Yanfeng Automotive Interiors
Morgan
Experience Information
Employer: Yanfeng Automotive Interiors
Job Title: Engineering Co-op
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Yanfeng Automotive Interiors (YFAI) is a tier-one supplier of instrument panels and cockpit systems, door panels, floor consoles and overhead consoles. Headquartered in Shanghai, the company has more than 90 manufacturing and technical centers in 17 countries and employs over 28,000 people globally. Established in 2015, YFAI is a joint venture between Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems and Adient, a recent spin-off of Johnson Controls.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
This semester I worked in a plant as the manufacturing engineer on three door assembly lines. As part of that, I handled a wide range of tasks as they came up. This included working on the manufacturing line to gain experience, resolving safety and quality concerns, repairing machines as needed, leading a work re-balance to eliminate unnecessary production, and helping with on-going updates to equipment and processes.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I gained knowledge of the many technical processes used at YFAI, including plastic injection molding, foaming processes, cut-sew-wrap processes, assembly methods, and programming of color and proximity sensors. In addition, I have a much better understanding of the work involved in launching a new production line.
Favorite Part of the Experience
I greatly enjoyed working with a team of engineers, supervisors, operators, and support staff to analyze the efficiency of a manufacturing line and re-balance the amount of work to better match our production goals.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
This experience has caused me to be more interested in working in a manufacturing environment in the future.