Caterpillar – CA Work Experience Program

Last Day at Caterpillar

Today was, sadly, the concluding day to my experience at Caterpillar, but was joyous nonetheless. We started by heading to Sanford, where their Skid Steer Loaders are made. This facility, in comparison to the Clayton assembly plant, is a powerhouse. They manufacture and assemble 140 machines every day, though the machines are significantly smaller. Today’s tours were also nearly entirely confidential, so I have instead opted for another Google maps representation.

After a brief presentation about the facility’s purpose, we went on a tour of the plant, beginning with building A. This is where the cab of the loader is made as a “subassembly” of the entire vehicle. It is made separately to keep the primary assembly line moving quickly. After the cab is fully assembled and tested, it is moved over to building B, where the machines are built from start to finish. This begins with a chassis—the large metal frame which holds the wheels on either side and the cab above it—then continues to the addition of the lifting arm, cab subassembly, wheels, engine, etc. Building B is entirely dedicated to constructing the skid steer loaders.

Aside from a few drivetrain components, Caterpillar also fabricates almost all of the machine at their Sanford facility. This includes the chassis, which is built from sheet metal in building A, specifically in the fabrication shop.

As we entered the fabrication “shop,” I was greeted with the caustic sting of smoke and vaporized metal, then a standing haze of grey exhaust. This was nothing short of an industrial welding factory. However, welding these sheet metal plates into chassis was not the duty of individual welders, but instead steel-

Image result for robotic welding reinforced, MIG wielding robotic arms! The self-governing welders were housed in individual black booths, each with its own in-progress chassis. Beyond just the welding robots, there were also forklift robots, which picked up sheet metal, incomplete chassis, or even tools. These hauling robots were akin to self-driving cars, but were instead guided by magnetic tape in the floor or laser guidance systems and retro-reflective targeting cylinders. Sound complicated? That’s what I thought too. Nonetheless, all these robots have improved production speed and accuracy and are therefore the basis of Caterpillar’s production.

After touring the production plant, we went to lunch at Fat Juniors, a great little burger shack right outside the facility.

We then returned to the plant for a presentation on finite element analysis by Ms. Mayuri—it’s like stress testing a component but on a computer. She explained some of the ways parts can break by using paperclips. They can be pulled apart, bent in half, or snapped after repeated bending. It was very informative and gave me a great picture of how math and physics are used in engineering.

Finally, we went to the VR room, which houses an HTC Vive. During this wonderful excursion, we all got to fly around a backhoe loader in VR, and even fly inside the engine! Virtual Reality is a new tool to Caterpillar, but could be very useful for testing and validating designs quickly.

After the VR room, we said our goodbyes and drove home. Thank you to everyone at Caterpillar for teaching me just about everything I’ve ever wanted to know. I had a great time this week!

Day 4 at Caterpillar Inc

Today was our last day of the work experience program. I really wish we had more time! We met at the Sanford Facility, where they produce skid steer loaders in large quantities. We first met up with Mr. Kareem Gad and Mr. Austin Flint — they are both electrical engineers. They gave us a quick presentation on the different machines they produce at the plant — after going over safety rules, of course. We then put on our safety glasses and some headphones and went to the assembly plant. Mr. Gad toured us around the plant — he spoke through a microphone that attached to our headphones because it was so loud. Lots of different machines are being moved and worked on at once, prompting the need for headphones. Once again, I can’t describe a lot of what I saw — for confidentiality — but I attached some pictures I found from the internet (searching “caterpillar assembly”) that look similar. I was amazed by the raw scale of the plant — the Sanford plant is famous for its speed and efficiency. Mr. Gad and Mr. Flint showed off their different machines — just produced from the plant and being tested in their testing facility. After touring the Clayton facility, it was really interesting to see how it is done in a different facility. We then met with some people involved in fabrication at the plant — Mr. Morgan Timney is a design engineer helping out with the fabrication process and Mr. Jimmy Wood is the production manager. Mr. Wood gave us a presentation on the fabrication process and taught us about welding. They then gave us a tour around the Fabrication Plant — once again, confidential, so I attached photos from searching “caterpillar welding.” The Fabrication Plant was really cool — I have never seen anything like it before. We were once again reminded of the amazing skill of manufacturing engineers (from our first day at Caterpillar) observing the efficiency of the plant.

