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Valerie Reissen |
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Participants Summer Internships 2002 Main Page
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Summer 2001: My short time at CTS started out with the basics. Learning the techniques, tricks, and procedures for all of the processes, and machines was a continual process. The screen printer is a very common machine used at both CTS corporate and in production. This is the one machine that I spent the most time using. I worked with a group of technicians to help develop the Tape Alternative to Thick Film Dielectric process for production. This project had been started the previous summer and was in its final stages. To determine if a part was a ‘good’ part, it had to pass several tests. The conditions were finally met for ‘good’ parts. I composed detailed systematic instructions for the process including pressures, adhesive composition, cure time, screen conditions, and procedure. These instructions then went to the automotive division for review to determine if it will be implemented. I independently worked on electroless nickel-plating, electrophoretic deposition, and odd jobs for people who needed some quick readings. Learning the ins and outs of research and familiarizing myself with CTS all prepared me for my second summer. Summer 2002: After a break for school, I returned to CTS for my second summer as an intern. This summer proved to be much different from the first. I already had an idea of how everything worked and just needed to brush up my skills instead of starting from scratch. Instead of going through training, I started working independently my first day back. The electronic test lab was my responsibility during the next three months. This entailed cycling prototype parts in some type of extreme conditions to test for durability. The durability test was checking the resistance of the part to determine if the part had shorted out during the cycle. The readings had to be documented accurately to determine which method to use for a new prototype. I worked along with another technician and engineer to find a solution to a problem in High Volume Wireless that was causing a high percentage of failures. I learned that when solving a problem for an outside production facility, communication with the engineer at the production site and between the corporate engineers and technicians is extremely important. This problem was solved because of communication. The problem was initially thought to be a composition problem, but turned out to be a mechanical problem. Other projects that I worked on were the Organic BGA and Pointing Stick projects. These projects were all challenging and taught me a better understanding of what it takes to develop a product. Overall, my two summers at CTS have been very helpful. They have given me a lot of real world experience that is necessary to fully understand what is happening. Research is a tedious and sometimes frustrating part of engineering. One day everything can work perfectly, and then the next day, following the same procedure to a T, produce the worst parts you have ever seen. The key to working in research is to be patient and keep trying. Research can only be understood once you have experienced the good and bad. Communication between engineers and technicians is vital to develop a new product. The two groups, although diverse, both offer a different perspective. I would highly recommend an internship to gain experience in the engineering field. |
HI! My name is Valerie Reissen. I am a senior chemical engineer and will
graduate this coming May. I have spent the past two summers working as an
engineering intern at CTS Corporation in Elkhart, Indiana. I worked in
the Research, Development, and Engineering Department at Corporate
Headquarters. Both summers were very eventful. I worked on projects both
independently and in a team.