Hutchinson NA Coop 1
Stephen
Experience Information
Employer: Hutchinson NA
Job Title: Engineering Coop
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Hutchinson NA is a global company with locations in the United States, China, and France among others. The company specializes in designing mounts that reduce vibrations in vehicles. The Grand Rapids branch specializes in automotive parts, but Hutchinson also designs certain mounts for Aerospace.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
Although this was my first official coop, I worked at Hutchinson NA last summer as an Intern. This gave me a huge advantage going into my coop semester because I had already completed all of my lab and safety training the year before. I was able to jump right in, working closely with engineers for projects for well known companies including Ford and GM. My primary role was designing fixtures for cementing, the process for preparing components to have rubber adhere to them, assembly, and testing of parts. I used SOLIDWORKS to design all of these fixtures.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I learned so many tricks and tools that I can use through SOLIDWORKS to create fixtures. I also gained a much better understanding of what can actually be manufactured while using standard components rather than machining every part.
Favorite Part of the Experience
Getting to see my designs physically. At the very end of the semester, the fixtures I had been working on for a good part of my time here were complete. Having the satisfaction and pride of getting to say "I made this" was an awesome feeling.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
I really enjoyed getting to design all summer, but I know that it's not something I could do every day, day in and day out. This helped me see how I really enjoy a good balance between designing and physically working with components down in the lab. This will help me choose different positions in the future.