ENGINEERING CO-OP II
David
Experience Information
Employer: SAF-Holland
Job Title: Engineering Co-Op
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
SAF-Holland provides top tier commercial vehicle components such as coupling products, suspensions, and landing gear systems. Having headquarters in Germany and America, SAF-Holland spans the globe to cover the design, manufacturing, and distribution of quality engineered parts to the commercial vehicle industry.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
Continuing on through the second co-op rotation, I have mostly been working on new product development and testing with regards to coupler products (Fifth Wheels). I got into more complex projects involving design of new products and inovative designs to decrease cost and weight.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
The skills and knowledge that I gained throughout the short semester include communication, CAD practices, and product design. Communication was big because, as my projects increased in size and complexity, I would seek instruction from my more experienced coworkers. The use of Solidworks remained the same but the complexity increased significantly. I learned more on Solidworks from mostly coworkers, trial and error, and Solidworks forums. Product design is complex because as the number of parts increase, there are only few ways for assemblies to fit efficiently. I have learned how to deal with multi-part and complex products while keeping style and efficiency a high priority.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part about my co-op experience was the amount of effective communication particularly during stand-up meetings. These meetings help by keeping everyone in the loop and opening opportunities for constructive feedback if needed.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
This co-op experience has increased my interests in pursuing mechanical engineering in the automotive industry.