Shape Corp Co-op III
Mitchell
Experience Information
Employer: Shape Corp
Job Title: Testing Engineer Co-op
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Shape Corp is a roll-form bumper manufacturer that is beginning to expand into other areas of energy management and car crash safety. They are a global organization who's world head quarters is located in Grand Haven, MI. They work directly with nearly all of the major car companies and have long lasting relationships that they have developed over the years with those companies.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
As a co-op my tasks range from being assigned several design projects as they come up. Also I spend the majority of the time performing vehicle and component level car crash testing. Major projects include the CAD modeling of a fixture or part that is of your own concept that, once approved, you will also be responsible for building through the utilization of the full prototype shop located in the same building.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
Through this experience I gained a multitude of hands-on experience such as welding, usage of a manual mill, lathe, drop saw, and many other pieces of equipment found in a standard machine shop. In addition to the hands-on skill I gained I also refined my CAD skills which directly relate to my increased ability to design new ideas and products. The job also requires you to work directly with and for other engineers which allowed me to observe and learn how a successful engineer operates.
Favorite Part of the Experience
One of my favorite parts of this co-op experience was being able to incorporate a lot of the knowledge I gained at school. Throughout the semester opportunities arose for me to apply many of my classes like data acquisition and controls from EGR 345, pre-load and torque equations for fasteners from EGR 409, and the list goes on and on. Seeing those concepts come full circle and actually be applied in a real working environment helps all the hard work at school seem worth it.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
This experience has given me a years worth of hands-on experience, knowledge of product design, and general product testing that is of great value. These things allow me to be a better engineer who has a true understanding of the full process of product development and manufacturing.