From Design to Reality: My Internship at FLSmidth
During my 2019 winter break from college, I took on a full-time unpaid internship at FLSmidth, a mining design and manufacturing company. It was an intense, hands-on experience that gave me a deep dive into both the manufacturing and design engineering sides of the industry.
Learning the Manufacturing Process
In the manufacturing department, I shadowed engineers who walked me through the Discriminator CNC Editor, showing me how they transformed digital designs into real, functional parts. To see the full process in action, I also worked alongside a machinist, gaining hands-on experience with the execution of manufacturing plans. This firsthand exposure taught me valuable lessons about designing with manufacturability in mind—a perspective that engineers often overlook until they see the production side up close.
Rapid-Fire Design Engineering
After my time in manufacturing, I spent a week with FLSmidth’s design engineering team. My introduction to SolidWorks was more of a trial by fire than a formal training session—I was handed the software and left to figure it out on my own. Within days, I picked it up quickly and cranked out over 30 advanced assemblies and parts for the company’s new eCommerce platform in just five days.
Beyond the hours spent at the computer, I also worked with design engineers in the lab, reverse-engineering ball bearings, pinion shaft spacers, and even a massive undercarriage drive roller. Breaking down real-world mechanical components and recreating them in CAD was a challenge, but it reinforced my understanding of engineering principles in a way that textbooks never could.
Real-World Lessons
This internship was more than just an opportunity to build my technical skills—it was a bridge between theory and industry. I walked away with a stronger grasp of designing for manufacturing, problem-solving under pressure, and quickly adapting to new tools and workflows. More importantly, I got to see how engineering ideas turn into real, working systems—a lesson that continues to shape how I approach technical challenges today.