by the production line. I also submitted prototype testing requests which helped to familiarize myself with the industries and OEM's specifications.

Co-op Second Rotation

Grant
Major: Mechanical Engineering This co-op rotation I have spent most of my time designing and modeling in Creo. Design projects began with modeling the crankcase, shroud, and intake system of 3W engine on test for a government contract. I continued my Creo work by modeling a CHP (Combined Heat and Power) system for a private contract. This system included exhaust and coolant heat capturing as well as integrating a turbo generator, forced air heating and charging systems for residential use. My other main project involved many small changes in an existing combustor design for a turbo test cart. This initial testing resulted in a significant redesign that required air flow calculations and part drawings for machining. Initial testing of the components indicated significant improvements over the previous design. Other projects through the semester included stepper motor programming for water flow control to a small dynamometer cart and research and design of an injection rate system to measure the injection volume and injection rate of common rail fuel injectors.

Magna Mirrors Co-op

Danijel
Major: Mechanical Engineering At Magna Mirrors, I worked along the product engineers with the inside mirror team at the Kraft location. I was assigned many projects that involved aspects such as data collection, testing fixture production, design work, mirror assembly, test planning, and many more. I was given ample responsibilities that exposed me to the pace of a true engineering environment. The inside mirror is such an intricate little piece to a car, it is enjoyable to work with. The design of a simple rear view mirror has changed dramatically over decades, and it is keeping up with the pace of technology bringing many design innovations to life.

Co-Op Rotation 2

Robert
Major: Mechanical Engineering As a Manufacturing and Quality Engineer Co-Op Student, I studied and developed ways to reduce scrap, participated in design projects, capability studies, and other small projects.

Mechanical Design Semester

Johnathan
Major: Mechanical Engineering Most of the tasks I was responsible for during my co-op experience included supporting engineering projects in form of detailing machine designs and checking machine prints for consistency. This was my first co-op rotation in the Mechanical Design department. For this reason I also spent a lot of time learning the CAD software Creo through tutorials and light design work.

2nd Engineering Co-op Rotation ME

Erich
Major: Mechanical Engineering During my second rotation I completed tasks such as performing FEA on various components of the trailer suspensions. I was a part of a team to develop a brand new product. I made component designs, etc. I was able to work in the test lab. There I continued to improve my welding skills, along with other fabricating and mechanical skills. I visited a shell molding foundry.

Co-Op II at Herman Miller

Cameron
Major: Mechanical Engineering Over the course of the first two semesters, I was responsible for designed and implemented several fixtures that were used for producing products. I also provided engineering support for Lateral Assembly Lines production. I also worked with another engineer to justify purchasing an bottom sealing bander for shipping as a capital project. Working with another engineer we outsourced product to an outside vendor. I also worked to develop a roll formed part on an automated bender. This would bring a part back in house from an outside vendor.

Engineering Co-op 3: Trans-matic Manufacturing

Cade
Major: Mechanical Engineering I handled the responsibilities of a tool design engineer. As this was my third co-op semester, I had significant experience and was given corresponding responsibility. I led several design projects of varying size and complexity. Most of my time was spent doing design work in a CAD system.

Mechanical Engineer CO-OP 3

Patrick
Major: Mechanical Engineering Designed a test bench for a new Photometry Lab. Developed a positioning fixture for lighting devices.

Dematic Co-Op III

Zach
Major: Mechanical Engineering During my final Co-op semester at Dematic I was able to work on several different projects, completing a wide range of tasks. I worked primarily on the material handling systems within Amazon Fulfillment Centers located in Joliet, IL and Sacramento, CA. In my previous Co-op rotation I worked on the installation drawings and ordered parts for these sites. During this Co-op rotation the installation team was onsite, near the end of the installation process. I aided the installation team and mechanical project lead in ordering priority parts to site. I was also given the opportunity to travel to both of these sites to commission. After the completion of these jobs, I started working on a Fulfillment Center in Long Beach, Ca. I completed several different sets of installation drawings and ordered various parts for this site.

Arconic - M.E. Co-op 3

Clark
Major: Mechanical Engineering This semester was split between the Whitehall, MI campus and the Morristown, TN plant. In Whitehall I worked primarily on a special project throughout the semester, on which I was lead project engineer and designer. I also worked on small furnace updates and system redesigns. In the Morristown plant I worked primarily as a project engineer helping to design the layout for the new plant going up the middle of next year. This involved a lot of quoting and working with the plant to define their process and what improvements can be made in the new plant.

Co-op 3 - EGR 490

Jacob
Major: Mechanical Engineering This semester I have taken over creating drawings for almost all of our standardized filter presses.

3rd Co-op Rotation

Adan
Major: Mechanical Engineering As new products are enrolled into RDI, my job is to design the gating pattern's that will allow molten iron to flow into casting molds. A large machine, called DISAMATIC, produces green-sand molds that contain negative space within them. Iron is poured into an opening at the top of the mold until the negative space is completely filled, and eventually solidifies. Each mold is capable of producing multiple castings, depending on the size and overall geometry of the casting. My job is to layout a design of how the castings will be positioned in the mold and a system of channels that will supply the entire mold with iron at an optimum rate. Iron must also feed into casting cavities as the castings solidify and shrink, which requires integrating reservoirs of iron, called risers, into the layout.

