- Experience Matters - Grand Valley State University

Herman Miller - Manufacturing Engineering Co-Op

Nicole
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering I worked on a capacity study of their panel saws to determine how many parts could be produced every shift. This incorporated a variety of variables including different sized parts cut from a sheet of material, a different number of sheets cut at a single time, and varying ways to cut each sheet. I helped with new shop floor layouts that would create space for new machines that were on order and re-arranging the current work cells to accommodate the new machines. I also participated in a corporate Intern Project, which is different every year. This project that I worked on was evaluating the training of new hires in their Customer Service groups and providing recommendations to improve their training programs. These recommendations would allow them to have new hires prepared to assist customers faster and would help Herman Miller provide even more excellent customer service. Some other projects I did this year included: ergonomic assessments, designing fixtures, and designing guards for their hanging staple guns. The ergonomic assessments evaluate the movements of workers on the shop floor and determine if something needs to be changed in the process to help them to have more ergonomically friendly movements.

1 of 3 rotations at Attwood Marine

Forrest
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering I worked in the Quality Control lab, testing new products and old to ensure they meet up to standards largely created by the marine industry.

Irwin Seating: Co-op I

Heather
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering My main tasks consisted of drawing and modeling work. I did a full overhaul of the material information on the drawings of plastic parts, helped other engineers with making dimensioned drawings, I made drawings of assembled chair options illustrating the important dimensions for architects and installers, modeled and helped design a prototype that would reduce tooling costs, and I also modeled and made dimensioned drawings for new reduced weight parts which were being developed. Along with this, I also did some work with the 3D printer. I printed objects for other engineers and designed and printed an aesthetic part for a prototype

Options Engineer Co-op at Herman Miller

Andrew
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering I was in the options department which is responsible for all the customized products. Specifically I work in wood cabinets which surprisingly are the most complex modified products.

PDM co-op at Knape & Vogt

Alexander
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering I worked in the Product Engineering department on new product development and the improvement of current products. Daily tasks included 3D modeling of design ideas that turned into either making or ordering prototype components and any all new designs needed research and calculations to prove they could be effective or not. Those products would then have to be presented in a clear manner that explained their workings for other employee's to understand. Also completed testing of the prototypes as well as current production products to compare to competitor products with data analysis of testing done to present to other employee's and give recommendations on the best option to proceed.

Great Experience

Alex
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering Performed tests on current, competitor and prototype products to determine performance and analyzed the data to allow the engineering team to make informed decisions about what changes need to be made to make a product line better. Designed a self close and a push to open plastic module to fit inside the drawer slides that will one day be part of the KV product lineup.

Practical Experience

Reuben
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering During my Co-op, I was able to design several machines and machine components. I was also able to work on the shop floor and actually build/assemble one of the machines that I designed.

Developing A Company For Success

Joshua
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering Developed a technical documentation format for the manufacturing facility and am training employees in technical writing and documentation for procedures within the manufacturing facility. Performing maintenance and continual improvements on the operator task entry computer system I designed and created in previous semesters. Created a new timekeeping system to replace faulty previous system. Developed a new much more robust inventory tracking computer system for the manufacturing facility that will began implementation within the next couple weeks. Performed R and D experiments for testing of the company product to allow for certification of further building standards for the product. Collaborated on Six Sigma Project with Plant Manager to assess motor power consumption of our manufacturing machines.

First Co-op at Autocam

Leah
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering I have written work instructions, helped run machines/ maintain machines (washers, CNC, Screw machines), updated tooling documentations, performed quality vision reports, order/ design demag tables, etc..

Experiences at Herman Miller

Andrew
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering The options department is in charge of customizing products for special orders. I did a lot of CAD work and later learned how to process simple orders.

So, You Think You Learn a Lot in School? Try Working at JR Automation.