After having a really fun lunch at Fat Junior’s (Mr. Combs actually joined us during lunch!), we went back to the facility to learn more about design and test engineering at Caterpillar. We learned more about the engineering design process and were shown examples through some CAD drawings of different parts of their machines. I have attached a photo as an example of the design process. One of the difficulties of design engineering is creating a stable, efficient, and easy to assemble product/part/machine. Testing helps an engineer identify problems with a design — endurance testing, for example, can help them identify areas of high stress where the material may yield. We were given a presentation on the different types of stress applied to an object. We were given a paperclip and told to tug it, bend it, and break it. To break it, we had to bend the paperclip back and forth multiple times — this is an example of fatigue. The presenter was an analyst who created engineering simulations. The simulations show areas of high stress as a result of load — these areas of high stress may need more support to ensure that they do not yield. Mr. Gad and Mr. Combs also enjoyed the presentation and brought up some interesting questions and topics of conversation — the huge number of different variables that must be taken into consideration in design engineering is truly amazing. They remember learning many of the things we talked about in college — every course and lesson really does have an important real-life application. The simulations were really impressive — I have attached a photo and video as an example.

We then went back out to the testing facilities. Like we did on our second day, we got to test a strain gauge. This time, it was attached to more flimsy steel, so Matthew, Atticus and I had a little competition trying to bend it — we were able to compare the results on a graph afterward (I lost). We also got to see the strain gauge on an actual machine and learned about what it was measuring. We then returned to the building for a 3D visualization presentation and demonstration. I’m not sure how much I can reveal about that, but basically, we were able to look at a machine with a virtual reality system — I have attached a video. We ended our day there — we gave out some gifts and then left the building. We were all really sad to say goodbye to Mr. Combs, Mr. Gad, Mr. Flint, and Caterpillar in general. My experience at Caterpillar has made me confident in my desire to pursue engineering — maybe one day I will return as an intern in college!

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Image result for caterpillar simulation stress construction

Day 3 at Caterpillar

Today’s trip to Caterpillar was once again in Clayton and at the CMDC, like yesterday. We began by meeting Jake in the lobby and being signed in, then split up to meet with various engineers for Caterpillar machines.

I worked with one of the engineers who designs engines for the Small Wheel Loaders. As it turns out, he did robotics in high school just like me! He taught me so much about Cat’s CAD software and cooling systems, and stressed the importance of working within tight constraints and with other team members. He also took me out to the testing fields so that we could inspect the components he designed.

After that, we had a meeting to discuss Caterpillar’s automation and remote control initiatives. It turns out that Caterpillar has remote operating stations which allow machines to be controlled from nearly anywhere on earth. (Here’s an interesting article about this) They also have remote controls to be used with line of sight to machines.

After discussing the various technologies Caterpillar offers, we were taken out to the testing fields to try the remote controls! One of the engineers set up two cones and Leonora, Atticus, and I all completed a figure eight around them.

Next came the main attraction “stick time,” the two words from our agenda which resonated with me most deeply these last three days. Jake drove us out to one of the more isolated testing fields, revealing two machines, one of which I’m allowed to show you.

After a brief overview of the controls, it was my turn to try out the 13 ton apparatus. It was so fun! After operating the machines for only around half an hour, I gained enormous respect for the people who use them daily, and the people who design them. The machines were extremely powerful and ripped through any earth in their way.

(Video of me using the backhoe loader.)

After our time with the machines, we ventured back to the offices for an engineering challenge and a tour of the 3d printing space. The engineering challenge was to find a way to fit a toolbox into one of the Small Wheel Loaders. The three of us brainstormed ideas, weighed their pros and cons, then chose the best solution. It was a great activity to understand how the engineering design process works in the real world.

We then looked at Caterpillar’s 3d printer, which extrude plastic out of a fine nozzle to create 3d plastic parts. It is used very often for rapid prototyping and testing within the design departments.

Thank you to everyone today for teaching me so much! I am so thankful for the opportunity to learn about Caterpillar’s engineering work and to try out the machines for myself.

