Engineering Co op First Rotation
Daniel
Experience Information
Employer: Genesis Seating
Job Title: Manufacturing Engineer Intern
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Genesis Seating is branch of the Work Furniture Group, which is a division of Leggett & Platt, Inc. Their core business is assembling chairs for companies like Herman Miller, Steelcase and Haworth. The chairs are made in cells rather than lines due to the variations and customizations each chair could have.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
My main focus was to look for ways to improve efficiency in the Eames Lounge Chair cell. This involved creating new work stations for cushion upholstery and carts to transport foam in and out of the cell. This resulted in creating more space within the cell and better material flow.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
Through this Co op I became more proficient at SOLIDWORKS, a program I had used in school, but not to the level of complexity I used it here. I learned how to weld in order to create these carts and racks, and throughout the semester became more comfortable with welding and fabricating. Also I learned how to use common machines and tools that I had not had experience with before.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of this internship was seeing how fast I could improve with a certain skill. With SOLIDWORKS I had worked with an expert for a few days, and was able to better understand the program. With welding, my supervisor showed me one piece of advice, and it was the difference between very bad welds and strong fairly decent looking welds
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
Through this Co op I feel more comfortable with my own skills to perform in a workplace. I also know that my Engineering knowledge is very important for making important decisions when designing. I did not have to make any serious calculations, but I could understand whether or not a design would fail from how it looked.