Quality Engineering Co-op at Flexco
Austin
Experience Information
Employer: Flexco
Job Title: Quality Engineering Co-op
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Flexco is a conveyor belt accessory company that is headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois. There are at least 725 Flexco employees worldwide with the second largest facility being in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The products that Flexco makes, including- splices, cleaners, impact beds, skirts, and more - all are designed to increase their costumer's productivity. The company has a hierarchical organizational structure.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
There were a wide variety of tasks that I completed. I was able to complete multiple solidworks composer animations of product assemblies (they are used as a reference for the shop floor). I also spent time writing work instructions that explained how parts went together in assemblies. A considerable amount of my time at Flexco was spent inspecting, sorting, or salvaging parts.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
The most cherished knowledge that I gained was how a manufacturing business can operate through Enterprise Resource Planning systems. The processes of inspecting, quarantining, moving, salvaging, or scrapping parts was all documented in a system. Quality engineering gave me a good insight on how a product evolves from a raw material to a finished product. I also became confident in my skills in solidworks composer. We had daily meetings where I was able to improve my verbal communication skills. I also gained the skills of operating (expensive) measurement equipment like a linear measurement systems, coordinate measurement machine, 3D scanning, and Keyance vision systems.
Favorite Part of the Experience
Two things were my favorite part: (1) the people and (2) the ability to make your internship experience unique. I say the people because everyone I worked with was willing to take the time to explain things I did not know and everyone was welcoming and helpful. The second bullet point can be attributed to the fact the individual that partakes in this internship has a lot of control over what they do. I was very open to trying and learning new things and I offered to help different team members with tasks and projects so my experience was very diverse.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
I would be open to working in quality engineering given my experience as a Quality Co-op at Flexco. Quality is interesting because it is the gap between product development and manufacturing. Thus, as a quality employee involved in every aspect of a product's life from its conception of an idea to maintaining a quality finished product.