Equipment Intern

Department: Equipment Engineering / Maintenance

Job Title: Equipment Engineering Intern

Overview:

The Equipment Engineering Intern will support the daily operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and optimization of production equipment in a photovoltaic solar module manufacturing facility. This role is responsible for assisting the Equipment Engineering team in ensuring that production equipment operates safely, reliably, and efficiently.

The intern will work closely with equipment engineers, maintenance technicians, production supervisors, and process engineers to support equipment troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, equipment improvement projects, data analysis, and automation optimization. This position will provide hands-on exposure to automated production lines, conveyor systems, robots, PLC control systems, vision inspection systems, and other equipment used in solar module manufacturing.

Job Duties & Responsibilities:

Production Equipment Support

• Support the daily operation and condition monitoring of production line equipment.
• Assist in identifying and resolving equipment abnormalities to help reduce downtime.
• Support engineers with equipment startup, commissioning, changeover, and validation activities.
• Provide on-site technical support to the production team.
• Monitor equipment performance and follow up on operating conditions to support stable production.

Equipment Maintenance and Troubleshooting

• Participate in preventive maintenance activities and routine equipment inspections.
• Assist in troubleshooting mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and control system issues.
• Support equipment repair, adjustment, and restoration to normal operation.
• Participate in root cause analysis for equipment failures.
• Assist with replacement of sensors, motors, pneumatic components, and other equipment parts.

Automation and Control System Support

• Assist with basic troubleshooting and debugging of PLC-controlled equipment.
• Support the operation and maintenance of robots, vision systems, and automated conveyor systems.
• Assist in identifying issues related to HMI interfaces and equipment control logic.
• Participate in automation improvement and equipment upgrade projects.

Data Analysis and Equipment Performance Improvement

• Collect and organize equipment operating data, downtime records, production output data, and failure information.
• Track and analyze key equipment performance indicators, including OEE, MTBF, MTTR, downtime, throughput, and yield impact.
• Use Excel, Power BI, Python, or other tools to create equipment data reports and analysis summaries.
• Identify equipment bottlenecks and provide improvement recommendations.

Continuous Improvement

• Participate in Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement projects.
• Assist in improving equipment stability, production efficiency, and product yield.
• Support equipment standardization, inspection checklist updates, and operating procedure updates.
• Participate in cost reduction, efficiency improvement, automation optimization, and process improvement initiatives.
• Assist with new equipment installation, commissioning, acceptance, and ramp-up activities.

Safety and Compliance

• Follow OSHA standards and company safety requirements.
• Strictly comply with Lockout/Tagout procedures.
• Properly wear and use required personal protective equipment.
• Follow plant equipment operation, electrical safety, and production safety standards.
• Maintain strong safety awareness while working in a manufacturing environment.

Key Requirements & Competencies:

Education and Major Requirements

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automation, Mechatronics, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related engineering field.

Mechanical Knowledge

• Basic understanding of mechanical structures and equipment operating principles.
• Familiarity with transmission systems such as bearings, gears, belts, lead screws, and conveyor systems.
• Basic understanding of pneumatic systems, including cylinders, solenoid valves, and pressure regulators.
• Ability to read basic mechanical drawings.
• Understanding of preventive maintenance concepts is preferred.

Electrical and Automation Knowledge

• Basic understanding of circuits, motors, and industrial electrical systems.
• Familiarity with industrial components such as sensors, variable frequency drives, and servo systems.
• Basic knowledge of PLC systems; Siemens or Allen-Bradley experience is preferred.
• Ability to understand basic ladder logic diagrams.
• Basic knowledge of industrial communication protocols is preferred.

Software and Data Skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Basic data analysis and statistical analysis skills.
• Experience with Python, SQL, Power BI, or Tableau is preferred.
• Ability to prepare technical reports, data analysis reports, and project presentation materials.

Hands-On Skills

• Willingness and ability to work on the manufacturing floor and assist with equipment troubleshooting.
• Ability to use basic tools such as multimeters, calipers, and torque wrenches.
• Ability to assist with equipment disassembly, repair, and component replacement.
• Ability to support equipment debugging, calibration, parameter adjustment, installation, commissioning, and validation.
• Ability to work safely in an automated production environment.

Soft Skills

• Strong logical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Fast learner with the ability to adapt quickly to a manufacturing environment.
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate with production, equipment, and process teams.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure production environment.
• Proactive, responsible, detail-oriented, and willing to learn.
• Strong technical documentation and reporting skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous internship or project experience in manufacturing, equipment maintenance, automation, or engineering.
• Understanding of photovoltaic module manufacturing processes or related equipment.
• Familiarity with equipment such as stringers, layup machines, laminators, EL testers, IV testers, robots, and conveyor systems.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement projects.
• Experience with data analysis, equipment reporting, or dashboard development.

Place of Job in the Organizational Structure:

The Equipment Engineering Intern will report to the Equipment Engineering Manager, Equipment Engineering Supervisor, or designated Equipment Engineer. This position will work closely with the Equipment Engineering, Maintenance, Production, Process Engineering, Quality, and EHS teams to support safe and efficient manufacturing operations.