Working at Padnos
Nathan
Experience Information
Employer: Padnos
Job Title: Engineering Intern
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Padnos is one of the largest scrap companies in the state of Michigan. We have 23 locations in the state, mainly in south western Michigan. Our primary yard is in Holland, while some of our other biggest locations are on Turner Ave in Grand Rapids, in Wyoming, and in Grandville.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
The biggest thing that i worked on this past semester was designing conveyors for the installation of our new Eddy Current Plant at our Grandville location. We are building 38 conveyors in-house for that plant and i was heavily involved with the detailing and production of the conveyors. I ordered all of the components, such as the gearboxes and motors, couplers, rollers, head and tail pulleys and all of the steel required to build the conveyors. I also helped design many conveyors and detail them out for the guys in the shop to build. I also helped with the installation of our DAF tank, which is used to separate oil and other contaminates from water. The current DAF needs repair so we built a new one late last summer/ early fall. I was in charge of preparing everything for installing the new tank, from designing and producing decking for around the tank to order couplers and other components for the plumbing of the tank.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
The biggest knowledge that I picked up was learning what it takes to run my own project and to get everything ready for a major project installation. The Eddy Current Project is one of the largest capital projects that Padnos has ever done and I was right in the middle of all of the work from start to finish. I also ran my own DAF Project and learned what some of the obstacles to running a project could be first hand.
Favorite Part of the Experience
Padnos is a great company to work for. I love the work that I do and all the other employees are great to work with. I am looking forward to this fall when the Eddy Current Plant is scheduled to be up and running as it will be great to see my work being used in our production plant.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
My career goals really have not changed with my experience. I definitely would be interested in working full-time for Padnos after graduation, however, outside of that my goals remain the same.