Dematic Co-op Term 2
Jillian
Experience Information
Employer: Dematic Corp.
Job Title: Mechanical Application Engineer
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Dematic Corp. is one of the world's largest material handling companies. They provide warehouse solutions for some of the biggest name companies. The products provided range from miles of conveyor and high rate sorters to software and ergonomic solutions. They employ about 2000 employees, about half of them work out of the Grand Rapids location. Most of their product is manufactured in Grand Rapids, with an office and manufacturing plant taking up a full block off Lake Michigan drive.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
As a mechanical application engineer, I was on team that were the middlemen between our R&D department and the customer. Mechanical applications implements all of the product Dematic offers to accommodate the customers needs. We design the layouts of equipment, order all of the things needed, and then go to the job site and ensure everything is working properly before handing it over to the customer.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
Everyday on the job is a learning experience. I get to learn more and more about the company and how to do my job more effectively. Teamwork and CAD skills are two specific things that I learn more about every day that I could use for the rest of my professional life.
Favorite Part of the Experience
I love my job. So being able to go to work everyday instead of school was my favorite part. I loved going to the job site. Dematic allows for a perfect combination of computer and hands-on work. Being on site you get to get your hands dirty and put all the training you learn in the office into practice.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
The experience just supported my plans on being on the application end of engineering. I love doing the small design jobs on the 2D side, but wouldn't want to do it everyday. The travel, teamwork, and customer connections are some of the best parts of being an application engineer.