Making Machines Work
Benjamin
Experience Information
Employer: Koops Inc.
Job Title: Launch Co-op
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Koops designs, builds, and supports manufacturing equipment for the automotive and medical industries. They have 120 permanent employees, and the primary departments are: sales, human resources, finance, purchasing, project management, mechanical engineering, controls engineering, launch engineering, machining, and assembly.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
I performed debugging adjustments to automated machines to bring the quality of the part up to what the customer expected. I also assisted with PLC programming, prototyping for the sales team, and mechanical design.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
Most of what I learned this semester had to do with an experience with the real-world constraints and tolerances experienced on the shop floor, as opposed to in the design offices.
Favorite Part of the Experience
Knowing more about the variables affecting soft trim lamination than anyone else in the company. Because I had the necessary skills from 2 prior Co-op semesters, I became the go-to person for practical questions and issues with a set of these machines, which were a new technology for Koops to some extent.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
I am more confident that I wish to remain in the automation industry.