Experience Matters - Grand Valley State University

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.

Magna Co-op

Danijel
Major: Mechanical Engineering At the location here at Kraft we do a lot of testing to meet environmental, mechanical, and safety requirements desired by the customers. I would perform many of these tests for the engineers and the projects they have with the customers to directly determine data of the mirrors' characteristics, and whether or not design changes need to happen. I would also do plenty of design work, from designing custom fixtures or adapters for the part I would need to test them, to gathering any other data when viewing designs in CAD.

The Structural Concepts Experience

Joseph
Major: Mechanical Engineering The most common task was changing the bill of materials on part assemblies as well as changing the respective models of these assemblies to represent the changes. Sometimes an entirely new part had to be designed in SolidWorks to satisfy the need of a part on the final product or assembly. For example if the part was made out of sheet metal, the SolidWorks model would be cut out on a CNC laser and then bent to shape.

Gentex Co-op

Dalton
Major: Mechanical Engineering While at Gentex, I worked along side the process engineers in the final assembly area. Their job is to assemble all of the mirror components to create the final product. When arriving at Gentex, my group was in the process of implementing a new production line for Full Display Mirrors. My first project was to fully assembly and install three conveyor belts for the production line. I had to utilize my hands on skills and knowledge of Solidworks to complete my tasks. As the internship progressed, I received many task for improving the existing machine designs for the line. These improvements included designing and finding locations for brackets and flow racks. I also got some experience with selecting and testing new sensors for improving the build process.

Controls Intern summer

Brian
Major: Mechanical Engineering Most of the tasks I worked on was data logging. For nearly every project in my business unit I would update the build's schematic which had changes made on paper but had yet to be updated electronically. When I wasn't updating schematics I was programming robots, designing user interface screens, and completing documentation for the company.

First Year Co-op Experience

Bruce
Major: Mechanical Engineering The project that took up most of my time throughout the semester was a competitive review project. The purpose was to take competitors products, test the units, tear them down to see what was inside, and report on the findings and results. I also was involved in a little bit of product enhancement projects as well as various testing that needed to be done.

JR Automation Co-op Experience

Johnathan
Major: Mechanical Engineering For my first co-op rotation I was assigned to quoting. Companies looking for automated manufacturing solutions send JR Automation a "request for quote" document that outlines the requirements and specifications of the machine they would like us to provide them. I was assigned many quotes during my co-op semester. The tasks associated with these quotes included developing a concept and cost for the potential machine to be designed and built. This required contacting vendors for large components of the machine and meeting with our internal engineers to build on past experience.