APD Intern
Joseph
Experience Information
Employer: Magna Mirrors
Job Title: Advanced Product Engineer
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
There are around 125 people at this facility. There are multiple groups located in this building. Some of the bigger groups are the design department and APD Department (Which is where I'm located). Everyone works together, and it is very well organized.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
Some of the tasks I do on a daily basis is operate the 3D printers, and manage the builds. I also build innovative prototypes for an innovation meeting each quarter (This is a lot of fun). I also benchmark outside mirrors, inside mirrors, and door handles on any vehicle. This is a great process that gets the interns familiar with what Magna Mirrors is all about. Working with other engineers on meaningful assignments when needed is also a task I accomplish. This could even mean projects or help on one of their own assignments.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
Some of the skills I've gained are the following. -Research and Development -Processing Engineering Data -3D Printing -Teamwork -Engineering Communication -Creative Design Thinking
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of this internship was the Innovation meetings. This allowed me to have full freedom of what I wanted to design, and create a prototype of an idea of my choice. It was very helpful, and it helped my creative thinking, and it allowed me to have hands-on experiences with prototyping and build my CAD experiences.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
I may want to pursue a research and development career because it lets me express my creative side. I may also want to work in the optics and lighting aspect of engineering. This is very interesting, and there is so much to learn. I got a handful of experience, but there's a lot more to learn.