Winter 2021 Co-op Experience
Joshua
Experience Information
Employer: TGW Systems Inc.
Job Title: Controls Engineer
Major: Electrical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
TGW develops all essential components of logistics solutions in-house, including the software, control system, robotics and mechatronic modules. TGW shapes the future by creating innovations and pioneering technologies that set the standard for high performance in the logistics industry. The company currently has more than 3,700 employees on three continents.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
I mainly focused on software engineering throughout my co-op this winter. I was involved in our most recent mega project Urban outfitters. I re-wrote multiple high speed sorter divert function blocks and converted them from STL to SCL. This was done because the PLCs used in projects were upgraded from the Siemens 300 PLC to the Siemens 1500 PLC. I also built the visualization and PLC software for two empty tote buffer stacker and destacker systems. On top of this I engineered the added value high speed sorter loop.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I gained a lot of knowledge in PLC programming especially Siemens PLCs. I also got to take part in design review meetings and learned the design process of the massive conveyor systems. By taking part in mostly software engineering throughout the winter I really got to understand how the hardware works and how to relate real world scenario and emulation to build PLC software. I developed stronger troubleshooting skills especially during the process of converting function blocks, as I was required to find all the bugs and create universal solutions within the blocks.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of the co-op experience was the challenges I had to solve and the problems I faced throughout the software engineering process of a project. Every day was different and programming a system and watching everything work in sync and at high speeds was very rewarding. My coworkers also made the experience really enjoyable, we are all close during work and hangout outside of work. This makes for a fun work environment and stressful situations easier.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
It has given me an idea what I really enjoy and what I would like to pursue in the future. It made me realize that I enjoy working with large systems and controls. The experience also showed me that a positive work environment can really make a job enjoyable.
Internship Format
In Person