Day 3 at Caterpillar Inc

Today was our second and last day at the CMDC. Mr. Combs picked us up from the front lobby (we gave him our gift and thank you notes) and took us to our respective mentors for the day. My mentor was a design engineer working on backhoe loaders. She showed me some of her work on CAD and taught me about the different steps she takes while designing parts for the machines. She explained how a hydraulic cylinder works (it’s really cool!) and emphasized the importance of effectively collaborating with people in other departments. She also took me to see the hydraulic cylinder working on the machine in real life. I really appreciate everything she taught me — I am definitely more certain of my interest in design engineering. We then gathered back together (after giving some gifts to our mentors) and met with two electrical and software engineers. They gave us a presentation about the newest automated machines being produced by Caterpillar — it was really fun to learn about this side of engineering. They showed us some of their prototypes and then took us to operate one of the machines! Atticus, Matthew and I moved the machine in a figure-eight around two cones, and Mr. Combs (it was his first time operating the machine too) not only moved the machine around the two cones but also knocked a rock off the top of one of the cones. Being in control of the machine was a bit stressful (I was worried I would break something) but also really awesome! The recent developments in automated machines are really exciting — I feel like I have seen a glimpse of the future!

After operating the automated machine, Mr. Combs took us to a field with a backhoe loader and a mini excavator. Mr. Combs and one of Caterpillar’s expert operators taught us about each of the controls in the machines and how to safely operate them. Matthew and I then took turns operating the two machines — it was really fun! It was also interesting to control and see the machines after learning more about the design process — after learning about the different parts and processes needed to create the machines, each motion seemed more significant.

After lunch, Mr. Combs introduced us to a design engineer who was also in charge of 3D printing. He gave us a presentation about the process of engineering, from initially getting an idea to producing the final product, and taught us about some of the procedures and difficulties involved in the overall process. He then gave us an engineering challenge — we had to brainstorm ideas to solve an issue with the design of one of the machines. He showed us how he would process and print a design with the 3D printer, and took us to see the 3D printer itself in action. After giving our gifts and thank you notes to Ms. Hill, we said our final goodbyes and left the CMDC building for the last time. I learned so much and really enjoyed my time with the workers of Caterpillar’s CMDC. I will never forget all of the things I saw and experienced — Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity!

Day 2 at Caterpillar Inc

Today I was able to arrive at the Clayton Machine Development Center problem free (thanks to my early accidental sneak peek yesterday morning). Matthew, Atticus and I met Ms. Viviane Guessi and Mr. Collin Walther for the first time — they are both currently working as test engineers.

Side note: Many of the people I met and shadowed were part of a program in Caterpillar called ERDP — Engineering Rotational Development Program. In this program, people are able to rotate through different departments. They are able to explore and figure out which department they would like to work in permanently, while also building a network with people in other departments. Mr. Walther and Ms. Guessi are not permanently working as test engineers, but are currently in that rotation.

First, we were given a thorough safety presentation. We learned about the different alarms, exits, emergency equipment, and how to stay safe around the machines. Mr. Walther and Ms. Guessi then gave us a presentation on the different products being made and tested at the site — backhoe loaders, small dozers, mini excavators, small skid steer loaders, etc — and they taught us about the different machine groups, engineering roles, and facility capabilities. After the presentation, we suited up with our vests and safety glasses and went out to tour the fields of the facility. I can’t reveal a lot of what I saw — for the company’s privacy — but Mr. Walthers gave us a very interesting tour. It was really amazing to see the massive machines up close and to see how they test them — I have a lot of respect for the machine operators. After the tour, we came back to the main building and three of Caterpillar’s model interns gave us a presentation on how to prepare for college/internships and how to get involved in college. It was a really helpful talk — I will definitely keep their advice in mind while touring colleges and building my applications over the rest of the summer. I really enjoyed hearing about some of the programs they are involved with at their schools — engineering racecars with formula SAE, finding friends and making connections with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society of Women’s Engineers, and even just branching out and getting involved in sports teams and Greek life. I really appreciate them taking the time to share their own experiences! After their presentation, Ms. Guessi took us to a different room and assigned us an Engineering Challenge. We were tasked with building a bridge over a 40 cm space between two tables with only dry spaghetti, rubber bands, and a little bit of masking tape. We had to make the bridge stable enough to hold up multiple books. Matthew, Atticus and I had a few disagreements at first, but after a lot of discussions, we were finally able to agree on a design. We created a couple of thick bundles of spaghetti held together with rubber bands and arranged them to fit between the two tables. We had two bundles held together on top of two smaller bundles (for stability) in the middle. We designed the bridge for the string holding the bucket of books to attach from the two opposite sides of the bridge — after testing it out, this bridge was incredibly stable. But, we then learned that we had to attach the string from the middle instead. This was a little concerning, but after testing the bridge in a legal way, it held up with all of the books. Even after adding all of the extra weight they could find, it only collapsed after overbending (and slipping from the tables), but the bridge itself stayed intact — a complete success! It was a really fun and rewarding experience.

