Oliver-Tolas Healthcare Packaging: Second Term
Spencer
Experience Information
Employer: Oliver-Tolas Healthcare packaging
Job Title: Process Engineer
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Oliver-Tolas Healthcare Packaging is a multinational manufacturer of packaging for devices used in the medical field. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI, OTHP currently operates three domestic facilities as well as facilities in the Netherlands and China.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
I was involved with the installation and qualification of several new pieces of machinery as well as product and process qualifications. This involved a lot of hands-on work performing testing on the new equipment, and a small amount of report/paperwork preparation and routing. Notably, I was responsible for the installation of a radioactively sourced gauging system used to determine the thickness of finished products. This project entailed designing the hardware necessary to mount the system, working with Plant Services to make the appropriate preparations for installation, and working with the device manufacturer's Engineer to install and set-up the system. Beyond this, I was responsible for all of the testing necessary to demonstrate the devices functionality and report my findings to my superiors.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I learned a lot about OPC data access and plant/machine communication. I also spent some time developing product specific routines, which forced a lot of thought regarding creating the most effective and efficient path for a part from raw material to finished product. Other tasks included general day-to-day floor support and firefighting, which helped to develop an ability to work closely and effectively with production personnel to root out and solve problems quickly.
Favorite Part of the Experience
The OTHP Grand Rapids Engineering department is structured to allow each engineer to work in a "multi-disciplinary" fashion. That is, it allows a Mechanical Engineer to gain experience doing work that might be more traditionally thought of as a task for someone with an Electrical- or even Computer Engineering background. The structure of the department helped me to develop capability as a well-rounded engineer rather than as a Mechanical Engineer exclusively.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
Before this semester I never seriously considered manufacturing as a viable career path. This semester demonstrated to me that an extraordinary amount of opportunity exists in manufacturing to develop innovative and exciting solutions to problems; it's a lot more than machine repair and cost-savings.