Manufacturing Engineer Review

The 4 week placement was in the Renishaw site in Stone, focusing on their 3d printing machines. The project was quite enjoyable as there was a lot of flexibility given to approach the work as I wanted rather than being told what to do. I got to interact with the powder bed additive layer manufacturing machines, learn a lot about the calibration processes and do several experiments on the shop floor. The deliverable was an improved calibration procedure for the laser in the machines.

Of course this varied from person to person, but on the whole I felt valued as people knew I was there to do a job and help the team improve. In particular the people directly involved in the work were very supportive as they would benefit most from the project (such as the service engineers who would use the improved calibration procedure on a daily basis). Other people weren't so much involved in the work so didn't necessarily know what I was up to but I still felt like a member of the team.

The supervisor had a laid back approach to management, generally coming by once/twice a day for an update and asking if I needed any help. If I did need something, he would sort it out straight away which I liked rather than having to keep asking about the same thing. He also advised on what to focus on as he had a better idea of how long things would take to get done and since I was there for only 4 weeks I had limited time to deliver something. Occasionally supervisor wasn't in the office (sometimes unannounced) which was problematic at times as he was the team leader so couldn't really be replaced by anyone else.

As the placement was quite short, I was generally quite busy as I had a lot to do in a short time. I started off understanding and observing the current procedure which took a few days. Then moved on the idea generation and finally onto development and testing. There were some times where I had some free time especially if I was waiting for a machine to be free or something to be manufactured but I filled this time with other stuff.

I was given quite considerable responsibility, meaning I was free to explore and be creative and there were no limitations to what I could do as long as they were reasonable. I got to run experiments with some of the machines to test various ideas I had, and since I signed a NDA I had access to proprietary information. Since the supervisor was occasionally absent from the office, he trusted I would get on with the job and manage myself.

Since the work was quite specific to powder based ALM the technical knowledge gained was only really useful for this topic in my university course. However, the skills gained were much more useful than the knowledge. Knowing how to design experiments, specify equipment, analyse large data sets and how a real company functions (what is important to them, how they make decisions etc.) were much more useful things to know.

The atmosphere in the office varied at different times but was a general office atmosphere, slightly more relaxed than other places. The office was an open floor plan with everyone having a desk, and formal wear wasn't compulsory. The effect of this was a less formal environment which was nice, as there wasn't any pressure to behave differently than you normally would; as well as the lighter atmosphere making people happier overall and making jokes.

The first day I was there was a bit slow, as I needed to do HS&E, get logins and card access. Also, the supervisor thought I was coming the following week which was a bit frightening at the time. Despite this, things were organised well throughout the placement (meetings, resource access, things getting made). The proactive approach made it easier to get on with the job.

I was told at the beginning of the placement that the firm is always looking for bright students, and that they have a graduate scheme if I was interested. Since I performed well, I was told that if I wanted to apply to put the supervisor as a reference and he would aid the process. Although the work and company is good engineering, the location is extremely remote and in terms of day to day life I couldn't see myself working in a place so remote.

Because of the location, accommodation is relatively cheap (mainly just an industrial park), and in addition living costs are quite average. The canteen in the building was subsidized which was very nice not having to bring a packed lunch every day. Stone, the nearest town, is very small but there are places to go out and eat as well as socialise for a normal price. The chains and pubs are popular throughout the UK and there was nothing different about them in Stone.