Autocam Medical First Engineering Co-op Summer 2024
Antonio
Experience Information
Employer: Autocam Medical
Job Title: Engineering Co-op
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Autocam Medical is a large (and growing) contract manufacturer for medical implants and instruments globally. Their headquarters are located in Kentwood, Michigan but have other locations in Massachusetts, Tennessee, Indiana, China, and Brazil with about 700 employees!
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
Part of the training Autocam gives every engineering co-op student during our first rotation is a hands-on learning experience on the floor to enhance our understanding of their manufacturing process. In my case this involved learning to operate lathe machines for turning operations. This implicated not only learning about the machines themselves (debugging, set up, tool change, offset adjustments, etc.) but the results of the quality of each part that is made and how small details carry throughout the entire job (most comprised of hundreds of parts).
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
At Autocam I learned about high precision design for manufacturing [DFM]. Precise tolerances call for precise tools and equipment, but most importantly trained personnel. Prior to the start of my co-op at Autocam I did not have some of the technical skills needed to engineer the manufacturing processes. The technical hands-on skills needed could really only be taught by doing them, and Autocam provided that for me. Attention to detail was key, and the tolerances that were typically used were in the thousands of an inch and sometimes micro inches (about the size of a human hair)! This required learning to properly operate high precision measurement tools to keep track of the given tolerances for each part's dimensions throughout every stage of the manufacturing process.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of this co-op included engaging with other students, as Autocam proudly held about 30 students this Summer 2024 alone!
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
It is my goal to one day use my engineering skills and knowledge to serve others by improving people's lives and generously giving back to my community and this country. I get the privilege to learn from one of the world's leading advanced medical manufacturers to work towards this goal, making lives better.
Internship Format
In Person