AIST Foundation Steel Intern Scholarship - Ronald E. Lincoln
Landon E. Rogers
This past summer I interned with The Systems Group in Little Rock, Ark. Going into my senior year, it was important to me that my summer was spent gaining real industry experience that would prepare me for my career in mechanical engineering, and The Systems Group provided that and more. During my 14-week internship, I was exposed to the full scope of contracting work for the steel industry. I worked as a design engineering intern on piping systems necessary for a steel mill to function. Working side by side with the full-time design team, I not only learned all that goes into designing piping systems, but also what developing and completing an engineering project looks like.
After completing an introductory training project to familiarize myself with necessary programs and documentation analysis, I was assigned to work on the piping system for an entire steel mill along with the rest of the design team. This exposed to me what the responsibilities of a full-time engineer at The Systems Group entailed. This included pipe routing and creating documentation for shop fabrication and eventually field installation, with the emphasis always being optimization of piping lines to reduce costs and exceed customer needs. Considering fabrication was invaluable, as it is often lost in the classroom when all problems are hypothetical and idealized. Working at Systems, I gained an appreciation for what it takes to fabricate and what it looks like to design around the constraints of the real world.
Beyond modeling, it was also necessary to reference documentation from several different companies as the steel mill needed a variety of instrumentation to meet its needs. Often, documentation required unit conversion from metric to the U.S. Customary System, due to working with suppliers from other parts of the world. Other times, it was necessary to meet with lead engineers in the field or with representatives from the steel mill itself to confirm any decisions we were making or any unclear documentation. The dense documentation as well as communication with multiple teams from different backgrounds helped develop communication skills that are absolutely necessary for any successful engineer.
Working with The Systems Group also allowed for application of the theory learned in the classroom. It was important to apply concepts of statics and mechanics of materials to help design static, nonbent pipes and analyze any stresses placed on piping supports. Fluid mechanics also played a role as concepts of flow are vital when designing a piping system. Often, I had to consider if pumped systems would add extra pressure or if a system would only rely on gravitational potential energy. Lastly, heat transfer analysis was necessary when developing heating or cooling systems, requiring solutions such as insulation and temperature monitors. Going beyond the classroom and applying theory to a real-world scenario has been an invaluable part of my time at Systems, making me excited to learn more in my final year at college and apply more theory in my full-time career.
My time at The Systems Group has been so fulfilling and will shape my career moving forward. The experience I’ve gained and the skills I’ve developed have made me more confident in my career choice of mechanical engineering and all the more dedicated to the rest of my studies. I am grateful to The Systems Group for the investment made in me this past summer and to the AIST for not only getting me in contact with the company, but for the generous funding provided, allowing me to focus full-time on my last year of school. The steel industry is a wonderful career path and I’m so excited to use all the skills developed from my time working at The Systems Group.