rochester Electronics
Mechanical Engineer / Intern
I can only share some details regarding my work, as I have signed a nondisclosure agreement and can only share what has been approved. All work is property of Rochester Electronics.
Overview
During my time at Rochester, my workload mainly consisted of the design and modeling of new fixturing to aid in the manufacturing process. An engineer would come to me with a problem with one of their processes, and I would work with them to design a suitable solution. In addition to this I also used what I had learned building my own 3D printer to lead the selection and implementation of a 3D printer into the engineering workflow of the company.
Clip Force
Scale
The Clip Force Scale was one of the main projects I undertook at Rochester. An engineer needed a more accurate and efficient means of measuring the clamp force supplied by metal clips used in the production process. While the origional intention was to get the fixture machined, I 3D printed it using my personal printer, and the other engineers were impressed enough to task me with selecting a 3D printer for the company. I completed a gauge reliability and reputability assessment, and wrote an engineering spec for the tool. The fixture was fully deployed into production by the time I finished my internship.
Tape Gun
The Tape Gun fixture is a solution to an overly complex process that requires multiple tools. A specialized type of tape is used during the production process, and is handled by multiple different tools before it is in its intended location. This tool was meant to combine these separate steps. It contains a ratchet mechanism that is able to extrude the tape a specified distance of length every time the trigger is pulled, and then reset without moving the tape backwards. The ratchet mechanism was completed before I departed, but the remaining design constraints were taken over by another engineer.
mAGNET sTAGE
The magnetic stage was a fixture I designed to solve an issue with electrostatic discharge(ESD). Parts were being damaged on the current stage, so I designed a stainless steel tray that housed 30 neodymium magnets that would hold the parts on the surface of the tray. The screw on the side of the stage would act as a clamp point for an alligator clip to ground the stage. This fixture was deployed into production by the time I finished my internship.
3D Printer
Early on in my time at Rochester Electronics, I began taking the designs of the fixtures I created home to 3D Print on the printer I had built myself. I had experience with prototyping my personal projects to iterate quickly, and my mentors saw the potential benefits of this to their workflow. Thus I was asked to lead the selection and integration of a 3D printer into their engineering workflow. I did research on the best options for the company and interfaced with the distributor to get a quote. Once the printer was in house, I troubleshooted issues and wrote a technical specification for future engineering use. At the end of my internship, I held a training presentation to ensure that the engineers would have a strong basis in 3D printing for use after my departure.
