Heat Treat Manufacturing Process Improvement Co-Op

Position Summary

The Co-op Manufacturing Process Improvement Intern will support the Engineering and Production Teams by conducting in-depth studies of workflow at the Aerocraft Heat Treat facility, Heat Treatment Trays and Tooling, and the Brinell Testing Process. The intern will investigate various aspects of material movement, life cycles, and workflow optimization to provide concrete recommendations for cost reduction, efficiency improvements, and effective resource management. This role involves close collaboration with project engineers and other stakeholders to ensure successful project completion and implementation of improvement suggestions.

Primary Duties And Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth studies on assigned processes to understand current state workflow, requirements, procedures, and specifications.
• Develop flow diagrams for current state; processes, part movement, documentation
• Provide recommendations to reduce costs, improve efficiency, manage resources, and opportunities for automation.
• Begin implementation process of recommended improvements.

Key Projects and Measurements of Success

• Project 1: Workflow Study at Aerocraft Heat Treat Facility
• Responsibility: Conduct a workflow study to determine the optimum layout for product staging, product flow, loading areas, racks, and tooling at the Aerocraft Heat Treat Facility.
• Collaborate with Process Engineer for implementation of improvements.
• Measurements of Success: Completed project study with documented recommendations for optimal part staging, layout, and product flow in the Aerocraft heat treat facility.
• Project 2: Heat Treatment Trays and Tooling
• Responsibility: Conduct study of various heat treatment trays and tools providing information on alloy material, supplier, and theoretical life of the item. Determine cost reduction opportunities in tray selection, design, longevity, and usage.
• Measurements of Success: Completed project study providing documentation of various tray and tool composition and life expectancies, current performance, optimal inventory per type, and replacement frequency.
• Project 3: Brinell Testing Process
• Responsibility: Conduct a study of the current Brinell process to determine the optimal way to incorporate automation. Collaborate with Production, Process Engineer, Quality, and IT to determine ideal future state of information transactions to accommodate automation in the production environment.
• Measurements of Success: Completed project study providing documentation of recommended future state Brinell automation process. Changes initiated to incorporate ideal future state automation for production.

Required Skills

• Ability to prioritize tasks effectively.
• Strong time management skills.
• Good verbal communication skills.
• Excellent analytical abilities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel.
• Experience with workflow analysis and process improvement techniques.

Education

• Actively enrolled or pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field from an accredited institution.

Experience

• Prior internship or co-op experience preferred.
• Experience with data analysis and process improvement projects is a plus.

Work Conditions

• Based in a manufacturing and office setting.
• Involves collaborative work with departments including Engineering, Production, and Quality.
• Requires the ability to work full or part-time for at least 5 months.
• Exposure to manufacturing elements such as noise, machinery, and other materials associated with engineering and production processes.