Many interns first starting out are tasked to do work that doesn't yield experience for their future careers. However, Caleb Hobson's project engineering internship at Plant 2/3 in Waupaca, Wisconsin has proven to be the opposite.

"Some internships are just filing stuff all day. Instead, I am basically doing the exact same thing one of the engineers is doing. I am also doing a lot of the fun parts of engineering: the modeling and designing."

Caleb is currently an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin- Platteville, majoring in mechanical engineering. He started working for Waupaca Foundry in the millroom at Plant 1 and has now been an intern for the last two summers.

As a project engineering intern, Caleb usually works on 2-3 projects every week and designs different mechanical components for machines. Engineers or maintenance foremen often go to Caleb with design change requests or new ideas for inside the plant. He then models his ideas with drawings and 3-D modeling software.

"I get to design something and then go out into the plant and actually see it being made. It's cool because you can see what you thought up in real life."

This summer, one of Caleb's bigger projects was to configure new piping layout in the plant to transport a third additive into the sand that cores are made of. The additives help the cores keep their shape and withstand heat when motel iron is poured onto them.

Caleb's time at Waupaca Foundry has given him the opportunity to explore what a future in mechanical engineering could look like once he graduates.

"The experience, overall, has been positive. Waupaca Foundry is an interesting place to work—especially when you are in engineering."

The Summer Help Program at Waupaca Foundry provides valuable work experience and an insight into the variety of careers in the metalcasting industry. Students interested in summer employment and internships at Waupaca Foundry are encouraged to apply.