Experience Matters - Grand Valley State University

My first co-op rotation at Nissan

Stephen
Major: Electrical Engineering During my term I validated electric car chargers for current production vehicles, and performed a benchmark analysis of many competitors vehicles and their high voltage battery systems. I also synthesized weekly reports and presentation material. Data analysis was a huge portion of my job, so I often used MATLAB and excel.

Genesis Seating Experience Matters

Lucas
Major: Mechanical Engineering I walked around the assembly floor observing and analyzing assemblies, and come up with concepts to make assemblies more simple and efficient. I'd spend time making drawings of these concepts on SolidWorks and once the drawings were complete and approved, I'd build them in the maintenance area. Some of these projects involved making concepts/building an assembly table, mobile carts, and a hitch to connect carts together.

Engineering Co-op 1

Timothy
Major: Mechanical Engineering My main assignments were designing weld fixtures to help make parts for several of our customers. I worked with the engineering team to gather data and direction along the way. I conducted design reviews for each fixture to bring the team up to speed and to make important decisions. I also helped our machinists in the tool room with the assembly of this tooling. Beyond weld fixtures, I designed check fixtures for a number of the parts we manufacture and I produced overlays of old and new parts from customers to investigate the changes between revisions. In addition, I helped one of the engineers to program a tube bender.

Mechanical Engineering Co-op Rotation #1

Jacob
Major: Mechanical Engineering As a mechanical engineer intern in their first rotation I took on design lead in several projects rather quickly. I was tasked with designing and creating models in SOLIDWORKS for several brackets, wall art, and linkage systems. Conducting prototyping with 3D printed parts after the models and drawings were complete. Created bills of materials for several projects. Also wrote design reports and pulled together presentations on project progress to share with the customers.

Magna Mirrors - 1st Rotation Co-Op

Jamal
Major: Mechanical Engineering During my first rotation at Magna, I was tasked with measuring and analyzing critical dimensions on mirrors, conducting capability studies on various processes throughout the facility, programming a multisensor measurement system, and creating MRO forms for spare parts. I also had the opportunity to do some design work in SolidWorks for multiple new machine components.

Computer engineering Co-op 1

Drew
Major: Computer Engineering I was tasked with developing and running tests on various embedded devices designed to meet customer specifications. Most of my work was project-specific updates for requirements verification that related to features like the Homelink wireless control system.

Aerospace Co-op Experience

Dawson
Major: Mechanical Engineering This summer I was able to work in Commercial Shroud components, which are directly installed into commercial jet engines for Boeing and Airbus planes. My goal this summer was to implement control limits to 30+ product families, and see out that these were restricting tolerances to ensure better parts and more confidence.

PCEC Co-Op 1

Trysten
Major: Computer Engineering I was given the opportunity to work on many different projects in order to learn the various engineering concepts surrounding them. Some notable tasks include writing Python applications with a full GUI to operate test fixtures and a high voltage power supply. That involved writing my first Python script and eventually to writing UART communication drivers and a JLink programming interface. I also got to write programs to conduct signal analysis such as using the Fast Fourier Transform to diagnose a signal and determine its frequency and amplitude. Another notable project that I completed was writing the embedded C API for another test fixture which also included a library that generates a PWM signal that, when passed through external circuitry like a low-pass filter, generates a sine wave. One of the last major projects I completed was programming an SPI that controls a Long-Range Radio shield for a microcontroller in order to transmit and receive data wirelessly. Additional projects I worked on included SMD soldering large circuit boards, conducting NFC range testing, high-voltage testing, and many other great learning experiences.

2021 Co-op Experience First Rotation

Zachary
Major: Electrical Engineering The tasks that I was assigned this semester included understanding the design of constructing a building electrically. This includes designing new and existing power, lighting and fire alarm in a three dimensional CAD software. I was also tasked with coordinating across different disciplines to ensure that the project design is moving at a great pace between disciplines. It really helps the project design when disciplines are on the same pace, and this ensures that the client would be not only satisfied, but excited about the outcome of the project. I also was tasked with understanding the phasing of the design of a project, and why each project goes through different phases.

E3 Compliance Co op First Rotation

Nicholas
Major: Electrical Engineering I have performed numerous EMC tests from a wide range of products from aviation to commercial household equipment. I also helped diagnose issue with certain products and developed solutions to make these products pass test standards or simply prototyping stages.

Dornerworks SepTech Co-op Rotation I

Eric
Major: Computer Engineering The main project I worked on during this semester was setting up Continuous Integration(CI) testing for the septech team on our NASA SBIR project.I worked closely with team members to make sure we could thoroughly test all applications that we made to ensure they all worked

Engineering Intern

Micah
Major: Mechanical Engineering Since it was my first co-op rotation at Trans-Matic, I worked mostly on revision work. Revision work involves updating engineering drawings to match changes in the tooling or layout changes made by the toolmaker. However, as the rotation progressed and I gained more designing skills, I was assigned projects that required design work to fulfill requests made by the toolmakers or customers. For example, one of the toolmakers wanted some grating dropped eighteen inches in Trans-Maticýs large 240 press. Although it sounds like a relatively easy task, it was challenging since the grating still had to fit in the confined space provided while following regulations mandated by OSHA. In short, as I gained experience at Trans-Matic, I received projects that tested my abilities while also allowing me to gain new skills.

