RFID
Caleb
Experience Information
Employer: Xtreme RFID a Cascade Engineering Company
Job Title: RFID Testing and Product Development Intern
Major: Electrical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Cascade Engineering, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a manufacturer comprised of eleven strategic business units serving a wide diversity of markets including automotive, commercial truck & bus, solid waste & recycling, furniture, material handling, renewable energy and consulting services. With a core competency in large scale plastic injection molding Cascade Engineering is a global company with 1,200 employees located in 14 facilities throughout North America and Europe. As one of the largest certified 'B' corporations in the world Cascade Engineering is a nationally recognized proponent of sustainable business practices that emphasize the key role business can play in building financial, social and environmental capital
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
I have been working at Cascade Engineering for the subsidiary of Xtreme RFID for almost 2 years now. Over this time period I have been able to go from full-time during breaks and co-ops to part-time while taking classes. Since starting to work here, I have increased in responsibility from being someone who is constantly testing RFID tags for product development purposes to a person who has automated much of my testing and has moved on to learning how to use thermal-transfer printing with a Zebra printer on RFID inlays to specialized testing, setting up a lab, Solidworks work occasionally, not counting the occasional fab work that I am requested to do. As my title describes testing and product development, I do a lot of other specified testing with RFID handhelds and dock doors to determine optimum locations for RFID tags on bins and other parts. I have also done some work in deciding which inlay would best be placed in other specified tags and applications.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
Not counting a lot of excel experience, I have learned how to work with other suppliers and technicians from many companies to help me learn what I must in order to get what my boss requires me to get accomplished. In addition to that, I am learning a lot about RFID and some of the science behind it, in addition to just how to interact with and get things done in a manufacturing environment.
Favorite Part of the Experience
I could say the part that was the most rewarding and fun for me was to have at least 5 projects going at once and scheduling my time in order to keep each project moving, collecting data and keeping quite busy. I had a few weeks during this semester during which I was able to do that. Another close second is just the ability to interact with people within a company with a lot of resources to get what must be done for each project.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
The experience in this co-op experience has solidified and taught me that I do like being in product development part of it although I would like to know more of the science behind what I am doing instead of guess work. It shows me that as my goal was prior to college of getting into somewhere that I can help to develop parts in a newer field of study and manufacturing.