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Experience Information
Employer: Mission Design and Automation
Job Title: Controls Engineering Co-op
Major: Electrical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Mission is an Automation integrator located in Holland Michigan. The company has around 100 employees which consist of machine builders, controls engineers, mechanical engineers, electricians, CNC machinist, and HR staff. Company competitors include JR Automation and Koops Automation.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
In my semester at Mission I was exposed to a tremendous amount. I mostly was used as support for lead controls engineers. This involved cleaning up PLC programming, HMI screens, and AutoCAD Electrical Drawings. There were various times where I was required to set up a prototyping demonstration for customers to see. This involved mocking up a simple station that demonstrated that the company(Mission) is capable of preforming what the customer is asking us to do. I have had to use different equipment such as Fanuc Robots, different lighting, different robot end of arm tools, and cameras. I honestly think this gave me a lot of experience. It allowed me to mess around with the equipment. A lot of automation equipment has different software that is required for it to operate, this allowed me to gain knowledge on that side as well. I have prior experience with PLC programming and HMI Design, but Mission allowed me to excel. I was given lots of opportunities to home in on my programming skills.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I specifically gained a lot of skills in automation equipment. I don't think people realize how complex these machines are until they work in an environment like Mission. There are so many moving parts. I learned how to run Fanuc Robots, I got a better understanding of proper PLC coding, got more experience with HMI design, learned how to use Keyence VS and LJ cameras, as well as a Keyence Laser engraver. I got more familiar with AutoCAD electrical. I was able to experience a machine install with on a customer site. Lastly, I learned how important customer interaction is. Customers are everything in this business. Without customers the company isn't making any money. Customer interaction is key, so when customers would come into visit it was crucial to be upfront and honest about how things are going, and express any concerns.
Favorite Part of the Experience
The exposure I got was just incredible. I think my favorite part would have to be programming robots. It was quite common for me to be tasked with programming a robot on a project. They are just incredible pieces of equipment and having the ability to work with them was quite the experience. Also Mission's employee atmosphere was incredible. Hands down the best atmosphere I have got to work in. They are such an employee oriented company. Everyone cares about everyone there.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
Mission has really had an impact on my future career goals. I think automation is an industry that is definitely on my list when I'm looking for full time jobs. The automation industry is always changing, I think that's what I like best about it. No two projects are the same in automation.
Internship Format
In Person