Eric
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering While at JR I was privileged to be able to work on numerous different projects, all of which were unique and rich with learning experiences. I began my first weeks by learning my way around wiring and pneumatic diagrams, which are crucial pieces of documentation for every project the company becomes involved with. Once I became familiar with these, I was quickly given the opportunity to start learning the process of generating logic and debugging logic for PLCs using Rockwell's RSLogix5000. During this time I also learned how to use Rockwell's FactoryTalk View, which is a program that helps generate interactive interfaces that are unique for each project. This program downloads the interfaces onto HMIs (human machine interfaces), allowing users to view pertinent information, and even manually control actuation within the project. I was able to put this information to use on several different projects, the most memorable being two different sunroof automation lines. For these automation lines I was given the task to help generate intuitive HMI screens for each station within the line. Since these were such large operations, there were as many as 30 different stations that needed unique displays. For each display that was created, logic also needed to be generated for everything to function harmoniously. While working on these projects, I was able to spend a good amount of time out on the floor, where I was able to go online with the PLCs that controlled the entire line, allowing me to make changes simultaneously with other engineers working on the project.

Engineering Co-op Earned Experience

Robert
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering I was tasked with assisting engineers in the GM group with specific studies, testing and designing of program parts.

Putting Two and Two Together

Hayden
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering The project I was given for the semester was awesome. The bezel on the 2013 Ford Escape's shifter slightly vibrates while driving. Right now, felt tape is being applied to these bezels before they are introduced into production. This tape is applied at a separate satellite station located a short distance away from the work cell. My project was to work this separate station into the cell, without slowing down their timing our their output numbers.

Co-op 1

James
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering During my experience I was given many different tasks. However, the majority of my time was spent learning the system and how to navigate and use their standards by updating part prints. A toolmaker would submit a change to a tool by designating it on the part print, and I would make that necessary change. Also, they would do the same for an entire book, and I would go through the book and update every part that needed it. I also designed many small projects including an automation project, and a threaded rod and its corresponding nut.

Manufacturing at Haworth

Kevin
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering I was assigned as a manufacturing engineering co-op student. My tasks varied from cost-savings projects to plant layout redesigns. I also assisted some of the other engineers with daily tasks. One of the best opportunities that I was able to take advantage of was a kaizen. During these kaizens the company takes a problem and assigns a group of people closely related to the problem to solve it. These normally last a week long and end with thorough plans to fix the problem assigned.

Costs and Concepts

Reuben
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering I worked to develop concepts and quotes for customers on behalf of JR Automation.

Eaton Design Internship

Kathryn
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering As a Design Intern in the Supercharger sector I worked in ProE to update drawings and submit revisions. I also did approval tasks to ensure that other people's corrections were on par. There were also many drawings that needed to be categorized by specific dimensions and traits which I created spreadsheets for and reference documents for the data. I also designed a request system for the production plants to submit design requests via SharePoint.

Final co-op at Drawform

Will
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering My primary project this semester involved transferring several large pieces of equipment to a sister company in Connecticut. My role in this transfer has been the project manager at our facility. I did also had a couple of simple design projects which were also enjoyable.

The Disher Co-op Experience

Casandra
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering This co-op term, I worked offsite as a Product Launch Coordinator for a Tier 1 automotive supplier. I was in charge of line layout, inventory, training new employees, getting our orders built on time, and shipping and receiving. I also worked at a high tech manufacturing facility as a Quality Technician for the pilot line. There, I was in charge of collecting data so that we could show the capability of our machines and processes.

My internship in Senator Levin's Office.

Derrick
Major: Political Science While in the office, I was responsible for tracking and following correspondence from constituents, interest groups, and agencies. When necessary, I connected constituents with inquires to proper staff and/or agencies. I was the one typically the one who answered phone calls dealing with a wide range of topics from past/current legislation to more personal issues. This internship also gave me to opportunity to draft letters and become more familiar with the structure of a congressional office.

