Co-Op Rotation 1 - Max Kolenda
Max
Experience Information
Employer: Air Master Systems
Job Title: Engineering Intern (Co-Op Student)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Air Master Systems is a company that focuses on fumigation hoods, cabinets, tables, and some other specialty furniture for primarily school settings, mostly in lab settings. It is a relatively small company, with a total employee count of around the mid-fifties. The company consists of about four categories of work, including finance, engineering, project management, and production.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
I wore many hats at Air Master Systems during my first rotation, mostly within the space of casework, which is where cabinets fall under. I worked on many ECNs (engineering change notices) which are updates and fixes to existing products. These allowed me to interact with many employees, including on the floor, in order to get the best feedback possible. I also worked on prototyping with my supervisor, which included assembly of a locker system and load testing and production of shelving for a book cart system. This load testing is pictured below. On top of this, there was emphasis on an 8D improvement group, which invested time into implementing a new naming scheme and catalogue pages for the existing company shelving systems.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I gained many design skills, primarily in CAD and particularly with sheet metal and sheet metal practices. As well as this, I learned much more organizationally how to communicate in a professional setting and how to get in contact with specific people who fill specific roles. I also had the opportunity to take charge of certain things, such as the visual aspects of the shelving project.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of the co-op experience was truly feeling like a part of a team, and like my voice mattered. There were many times where I could be proud that I had a good idea once I was beginning to get the hang of things. Being part of a smaller company also meant I was in close proximity with leadership and could even interact with the president if the need ever arose.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
This experience has brought me a lot of perspective as far as industry goes. It has provided a lot of insight into how a growing company operates and what decisions are made toward accomplishing the goal of growth. Working closely with real workplace setting engineers made me confident that I am on the right career path and has provided very useful experience that could easily benefit me in any engineering position.
Internship Format
In Person