Engineering Co-op at Magna Mirrors
Jay
Experience Information
Employer: Magna Mirrors
Job Title: Product Development Engineering Co-op
Major: Electrical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Magna International Inc. is a Canadian global automotive supplier headquartered in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. In 2014 it was the largest automobile parts manufacturer in North America by sales of original equipment parts, and one of Canada's largest companies. Its operating groups include Magna Steyr, Magna Powertrain, Magna Exteriors, Magna Seating, Magna Closures, Magna Mirrors, Magna Electronics and Cosma International. Magna manufactures auto parts that are primarily supplied to General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler LLC. In addition to the Big 3 U.S. automakers, Magna's major customers include Tesla Motors, Volkswagen, BMW and Toyota. In Europe, Magna Steyr holds contracts for the assembly of the Peugeot RCZ and Mini Countryman. Magna has approximately 124,000 employees in 287 manufacturing operations and 81 product development, engineering and sales centers in 29 countries. Magna operates under a corporate constitution which calls for distribution of profits to employees and shareholders. The terms of this contract are "fair enterprise" according to Frank Stronach, company founder.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
I received a wide variety of task throughout the semester. I spent a lot of my time making mockup mirrors. This required me taking mirrors apart, making some form of modification to an area of interest inside the mirror, building the mirrors back up, and then testing the new mirrors for desired performances. In doing this I spent a lot of time in our shop, gaining familiarity using some of our machining equipment. I also was exposed to a number of different testing procedures including current draw, vibration, water spray, wind tunnel, and several others. In addition to these tasks, I was able to gain some electrical engineering experiences as well. I performed circuit analysis on a few turn signal modules, populated and modified a few sets of PCBs, soldered together multiple wire harnesses, and was even able to run some EMC testing.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I became a more well-rounded engineer this semester. Spending as much time in the model shop as I did, I became more comfortable using the machines/tools available to me. I'm not the most handy man, but this semester I definitely took some steps forward in that department. In addition to that I got exposed to a bunch of different testing procedures which allowed me to practice gathering data, formatting it in a presentable way to engineers, and then ultimately drawing conclusions.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of the coop experience was working in the electronics lab (populating PCBs, soldering wire harnesses, using the GTEM chamber, etc.). Those types of projects allowed me to build onto what I've been learning in school, and as an electrical engineer, I feel those experiences will be valuable to me in the future. My favorite part of Magna as a whole was how involved they allowed me to be. They definitely take their coop program seriously and they definitely kept me busy all semester. There always seemed to be projects lined up with engineers ready to work with me. It allowed me to have a very fulfilling semester and I am grateful for that.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
Magna Mirrors has, and will be, huge in assisting me as I development into a more professional engineer. It's fast paced work environment and close-knit teams have grown on me. It's the type of place I'd like to work at in the future and as I begin to look into work after graduation it's good to have the example which Magna has set for me.