Irwin Seating, 3rd Co-op
Heather
Experience Information
Employer: Irwin Seating
Job Title: Product Design Engineer Intern
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Irwin Seating designs and manufactures public seating for places such as movie theatres, auditoriums, arenas, stadium seating, lecture room furniture, bleachers, and telescopic platforms, along with providing restoration services. They employ over 600 people, and they operate a manufacturing facility at its Grand Rapids location. The engineering departments is divided into design and manufacturing, and the design engineering department employs about 10 people.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
A big project I worked on was designing a new style of armrest from sheet metal which the customer would interpret as more expensive and classier. This project was tied into another one involving hybrid standard which results in cost reduction, and a new wood bottom style seat. Irwin Seating is known for doing a lot of custom solutions for customers that other companies might not, so I also worked on prototyping solutions for project bids. I also acted as support for other engineers' projects doing CAD and drawing work for them.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
My knowledge of working with sheet metal greatly increased, along with my CAD skills. I also learned a lot more about the process of bringing an idea from concept to reality.
Favorite Part of the Experience
It is always rewarding to take a product from idea to reality.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
It showed me the aspect of engineering I would like to work in, and the type of industry I would like.