After lunch, Ms. Guessi and Mr. Walther gave us a presentation on test and development. We got to learn about the different tools they use to test their machines and the different ways they measure and record data. Mr. Walther taught us about some of the things they measure in tests and showed us the kinds of calculations they make based on the measurements. Ms. Guessi then let us play around with a steering cart hooked up with different sensors. Following her instructions, Matthew put in the necessary parameters and changes, and we were able to see the live measurements and recordings from the sensors on the cart. We got to tinker with a strain gauge and pressure sensor — we turned the steering wheel (which either applied pressure to the left or right, measured with a yoyo) and tried to bend a piece of steel (the strain gauge measured the tension and compression). After tinkering with the sensors a bit, Mr. Walthers took us back out to the fields to watch him do some testing. It was really fun to watch him work — he also talked with us and gave us a lot of useful advice for engineering.

It was an educational and fun day — we got to see (and get into) some of the action of the more hands-on side of engineering. Thank you, Mr. Walthers and Ms. Guessi for teaching us so much!

Hello, Caterpillar!

Though I left Apex Tool Group to move on to bigger and… similarly amazing things, I’ve had a great first day at Caterpillar. This Cat facility in Clayton, NC manufactures and designs some of the “smaller” machines in Caterpillar’s global lineup, most notably: the “SMALL” wheel loader. (I’ve attached a promotional image below to give you some scale. It’s around 12 feet tall and authoritatively robust)

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This morning we began by looking around the Product & Applications Training Center with Jake and Elizabeth, two engineers at Caterpillar. This is where Caterpillar dealers are sold and trained on new machinery in their lineup. Caterpillar works by distributing their products to dealers, who then sell them to individual customers. Therefore, the training center provides helpful information and comparisons between Caterpillar products and competitors, so that the dealers can more compellingly sell the machines.

We even got to sit in the cabs for some of Caterpillar’s popular machines!

After touring the training center, we had a pizza lunch with Jake and Elizabeth!

We followed that up with a tour of the assembly line at the Machine Development Center. While I’m not allowed to show you any pictures or discuss the assembly line, I can use ambiguous, thought provoking adjectives: gargantuan, rapid, loud, professional, sophisticated. The manufacturing was stunning, especially in comparison to the small-scale machining operations I saw last week.

I had a great first day at Caterpillar, I hope that I’ll learn just as much tomorrow!

Day 1 at Caterpillar Inc

Today was my first day shadowing at Caterpillar Inc. After struggling a bit to find the correct building (PSA: don’t always trust google maps), Atticus, Matthew and I started the day off at the Clayton Assembly Plant. Ms. Melissa Hill introduced us to the company, giving us some basic information about the plant and the machines being assembled at the plant. Then, Mr. Jake Combs and Ms. Elizabeth Schappell took us to a conference room and gave us a presentation on what they do at Caterpillar and how they became mechanical engineers. I really appreciate the time they took to present the information to us–I was able to learn about the different classes they took at NCSU and the real-life applications of those courses in their jobs at Caterpillar. They also gave us some advice on exploring the different fields of engineering and finding jobs after getting a degree. It was a really informative and useful presentation — Thank you so much!

We then suited up in yellow vests and went out to look at some of their products. They were in the process of doing Product and Application Training at the site — their marketing managers were teaching their dealers about their products. It was really interesting to learn about the different parts and functions of their machines and to see how they presented them. Mr. Combs and Ms. Schappell also taught us about the machines we saw — a Backhoe Loader, Small Wheel Loader, and Skid Steer Loader — telling us how they worked, and the kinds of processes they used to create and sell them. After exploring a bit, we went in for some pizza.

After lunch, we got some protective glasses and headed off to explore the actual assembly plant. Mr. Ryan Spies, a manufacturing engineer, took us through the assembly line, explaining how each machine and process worked and describing some of the projects he had been working on to make the process as efficient and safe (Caterpillar always stresses the importance of safety!) as possible. I can’t share a lot of information or pictures because some of the products and machines are secret, but I really enjoyed learning about the machines and seeing them in action — Matthew, Atticus, and I couldn’t hold back our ‘Ooos’ and ‘Aaahs’ while watching the workers and machines in action. After touring the plant, Mr. Spies showed us his drawings — the way he thinks and solves problems around the plant is truly incredible. His job seems to be a bit of architecture, mechanical engineering, and general management combined. He also showed us how their information is organized and shared on their company sites. We ended the day there — Thank you so much for letting us follow you around today, Mr. Spies!