SAF-HOLLAND Co-Op III

Joseph
Major: Mechanical Engineering My time at SAF-HOLLAND this semester was devoted to the development of a steer lock for our passive steering auxiliary lift axle suspension, the LSZ13. I was given responsibility for this project from the initial stage of concept development through to the final phase, start of production. The tasks I completed while working on this project include: concept design, FEA, sourcing prototype parts, prototype builds, test fixture design, prototype degradation and lifecycle testing, test data acquisition and analysis, DFMEAs (Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis), and project management tasks. Other tasks I completed during this semester included analysis of a fifth wheel mounting bracket with ANSYS, GD&T training, and the creation of a database for quick part identification.

ODL Co-Op 3

Jonathan
Major: Mechanical Engineering The semester I was assigned primarily to the following projects 1. Add on Blind Implementation-In previous rotations I designed several improvements to our Add on Blind. Since I was at school, the capital has been approved to implement these changes. This semester I have been in charge of implementing the project. This has involved leading a small team, working with our CAD designer to update drawings, developing a project timeline, and completing necessary tolerance stacks for new components. 2. Glass Supermarket Layout-As part of an exposure to Manufacturing engineering, I have worked with several manufacturing engineers to optimize and rearrange the layout which we store our glass in on the floor. 3. IGCC Certification Drawings-Currently, we produce units for IGCC certification from hand written notes on pieces of scratch paper. In the interest of making this process repeatable and simple, I have worked to produce a legitimate set of drawings for three different insulated glass units so that the engineer in charge of certification can simply order the units for certification, rather than chase down all the right people and parts on the floor. 4. Operating Efforts improvements-In the interest of lowering the operating efforts of one of our blind products I have focused on making design improvements and testing to lower the operating efforts of the blind.

HVAC / building mechanical systems

David
Major: Mechanical Engineering Assisted in design work of building mechanical and HVAC systems. Commissioned new buildings to ensure systems are functioning to specifications. Commissioned existing buildings to find energy conservation measures and to diagnose ongoing issues.

Mechanical Engineering Final Co-op

Jordyn
Major: Mechanical Engineering During my co-op experience, I was able to work with several departments in order to complete order entry tasks, order-completion drawings, and drawing modifications. I also had the opportunity to travel to an Amazon project in California for 1 week to assist in problem solving and preparation to turn a project over to the customer. All of these tasks helped further my knowledge of products within the company as well as how to use different programs in order to properly complete my job.

Co-Op at L3

Mowgli
Major: Mechanical Engineering I worked as a mechanical engineer on the modernization of transmission components. I assigned tasks included component testing, FEA analysis and prototype design.

Program Launch / Ergonomic Upgrading

Alex
Major: Mechanical Engineering Improvements were made to the rivet fixture station to check for proper adhesive and rivet application before bonding. Fixture functionality, sensing ability, operator interaction, and ergonomics was improved. I helped create detailed work instructions, fixture part presence sensing, tool carts, and helped ensure deadlines were being met for a new product line.

Manufacturing Engineering Co-op

Quang
Major: Mechanical Engineering Design tool, improve productivity of production line, research.

Co-op 3 at Autocam

Joe
Major: Mechanical Engineering I was responsible for communicating with suppliers to order process flow equipment, cutting tools, and a vision system. I gained more familiarity with Autocam's job database and production tracking system. I assisted with the data collection for the PPAP for several prototype parts. I collected data to prove out new wash processes. I provided support for inspectors and generated guidelines for part rejection. I worked with a vision system programmer to correlate a 2D surface profilometer with a quicker 3D interferometer. I led several projects to reduce defect quantities. Though a few projects I learned more about face and outer diameter grinding. One of my projects related to heat treatment and centerless grinding, where I learned technical details about surface finish and roundness. I have also been involved with implementing a vision system for dimensional inspection to improve quality control.

Mechanical Engineering Co-op

Clayton
Major: Mechanical Engineering I have been on my third and final co-op rotation at SAF-Holland since mid-August and through this rotation I worked primarily on new suspension beams to replace our existing beams currently in production. The primary goals of the project are to create beams that make manufacturing processing much easier, create a lighter full suspension assembly and improve suspension performance. Throughout the co-op I have worked closely with the senior project engineer of my department. Together we have worked on the design features and optimization of the beam.

3rd co-op Rotation

Gabrielle
Major: Mechanical Engineering In my final rotation, I was assigned to the design group. I was tasked with helping in the design of stations that were to be part of larger of assemblies in which I worked a lot with CAD software. I was also tasked with doing design checks of part prints, detailing components, releasing prints for build, and completing redlines.

JR Summer Co-op

Tom
Major: Mechanical Engineering I started out with detailing and checking print packages. I would take an assembly, create the detail sheets, and add the dimensions and annotations to the sheets, which will end up on the floor for the builders to use. While checking, we make sure that the dimensions are clear, useful, and have the appropriate tolerances. I moved my way into doing design work. From making changes to parts, to making my own small assemblies, I never did the same things twice. I was even able to work on the floor with the builders during my first semester. This allowed me to see how our models becomes real machines.

Engine Research Design and Development

Grant
Major: Mechanical Engineering My tasks for this semester included preparing a test cart that would hold a small 28cc two stroke engine. The engine is used in the ScanEagle UAV and is being researched to increase durability and performance through advanced materials. I oversaw building a test rig that was able to control the throttle remotely and send back all necessary data to be recorded and analyzed later. I also worked on developing a combustor for a Turbo Test Rig that would be able to map a range of small turbocharger compressors and turbines. I designed the combustor along with multiple other components and then redesigned the layout of the cart. My work began with research, then design, conducted design reviews, developed detailed drawings, sourced hardware, ordered raw material, developed travelers for component manufacturing, inspected finished components, and conducted final assembly. I designed the parts and produced prints in Creo that were used in manufacturing.