The Washington Center

Bridget
Major: Political Science I took an investigative intern position at the Public Defender's office of Rockville, Maryland where I served subpoena's, wrote statements of victims, photographed crime scenes, and testified in court. I also took a night class on Thursdays on how Washington really works regarding the relationship between the public, private, and non-profit sectors. I took part in a civic engagement program for the LGBTQA community that required 15 hours of community service. I had programming every Monday for International Affairs where we met professionals who found their way after college and provided insight to their careers.

Real Law Experience in a Great GR-based Firm!

Quinlyn
Major: Political Science As legal support, I spent a lot of time doing basic administrative tasks required in order for everyone else to do their job efficiently (i.e. opening mail, scanning mail to proper file, etc.), but that was really just the base. After getting a great handle on the basic tasks, what I did beyond there was really in relation to how much time I had to learn more. There was never a time in my four months here that I wasn't learning a new task to take on a new responsibility.

Development Work in DC

Jacob
Major: Political Science I interned in the Development Department of the United Planning Organization (UPO). The aim of the department is to secure increased private funding of the UPO's programs. After the government shutdown and the general sequester mentality of Washington, the large amounts of DC and federal government funding became vulnerable. Therefore, the Development Department was established to steer UPO funding towards the private sector where money is more secure and has less stipulations. My primary role over the summer was the main project manager of the upcoming online auction. In this role, I helped procure donations reaching out to private businesses and UPO connections for support. There was a heavy amount of messaging involved as my supervisor and I constructed email and phone scripts for our methods of reaching out. The different types of potential donors required unique arrangements of information and different stresses in that information as well. I also compiled item images, descriptions and company logos for the donated items and their online pages. The online auction site also involved an auction homepage which I played part in crafting. I also handled some other projects as the Development intern. One type included research of potential partners for future UPO projects. For example, the UPO was hoping to begin an IDA program to help low-income residents save money. This required a partnership with a private matcher of the funds, so I conducted research on financial institutions to determine a likely partner in this arrangement. I searched for their philanthropic activity in hopes of finding an organization who participated in a similar program in the past making them most viable to approach. Beyond research, I also attended many meetings with UPO department heads to discuss fiscal year 2015 funding along with various conferences about development strategies and related non-profit business.

Senior Intern for the Livingston County Democratic Office

Lindsey
Major: Political Science I was able to attend several fundraisers for candidates. I also participated in the petition drive to get raising the minim wage on the ballot this November. I was able to go to several events for Mark Schauer who is running to be Michigan's next governor. I helped organize and send out thank you letters to people who came to Winans Dinner and went to post office and learned how to send out bulk mail for the party. I went to a Heartland Memorial Day parade to work at the booth for Livingston County Democrats. I was able to meet a union rep who is highly involved with the Livingston County Democrats who talked about how unions are involved in the democratic parties politics. I went to Lansing to turn in my petition signatures to the Secretary of State to help Raise Michigan increase the amount of signatures needed to get the issue on the November ballet for public vote. My boss had me began to organize a list of people to come in and do phone banking for the Coordinated Campaign. The Coordinated Campaign combines the effort for both the congressional race and the gubernatorial race. We drew up the phone list of who would be called to volunteer. I created a spread sheet to organize and keep track of how many calls we made and what the responses were as well as created a spread sheet to keep track of which volunteers we called, should call, and track who was able to attend the phone banking that week and who would be able to help in future weeks. I attended campaign strategy meetings for the candidates running for office in Livingston County. I worked on recruiting other interns from the area so we could start canvasing for candidates. I went out canvasing, or going door to door asking people to vote for a candidate. I was also able to attend a debate that was happening between the candidates running for the 8th distract, 47th district and the 42nd district. I was able to attended a training seminar on how to oversee Election Day polls as an Election Day inspector. Although my internship officially ended on 8/1/2014 I will be working as a election day poll inspector in the Hamburg Township for the primary election on August 5th 2014.

MIGOP

Ethan
Major: Political Science -Placing phone calls for the purpose of voter contact -Going door-to-door for the purpose of voter contact -Contacting prospective helpers for Election Day