EGR 290 Co-op Experience
Andrew
Experience Information
Employer: JR Automation Technologies
Job Title: Mechanical Design Intern
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
JR Automation is an automation business thriving on innovation. JR Automation has grown to become a leading capital equipment designer, integrator, and manufacturer throughout the world. Machines are designed and built at JR Automation that have lean thinking hardwired into them at the point of conception. JR Automation serves multiple industries, including: Automotive, Aerospace, Construction, Consumer Products, Food Processing, Furniture, Going Green, Medical, and Pharmaceutical. JR Automation employs over 500 employees at 6 business unit locations. Each business unit is responsible for certain projects and each business unit supports itself with its own design, controls, and build team.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
I have been exposed to many different projects as an intern. Most of my time is spent detailing drawings, updating drawings, and occasionally small design projects. Therefore, almost daily, I am moving around to help different engineers with a variety of tasks. I was also tasked to decrease the overall price of a custom design smoker/grill with the help of several other interns. We were able to decrease the price by about 50% and there is now a good chance the smoker will actually be produced and used at the business unit I worked in.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I have gained an unbelievable amount of knowledge in PTC Creo Parametric, a design software. I also learned about tolerancing, sheet metal processes, and learned to think about how a part could/would be made. I also began learning about how to design parametrically. That is, design so that if an update must be applied, the entire model will react and not fail. There is no possible way to describe the amount of knowledge I have gained from this experience.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of this co-op was the design projects I would get tasked with. I thoroughly enjoyed designing guarding for different machines or even a failed parts chute that was fed from a conveyor belt. I was responsible for designing guarding to not allow laser etching processes to burn an operator and designing guarding to protect sensors on another machine.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
My experience at JR Automation has been amazing. I would love to continue working in the design discipline of engineering. I hope to continue learning and growing as a professional with the hope to someday be able to work at a place like JR Automation as a full-time employee.