Production Support Engineer
Aidan
Experience Information
Employer: Gentex
Job Title: Co-op
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Gentex Corporation is a global, high technology electronics manufacturing company based out of Zeeland, MI. Gentex is one of the largest companies based in West Michigan, with over 6,500 employees and 17 buildings across its main campus that is vertically integrated in highly automated electronics, CMOS camera development and manufacturing, vacuum coatings, and glass bending and fabrication. They specialize in a broad spectrum of technologies and processes to deliver high quality products to the automotive, aerospace and fire protection industries.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
This rotation focused on manufacturing and was more closely tied to production. A lot of time was spent on the floor, building confidence in working with the team, scrapping out bad parts, and responding to alarms. After that knowledge base was built, Some Continuous Improvement projects began, such as dashboard setup, and line rework/modifications.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I learned a lot about LEAN manufacturing. How assembly lines flow materials, components, and workers, and how they can be manipulated and improved. Troubleshooting and quick problem analysis were two useful skills that were developed in this rotation as well.
Favorite Part of the Experience
Gentex has put a lot of work into ensuring that every intern's experience with them is memorable and enjoyable. They take special care to train them with specific workshops and classes, introduce them to all areas of the company to determine the best fit, and maintain an amazing and caring culture that provides the best experience for the intern.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
It exposed me to how interesting Manufacturing Engineering could be. There is always room to improve, meaning there is always a Value-added project that can be pursued, and daily problems can offer an interesting mix to break up the monotony of sitting in front of a computer for most of the day.