Super Hands-on
Zachary
Experience Information
Employer: DeWys Manufacturing
Job Title: Engineering Co-op
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
DeWys Manufacturing is a metal solutions company located in Marne, MI where the specialize in sheet metal components. They also provide powder coating, CNC machining, and assembly work for a variety of different products servicing companies all around the US and the World.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
As an intern/cop-op student working with the Innovation team, my job as long as the other engineers job's on the Innovation team was to find any and all ways to improve the manufacturing processes throughout the shop. Whether that be deciding where to put a new machine or relocate a current machine, to designing milling fixtures for various parts, or designing new systems or parts to be used around the shop. I was tasked with a job in pretty much every aspect of the shop. I designed and fabricated a new cart that holds hooks for the powder coating line, designed 7-8 milling fixtures for the automated CNC milling cell, to running a time study and analysis looking at the laser cutting and press braking processes.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I greatly improved my SolidWorks proficiency and other CAD modeling techniques. I learned a lot of industry correct, but not school correct ways to dimension and label engineering drawings, how to design fixtures using pneumatic components, the basics of forming and cutting sheet metal, how to weld. But most of all, I learned what it was actually like being an engineer, something no class could ever show me.
Favorite Part of the Experience
It was immensely hands-on. I love working with my hands, so when I interviewed at DeWys for the first time and told them that, seeing their enthusiasm for hands-on work for their co-op students made me very excited. If there was ever anything I needed cut or drilled or machined, depending on how simple it was, I was able to do it with my own hands and learned the correct way to do it. Whenever the parts for a new fixture were completed, I was responsible for putting everything together, which was my favorite part. It was like designing your very own Christmas present and then putting it together with your own hands.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
I now know that I would love to have a more hands on engineering position as a career. Sitting at a desk all day, while sometimes necessary and still hard work, is not something I would want to do for my whole life.