Shaping Metal, and a Career

Nathaniel
Major: Mechanical Engineering As an Engineering Intern, the majority of my tasks involved part/drawing/print updates and the use of Creo (Pro-E), my new favorite CAD software. Tool-makers on the shop floor would make changes to prints in order to improve tooling and the quality of production parts; it was my job to verify and implement them. I was also given a handful of small projects that involved developing creative solutions to real problems. I enjoyed these a lot, as I was able to exercise some creativity and apply concepts from previous coursework.

First EGR Co-op Semester

Samuel
Major: Mechanical Engineering This semester I completed a lot of interesting tasks and assignments. One task that was commonly assigned to me was completing engineering change requests. These are usually changes in dimensions or part numbers in a certain table/desk assembly that requires me to go through and change all of the engineering drawings that contain the part that was changed. Along with this, I also created setup drawings where I would have to add all of the different parts in a desk assembly and then create the engineering drawing for it. One project I did this semester was created nested drawer CAD files and then worked with a CNC programmer to mill out many drawer panels out of sheets of melamine. Another project I completed was designing a new modesty bracket for a table. I had to redesign the hinge to be universal because it had been assembled wrong on some tables and caused the veneer to tear off the modesty panels.

Herman Miller Co-op

Jarrod
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering I was tasked with day to day operations of running an assembly line. This included tasks from improving safety like creating new stapling processes to improving machinery to make lines more efficient. I was also tasked with larger products like helping with new product launches and creating floor layouts.

Magna Co-op

Lucas
Major: Mechanical Engineering At Magna engineering I worked on projects that provided product support to validation testing, manufacturing, product development, and customer relations.

Engineering Co-op #1

Mallory
Major: Mechanical Engineering My first rotation of co-op consisted of an abundance of different tasks. I assisted in an engineering transfer, where I completed the required testing/reporting. I completed process, operational, and installation protocols as needed for both the engineering transfer and regular operation. I helped work the backroom of an audit, participated in customer meetings and projects, and wrote, updated and revised documentation as needed.

Koops Project Engineer Co-op

Zachary
Major: Electrical Engineering Over the course of my PE rotation I worked to debug a line of machines all made for one customer. This involved finding problems with the already assembled machines, looking for the best and most sensible solution for each problem, and then carrying out said solution. One problem with interference between two moving parts could be grinding off excess material, while another problem of a sensor not functioning could be a miss wired connection. These problems often take on the spot problem solving to find and fix, and making a machine work when it wasn't is a satisfying feeling.

Realization that it is worth it

Marshall
Major: Mechanical Engineering My tasks can be broken up into daily responsibilities, large projects, and odd jobs. My daily responsibilities include running APDýs 3D printers. We have a very large FDM machine and two SLA printers. It is my job to ensure any requested prints be completed on time and the requestor receives regular updates on their parts. If a print was requested from outside of APD, I would have to walk them through the resin selection process and explain the finer details of 3D printing if they had any questions. Many of the large projects I worked on I cannot explain due to my NDA, but let it suffice that during my rotation I completed testing, which included hands on measurements and method creation, data analysis, and data/ result presentations. Through my work on the larger projects, I have gained a new appreciation and understanding of proper methodology and data recording, along with how to create professional yet enjoyable presentations. Many of my odd jobs included normal intern stereotypes. Scheduling appointments, contacting dealerships, coordinating teams, and designing tools for the office (printed on our 3D printers of course) were all tasks that could be asked of me by any of the engineers within APD.

Enterprise Sales & Distribution

Annabelle
Major: Communications As an intern, I participated in various tasks and projects within the department I was with and with other interns in the company. I was able to help understand and come up with solutions and recommendations regarding an enterprise-wide SharePoint site, so conducting interviews and an electronic survey was how I gained feedback and insight into the usage of the site. I also was able to help design learning modules and participate in the discussions. I also helped locate and identify numerous black-owned insurance agencies to expand on its diversity efforts. With other interns, we collaborated and created a grant proposal for a generous donation to a non-profit organization focused on providing housing and shelters for homeless, low-income, and battered women in the community.

Koops Summer Co-op: First rotation

Cory
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering During my summer semester, I was a part of the Controls Programming team. My mentor and I worked on an automated conveyor line used to assemble a small oil pump. From day to day we problem solve issues involved with programming, vision systems, robots, sensors, and lights.

Manufacturing Engineering Co-op at Herman Miller

Nick
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering I worked on several projects that target creating manufacturing department more efficient. For one project I tested cycle times on a boring machine on our manufacturing line, and then presented results to the machine's manufacturer based in Italy.

OSM Engineering Co Op

Benjamin
Major: Mechanical Engineering Magna Mirrors includes a lot of testing of prototype materials and parts. There might be a large sum or a small amount due to how much prototypes are available for testing. The testing is simple to do but it might take once or twice to get used to get a hang of things. therefore, I recommend doing practice tests on parts that already have been tested to compare results with the concluded results to check accuracy and precision.

Electrical Engineering at ODL

Joshua
Major: Electrical Engineering While at ODL I was able to design and help use a force/position tester. I was the one that made the software for the tests and helped pick the hardware. I also established Altium at ODL and was able to start designing PCBs for ODL. I was also able to make different test codes and data analysis for the different tests we were running.

Shape Corp: Thinkers, Believers, Doers.

Chau
Major: Electrical Engineering The majority of my responsibilities were split into two categories: continues improvement and maintenance. The continues improvement was an on-going project where I was responsible for designing, programming to upgrade the functionalities on all the roll-former systems, welding robot, or deburring system to improve the production processing. The main goal was to reduce the time needed to manufacture parts but still keep the product at high-end quality. On the other hand, maintenance was the work requests from other areas of the company to support production.