Attwood Co-op
Jacob
Experience Information
Employer: Attwood Marine
Job Title: CAD Engineer
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Attwood is a fairly large company that specializes in marine equipment. They make things like boat bumpers, navigation lights, fuel lines, and other boat accessories. One of their main divisions is MotorGuide who specializes in trolling motors. They are owned by Brunswick who also owns many other boat related companies like Whale, Sea Ray, and Mercury Marine.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
A lot of my co-op involved working with the CAD software NX. Some projects were very straightforward and involved importing parts into CAD and making drawings for them. Other projects required more skill and involved machine design. I had begun creating a riveting machine for manufacturing that would be used to put together pedestal systems. Currently, I am working on a project that involves other interns at Attwood, we are working together further analyze a fuel demand valve. The testing involved design of experiments. In this project, no CAD was required.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I have a great knowledge of NX CAD software. It is not as user-friendly (at first) as Solidworks but it has many more possibilities. I have gotten the chance to use a lot of tools in the shop while here, I now know how to use a mill and lathe. Most importantly I have learned a lot about the workplace such as how to act or who to ask questions of. These workplace courtesies are things that cannot be taught in class and can be only learned through experience.
Favorite Part of the Experience
I liked that there were so many opportunities to learn. Everyone that I talked to was always eager to answer all of my questions until I completely understood. It also helped that I was an avid boater and was very interested in everything that Attwood did. There was always someone around that wanted to talk boats.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
It has made me realize that I need to go back to school. So many of the people I worked with were so much smarter than me. This has also made me want to experience different work environments. I walked away with a lot of information of things I did and did not like about how the company was run. Unfortunately, I feel that your first job is like your first relationship, it may seem like the best at the time but it's also all that you know. This job has made me realize that I need to experience more, for better or worse.