Co-Op 3 Magna Mirrors
Ammar
Experience Information
Employer: Magna Mirrors
Job Title: Product Engineering Intern
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Magna Mirrors is a division of Magna International, one of the world's largest automotive suppliers with over 170,000 employees globally. The organization operates under a decentralized structure, where each product group, such as mirrors, lighting, closures, electronics, and seating runs its own engineering, manufacturing, and business operations while still aligned with Magna's overall corporate strategy. Magna Mirrors focuses on the design, development, and production of exterior and interior automotive mirror systems, along with integrated electronics such as camera-based vision systems and advanced driver assistance components. Engineering teams, program management, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain all function as cross-collaborative units, with project responsibilities clearly tiered between plant-level teams and global leadership. The facility I worked in operates with several hundred employees and integrates engineering, testing, manufacturing, and validation under one site, supporting both high-volume production and new product launches for OEM customers.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
During my 3rd co-op rotation, I supported multiple engineering activities within the product development and manufacturing processes. My work included assisting in design validation testing, documenting test results, and troubleshooting mechanical and electrical issues on mirror and vision-system components. I created and updated CAD models and engineering drawings, supported build events, and helped implement design changes based on testing and customer requirements. I also assisted with root-cause investigations for component failures, contributed to fixture improvements, and coordinated with cross-functional teams, quality, manufacturing, and program management to ensure issues were resolved quickly. Additionally, I took on data collection and analysis tasks, organized test/inspection documentation, and maintained clear communication with senior engineers to keep project timelines on track.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I gained hands-on engineering experience across product development, testing, and manufacturing. Technically, I strengthened my CAD skills through creating and modifying 3D models, engineering drawings, fixtures, and test setups. I learned how to run and interpret mechanical and electrical validation tests, including data collection, failure analysis, and documenting results in a way that aligns with industry standards. I became familiar with automotive components, LIN communication modules, environmental chamber testing, and basic troubleshooting of sensor- and electronics-integrated systems. I developed a deeper understanding of how design decisions affect manufacturability, quality, and cost. Working alongside senior engineers improved my ability to read specifications, understand tolerance stack-ups, and evaluate root causes of failures. Professionally, I built stronger communication and teamwork skills by working with cross-functional groupsýquality, manufacturing, and program managementýand learned how engineering work fits into customer timelines and large-scale product launches.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of the co-op was collaborating with other departments, especially the Electrical team and Advanced Product Engineering (APD). Working with these groups exposed me to parts of the product development process I wouldn't have seen otherwise, like how electrical design decisions affect mechanical packaging, how software and LIN communication tie into hardware, and how APD evaluates new technologies before they move into production. That cross-department interaction made the work more interesting and gave me a much better understanding of how a full automotive system comes together.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
This experience clarified the direction I want to take in my engineering career. Working in a real product-development environment showed me how much I enjoy solving practical problems, collaborating across teams, and contributing to systems that go into real vehicles. Getting exposure to electrical engineering, APD, testing, and manufacturing pushed me toward a career that blends mechanical design with system-level thinking rather than staying in a narrow specialty. It also confirmed that I want to stay in an industry where projects move quickly, technical challenges are constant, and cross-functional communication matters. Overall, the co-op gave me a more confident and realistic understanding of what type of engineer I want to become and the environments where I'll be most effective.
Internship Format
In Person