Third Co-op Rotation at Axis Automation
Zachary
Experience Information
Employer: Axis Automation
Job Title: Mechanical Engineering Co-op
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Axis Automation is a small but rapidly growing company that currently consists of about 60 employees. Axis creates automation solutions for many industries but largely focuses on the automotive sector. Engineering, machining, fabrication, and building are done in-house and each department has a manager who reports to the company CEO.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
A large amount of my time this semester was spent working on tooling station and robot end effector designs. This includes but is not limited to initial designs, internal and customer design review meetings that require design changes, compiling documentation for the components to be machined and built, and overall job documentation for the customer.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
This co-op rotation built upon the skills learned in the previous two rotations. I was able to become more proficient in using SolidWorks and other CAD programs in designs involving large assemblies as well as how to efficiently use tools in CAD to work with customer data. I also practiced working with other departments to find the most efficient and effective engineering solutions for all parties under the scope of that solution. Overall, I became much more confident with myself as a machine designer and as a professional in an engineering environment.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of this co-op experience was getting to be very involved in the design process of many jobs. In past rotations, I was able to work on projects and be part of the decision-making, but my project influence was always very limited. During this rotation, I was able to make a lot more decision-making as an engineer should and make decisions that I thought would be best for the projects. I felt more as a full-time engineer than an intern as compared to my last two rotations.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
This experience has not influenced my future career goals at all. After my last two rotations, I knew what to expect in this rotation and I still feel confident in my future engineering ambitions.
Internship Format
In Person