Internship

Studying abroad during the spring semester allowed for an internship between January and when school started in mid-April. Having the option, I chose to participate in an internship with Daimler-Chrysler, A.G. in Stuttgart, Germany. During the three month period, I learned a lot about German culture, business, and myself. I found myself in a much more relaxed environment than I expected. Everyone was more than friendly and eager to help me learn both the German language and technical subjects. My coworkers definitely made me feel comfortable and at home, even in a setting which was almost completely foreign to me.

My Job

While working for Daimler-Chrysler Truck division, I learned a lot about the different systems that make up the Mercedes-Benz Actros hauling vehicle. I worked almost exclusively with a Hardware-in-the-Loop simulator for the truck. The HIL took actual control devices used in the trucks and integrated them into a computer simulation system, where specific systems could be tested under user-defined conditions. At first, there was a very difficult learning curve, because I was struggling with the German language as well as attempting to be productive with very little knowledge of the entire system. After the first few weeks, as my German greatly improved, I began learning a lot about what goes into testing all of the individual systems. I began working exclusively with integrating a rear-axle steering system for the Actros. The system was in-use at the time, but was experiencing many problems around Europe. My job was to design and build an interface device to connect the actual control device into the system. I did this with my knowledge from ECE classes and the help of my coworkers. With my help, our team successfully integrated the device into the system, allowing for much needed testing. I also helped create emergency Flash Rom flashing cables to fix a very dangerous recall situation with the rear axle steering systems. I am definitely proud of my contributions and experiences gained during the internship.