Altus Industries Co-op
Michael
Experience Information
Employer: Altus Industries
Job Title: Engineering Intern
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Altus Industries growing small private company of about 20 people that specializes in making carts for hospitals. While this is not the only thing that is made at Altus, it is their main product. The carts can be a simple cart top on wheels or it can have a mobile power supply that allows carts to carry electronics that need a constant power supply.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
Because it was my first semester at Altus, I had to start from the very beginning and learn everything about the company. So the first month or so I mainly worked on the floor and was building the products. This helped me learn the parts, the assembling of the products, and just the products themselves. After this month, I began to transition into more responsible roles. I helped with product development, quality checks, and quickening the assembly process. For product development, I assisted with accessories that went on the carts and even brand new styles of the carts. The quality checks occurred when parts were showing up frequently with problems. I would go through almost all of that part and decide whether it was just a coincidence or if this was a problem that needed to be quickly addressed. With finding faster ways of assembling the carts, I was able to change some parts by contacting suppliers so that it allowed for a faster assembly
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I was never a very handy person growing up and now I am constantly building and modifying parts. I am much more handy now as I am building something every single day. I have also learned a lot more about materials and how parts are made so I have a better understanding on what the best way of making parts can be. I have been included in tooling projects so now I understand that concept much more compared to before working here.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite is the product development. I enjoy going through the stages of making a product and seeing it change into the perfect piece. It is great when you start the project and see how far it came to get to where it is now.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
I learned that I do not really ever want to be on the floor unless I am doing some type of product development because I can not say enough about how much I enjoy product development. Also, I enjoy speaking with suppliers and dealing with more on the business side so I can see myself going in that direction . But what I have really learned is that I picked the right career because I actually enjoy coming to work.