Austin Todd
Interview
Mechanical Engineer at Engineered Sintered Components Company
Joined the company in 2012
U.S.A.
I’m a mechanical engineer in the Manufacturing Engineering department at Engineered Sintered Components (ESC) in North Carolina, where we make components for the automotive industry and other fields. On a day-to-day basis, I am a support resource for manufacturing. However, my main role is to manage projects that help make our manufacturing operations more efficient, usually by incorporating automation. We use the most up-to-date technologies in our system designs, such as pick-and-places, robots, pneumatic slides, and grippers that automate machining lines.
I also design and install quality assurance machines that we use to ensure that every part is defect-free.
I originally joined the company as an intern. During that time I made great relationships with the engineers I shadowed. They taught me about the industry, and I was able to absorb a lot of useful information from them. After I graduated college, I became a full-time mechanical engineer in the same department. From my previous experience as an intern, I knew that ESC would give me the best opportunity to expand my knowledge and give me the tools to jump-start my career.
One of the most rewarding experience I’ve had was to complete my first piece of automated equipment. During my internship and through my first year full-time, I had helped build a number of automated machines, but I had never designed and built one from scratch. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed with the task at hand. However, using the skills I learned in college and my internship, along with help from senior engineers, I was able to successfully complete the machine. Taking everything I had learned up to that point and applying it to this one project was what made the experience so rewarding. The project also gave me a chance learn about many types of technologies that I now incorporate into my designs.
As for the company, the most unique thing about ESC is how devoted we are to the surrounding community.
Several years ago ESC donated land to the town in order to build a park, and today that park hosts many community events and youth sporting activities. Also, every month our HR department puts together a calendar of events that are going on in the community, and this keeps employees up-to-date on community outings and gives us opportunities to get involved.
The thing I appreciate most about Sumitomo Electric is being a part of a company that has given me numerous opportunities to broaden my knowledge, not only of the manufacturing industry but of the world as well. I have been able to travel internationally and gain a new understanding of different cultures and, at the same time, learn new methods and ideas that I can implement in my job. The great thing is that new opportunities are presented all the time.
