Lili Mills
Hometown | Wadsworth, Ohio
Major | Biomedical Engineering
Company | Farm Product Development
Location | Hollis, New Hampshire
Position | Mechanical Engineering Co-Op
Lili Mills, biomedical engineering student at The University of Akron.
What are your general co-op duties?
I had a wide variety of duties as a mechanical engineering co-op at Farm PD throughout my three rotations. These responsibilities included designing and prototyping fixtures for manufacturing processes, performing validation and verification testing on prototypes, maintaining electrical and mechanical bills of materials (BOMs), creating and releasing technical mechanical and electrical drawings, and refining process maps and workflows to support the integration of prototypes into production.
What surprises/unexpected outcomes have your experienced on co-op?
I was able to gain exposure to nearly every aspect of the medical device design process. While the curriculum at UA covered this process, it was incredibly eye-opening to take part in the different phases first-hand and in real time. Whenever I didn’t have billable work, I used the time to practice my SolidWorks skills through personal projects. This was both enjoyable and tailored to my individual interests. As a result, my CAD skills developed substantially, and I also had the opportunity to explore different 3D printing techniques.
What has been the coolest part of your co-op experience?
My supervisor made sure to provide opportunities that aligned with my goals each rotation. Everyone at Farm PD was eager to introduce me to new concepts and skills, and they truly challenged me to grow as an engineer. As a consulting firm, we worked with several major names in the healthcare industry, and it was incredibly rewarding to see devices I helped design make it to market!
How will your co-op influence your career?
I enjoyed my co-op experience so much that I decided to return as a full-time mechanical engineer. I entered Biomedical Engineering with the goal of designing medical devices. While it can be challenging to secure a design engineering role right out of college, the experience I gained through my co-op helped me land my dream job immediately after graduation.
What have you learned as a co-op that you wouldn't have learned from your coursework?
The engineering curriculum at UA does a great job of training you to think in different ways and pick up concepts quickly, but hands-on experience is key to truly understanding engineering concepts and processes. Before my co-op, I had a general understanding of the design process. My co-op experience allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of the key components involved in designing a medical device. I also built critical design skills, including 3D modeling, prototyping, and functional and mechanical testing.