Meet Poting
" To be great,
you have to be a little crazy."
Poting's Internship Experience
Because of Covid-19, I went back to Taiwan. However, I didn’t want to waste my summer vacation, so I decided to have an internship in Taiwan. Compared to those traditional mechanical company, Pioneer Machinery is different. Pioneer Machinery is an innovative and internationalized company. Why do I say that? First of all, I saw the engineers in my department, Research and Design, who always generate lots of great ideas. Secondly, there are some colleagues from other countries. That is a very rare phenomenon in Taiwan.
In Pioneer Machinery, people are willing to take the advice from interns, that impresses me. Before I came to Pioneer Machinery, I thought I only need to do some repetitive work. However, on the first day, my manager gave me one question about the failure analysis of the machine. I found that maybe this intern will be a little different than before and I will show you what I learned and what I did in the following paragraph.
Analysis of Rigid Stranding Machine with Front Auto Loading
This was the first task I got in my first month. In this task, I have to analyze the safety factors of rigid stranding machines. I was so excited when I got this task because I know this problem combines two scopes which were the courses last semester, Finite Elements, and Failure Prevention. I can totally apply my knowledge to this work. However, it still took me some time to find the right direction because this was my first time to solve this complicated problem and I had no idea how to start. Therefore, I tried to simplify the question and understand all the functions in Solidworks Simulation. Then, I went back to my question to think about how to make the simulation close to the real world. Finally, I can figure out the exact safety factors by Solidworks Simulation. The most exciting thing is when I saw my boss use my result to present in front of our customers. I know my effort is recognized by this company.
ABOUT Poting Chen
Position: Mechanical Engineering Intern
Education: Mechanical Engineering, ASU
Office: Pioneer Headquarters, Taipei, Taiwan.
New Design of Dual Spooler with Bobbins Auto-change
Compared to the first task, the new design of dual spooler with bobbins auto-change is much more difficult. I spend almost half of the month understanding the know-how in this machine. My manager, Steven, gave me lots of suggestions for this machine. I started to solve some easy problems, for example, changing the length of parts. Then, I tried to improve the design of the safety door. I will call this safety door because that needs to protect one spooler from attack by the other side. The first thing I did is to study the design in another company. I saw one design that impressed me because it combines the protection and another function of the mechanism. This way can not only reduce the cost but also simplify the mechanism. I have the concept but how to make it real is another problem. During the design process, there are two main pieces of knowledge I got. First, I learned that I should consider the cost and I have to use some currently available material to make my mechanical design. Secondly, I have to consider how to assemble my mechanism. In Solidworks, all the mechanisms can be assembled; however, in the real world, it may not. Finally, I made one new design, but the general manager still pointed out some problems which should be clarified. I know my design is still not complete but I enjoy all the design processes. It makes me a greater engineer.
The Culture in Pioneer Machinery
I love the culture of Pioneer Machinery. The thought in this company totally matches what I want. People in this company are pretty kind and Steven is always willing to teach me by his experience. He treated me as an engineer, not just an intern. Sometimes, Steven spent around one hour showing me what kind of problems he met and how did he solve those problems. Indeed, I learned a lot from him. Before this intern, I didn’t expect I can gain so much knowledge like this. In addition, most employees have exercise habits and I enjoyed having the exercise with them after work. For example, they invited me to climb the mountain by bicycle.
What I learn in this intern
There are three main things I learn in this internship. First of all, what is a proper mechanical design? In the industry, an engineer should consider the cost and assembly first. Those fancy functions and appearances are second priorities. Secondly, the problems in the industry are different from schools. I need to think about how to start, what kind of assumption I should make, and what conditions I need to know. Finally, how do I present my thoughts? I learned that making a 3D drawing is the best way to present my idea. It is clear and people can understand what I am saying.
What I will do in the future
After this internship, I know I am interested in mechanical design. No matter the analysis of machinery or making one new design, I love both of them. Maybe next time, I will try different industries, but I believe that those will still be related to mechanical design.
Thanks for Pioneer Machinery gave me this internship. Definitely, I will recommend people having their internship in Pioneer Machinery.