Magna Co-op III
Mitchell
Experience Information
Employer: Magna Mirrors
Job Title: Mechanical Engineering Intern
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Magna Mirrors is an engineering facility with approximately 100 workers. There are several departments here including: Advanced Product Development, Product Engineering, Design, Product Testing and Validation Lab, Prototyping, and Finance.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
I will have participated in two innovation projects/meetings this semester. Innovation involved designing a prototype to be presented at an innovation meeting. I was able to use CAD to design the prototype part and 3D print or CNC machine the part to create the physical model. I also worked on various lighting and mirror testing tasks that were assigned by engineers within my department. I worked on several display/fixtures for outside mirrors to be shown at meetings and shows. Furthermore, I worked on a project that required part performance tests to be ran on the Ford F-150 outside mirror. Lastly, another co-op and I managed two 3D printers. This involved managing what parts were to be printed and when, printer maintenance, and managing the inventory.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I developed valuable 3D CAD experience. I managed two different types of 3D printers. I used the design process to build and present a prototype at an innovation meeting in front of senior engineers. I built communication skills both written and verbal through customer interaction, innovation project presentations, weekly meeting highlights, 1-on-1 meetings with my supervisor, test reports, and day to day activities. I was able strengthened my ability to work as a team through various assigned projects/tasks throughout the semester. Also, I became more skilled in paying attention to detail through testing and analyzing data.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of this co-op experience was creating a prototype in 3D CAD and being able to 3D print the parts to create a physical part. Then, bringing a functioning prototype to the innovation meetings and seeing the interest and conversation sparked by your new idea. It is a great feeling.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
Working within the Advanced Product Development (APD) group has set the standard of what type of working environment I would like to work in for a career. Also, in APD I was able to be creative and supplement my daily tasks/projects with innovation projects, which kept my work interesting. My future goal is to find a career where my work continues to be interesting and requires creativity.