What are your main responsibilities in your placement role?
My position in the company is ‘Placement Design Engineer’, which means that I am part of the design team responsible for projecting bespoken machines and improving the standard equipment. My responsibilities are within the Internal Equipment Development Project, which means that I am mainly busy with non-commercial jobs. It involves tasks, which aim to help with the efficiency, better cost, and easier manufacturing of the standard CI equipment. It includes designing the new parts by using Computer Aided Design (CAD) and examining problems sporadically occurring in some of the machines.
How did you find out about this placement opportunity?
Through Newcastle University's Careers Service website.
Can you tell us about any help you received from Academic Tutors or the Careers Service while you were applying for placement opportunities?
I used the Careers Service for feedback on my CV.
Are you enjoying your placement? Can you tell us a bit about some of your highlights to date?
I really enjoy it so far! The small size of the company allows me to regularly interact with Control Engineers, the Research & Development Department, Technical Services, and the Workshop, which is useful for my development as an engineer as I learn from a high variety of areas. During my first 2 weeks here, I spent building one of the machines from scratch to make me more familiar with the company's product. It was a lot of fun!
What is the most exciting thing you've done on placement so far?
I think it would be the task I am currently busy with. I am supposed to design a housing for a new model of catalyst filter. It has to be used in 2 configurations: with a fixed to the machine tank, and in a pickup hose. My company gave me freedom in the way I approach this problem. It means that my time is split between making designs in CAD and visiting the workshop to consult more experienced technicians. It is very exciting because the filter is going to be used in almost every machine, so I need to pay high attention to each minor detail.
Please can you give us an overview of what a typical day on placement has been like for you?
I usually start my working day around 7:40 am by checking emails, and teams' messages. After it's done, I look at my notes on tasks I need to finish. It involves things like design in CAD, making engineering drawings, emailing suppliers, asking someone for advice, etc. There's usually enough to keep me busy for the rest of the day. In the meantime, I've got breaks for breakfast, and lunch which I spend with my co-workers. At the end of the day, I always note tasks to complete for the next day. Except for Fridays, I finish work around 4:30 pm.
How has your degree helped you to be successful on placement?
My university projects like the dissertation or design of the rear left suspension of the F1 formula student car have equipped me with CAD familiarity, and some engineering problem-solving skills. For my dissertation, I was part of the Locomotive team doing the Railway Challenge accredited by IMechE, where I was responsible for the bogie design. This experience has taught me good communication with my teammates and excellent teamwork as the aim was to assemble everyone’s work into a working locomotive taking part in the competition. Researching the project and solving complex problems allowed me to develop my project management skills, and technical knowledge. It all has contributed to an easier start on my placement.
Do you think this placement year will benefit your studies when you return next year?
Definitely! The placement is teaching me how to work with the standards required for a design engineer in the industry. It includes skills like how to make engineering drawings, so they are always clear for the machinist, or how to plan & organise a few projects in time. Furthermore, it gives me practical skills and knowledge like building the machine on my own from scratch, or what tools would I use for such an assembly. I'm also learning lots of tricks in CAD Inventor. I can just imagine how smoothly some of the modules on my master's, like design & manufacturing, would go after getting so much experience.
Do you feel that your placement with also equip you for life after University?
My aspiration is to become a chartered design & manufacturing engineer in the future. For the reasons mentioned before, I am feeling very confident that this placement is equipping me with the skills I need to do well in the future.
What advice would you give to students thinking about doing a placement year?
Do it! Among the many benefits the placement gives you, like lots of experience, a break from the university, or money, the most important one is that this is the last chance to painlessly find out, if the subject you chose to do at the university, is really what you would like to do in your future life.
