Rotation 2 for CAE Role Co-Op Student
Adam
Experience Information
Employer: Magna Mirrors of America
Job Title: CAE Co-Op
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Magna Mirrors of America is a subdivision of Magna International, one of the leading companies in parts distribution to OEM manufacturers in the automotive industry. Although Magna is a large company, the open door policy to contact upper management directly ensures everyone in the company has their voice heard. Magna Mirrors has locations in 14 countries. Magna Mirrors of America employs roughly 6000 employees for the design, sale, and manufacturing of vision systems and exterior door handles in the United States and Mexico.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
Magna Mirrors of America gave me the opportunity to train with a senior CAE (Computer Assisted Engineering) engineer to learn Finite Element Analysis (FEA) skills as well as Optimizations techniques, and other CAE tasks. Some programs that were assigned over my second rotation included completing FEA analysis and CAE analysis of Honda's T90A (Civic) handle program, Ford's U611 (Aviator) handle program, Toyota's 890B (Tundra) mirror program and multiple other smaller jobs that were required of me during the 16 weeks of the rotation. Although FEA and CAE took most of my time at the company, I was involved with multiple physical part testing and data acquisition for the U611 handle program, as well as GM's T1XX (Silverado Trailer Tow) mirror programs.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
The first Co-op rotation with Magna gave me the background for what is required by a CAE analyst to produce reliable and accurate results. During the second Co-op rotation, I put those skills to use and was given more responsibility for each program I was assigned. I learned multiple forms of CAE such as MultiBody Dynamic Analysis methods, Optimization methods using Altair HyperWorks, and FEA practices using PTC's Creo Parametric. Additionally, my CAD skills and manufacturing knowledge advanced to be able to change part geometry to pass CAE testing while still remaining tool-able.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of this Co-op experience was the chance to use CAD on a daily basis with the help of someone who has been using the program for 20+ years. This allowed me to ask questions to a person who has a deep understanding of not only using the software effectively but also to use the software efficiently, making me not only better at CAD but significantly faster. The culture at Magna was also very enjoyable. While I was there I didn't feel like an intern per se, but I felt as though I was an equal and my opinion mattered during the decision making processes.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
After my first Co-op rotation in the CAE division, I knew that a CAE career path was one that I wanted to follow. The second Co-op rotation only increased my understanding and love for this growing field, and I hope to continue down this path to become a senior CAE engineer one day.