Lubrizol Corporation

Chemical Engineering Co-op

May - August 2021 • Brecksville, OH

What I liked

I liked how I was given many responsibilities, and the work that I did was seen as important. I did projects that current engineers would do, and was trusted with the outcome of these projects. I felt as if I was a member of the team.

What I wish was different

I wish there was been a better schedule for the projects I had, however the delay of materials is an ongoing global problem that could not have been fixed.

Advice

Take in everything you can, working at the corporate/research headquarters meant there were a lot of kinds of people doing different jobs. It is a great opportunity to see what is out there.

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Mechanical Testing Co-op

May - December 2022 • Wickliffe, OH

What I liked

Term 1: At Lubrizol, starting on day one, I was given a large amount of responsibility with the work that I did. Within just a few weeks of starting, I was working on my own on different test stands, with the supervision of other operators who would periodically check on me. Additionally, engineers gave me projects to complete in my free time, when I was not actively performing any operations-related duties. Though the company has not been at its busiest, when I ask around for additional tasks and projects, I am met with high regard, and challenging projects, that are not simply busy work. Every project I have been introduced to, has considerable impact on the company, mostly relating to streamlining and organization, but it is very useful to the company. The engineers and my supervisors put lots of responsibility and trust upon me to work independently without being micromanaged, trusting that I am staying on task. With that being said, I have never felt stressed or worried about finishing something in a short amount of time, the company is very laid back and stress-free. Term 2: Throughout my first project term with Lubrizol, I was given a vast amount of independence, responsibility, and project ownership. I was given several chances, through various projects, to let my creative mind flourish, and make something fully on my own. I worked on various different projects, ranging from those that took a few hours, to those that will be implemented in phases through 2023-2024, and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. I was never micromanaged or felt like I did not play an important and integral role in any of these projects. Term 3: During my third rotation (Summer 2023) with Lubrizol, I truly felt like I was immersed in the daily life of a test engineer in mechanical testing. My projects were more impactful, more useful, and with that, came higher stakes. Also The projects themselves were much more complex, and required me to continue to develop my engineering related soft skills. These projects included performing data analysis, coding, and scripting a test sequence using a unique-to-Lubrizol program. I greatly enjoyed seeing my projects have a greater impact on the department, from safety to process standardization and workflow efficiency, I feel like my projects were very impactful and important.

What I wish was different

Coincidentally, the co-op coordinator quit about 2 weeks before I began working, so other people have been struggling to gather the loose ends left in his absence, making for much confusion with me. I would not expect this to be much of a problem for the future, however. Had the co-op coordinator not quit, my experience, as I have been told, would be much more organized and streamlined, with many more projects to pick and choose from, but that has not been the case for me, since the ball was dropped in his absence. Additionally, I wish that I could've started working on projects sooner, because I like the challenges that each new project brings, instead of shadowing operators for nearly two months. Term 2: Honestly, as of right now, my only regret was not finding Lubrizol earlier. It has been a wonderful time! Term 3: Going into the term, I did not know that I was going to be switching my role as a co-op (from the driveline area to the Diesel Engine group). This caused slight confusion and disorder on my first few days. However, after I became adjusted, my term went great!

Advice

Work hard, stay focused, and show to everyone that you strive to learn and complete projects. You will be rewarded accordingly. Even when it seems if no one is watching or paying attention to you, they are. When you are working hard, they notice, and when you slack off, they notice. The company likes hard work and rewards their harder-working co-ops with job offers down the road, so if this is a company you could see yourself working for, give them a reason every day you are here for them to hire you when you graduate. Don't be afraid to bond with and joke around with the engineers and operators and supervisors, I have, and since I have, the daily tasks and atmosphere is much more fun and lighthearted knowing I can joke around with everyone when I pass by them in the hallways or eat lunch with them. Term 2: The biggest piece of advice that I could give, and this applies to nearly every co-op role, not just Lubrizol, is that if you seek out independence and greater project ownership, it will be given. Hardwork is rewarded, so if you want more, show that you want more. Term 3: I think that an important piece of advice that I would give to myself last year, or any first or second term co-op, would be to never stop reaching out. I have been applauded for my willingness to accept new projects and responsibilities, just because of my helpful attitude, seeing any free time as an opportunity to help someone out. In my spare time this term, I would walk around the lab, or ask operators or engineers what I could do to help them out, make their life easier, or speed up a process they perform. Not only does this help the efficiency of the company, but it also stood out to my managers that I am always willing to go above and beyond just my assigned projects.

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Manufacturing Co-op

May - August 2023 • Painesville, OH

What I liked

I enjoyed getting to be a part of day-to-day activities in the fast-paced environment of manufacturing. I was able to attend and participate in daily safety walks, discussions about improvements and 5S implementations, and I helped to work on pertinent action items. Some examples of projects I was able to work were implementing a dynamic level indicator for tanks that are used to make multiple materials and therefore require multiple safetop thresholds. I also worked on creating a spreadsheet to populate all of our in-process sampling data, analyzing the trends that are seen for different tests, and making process improvements to reduce the number of failed tests. Lastly, I ran a batch with a modified batch sheet to see if we could increase the yield by adding in the diluent at the end rather than in the middle of the batch.

What I wish was different

During my term I ran into a lot of roadblocks which pushed back the timeline for my projects. Some of these roadblocks were unavoidable, such as mandatory shutdowns and low demand for products. I know that in industry, there are just some situations that you will face that you cannot control and that is just part of being an engineer. This experience taught me how to be patient and continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that the work gets done even in the face of a timeline shift.

Advice

Advice that I would share is to get familiar with data analysis in Excel, learning how to program, and using applications like Osisoft PI and SEEQ. There is a big learning curve coming into the company concerning how they analyze process data, but these applications are extremely useful for the work that you will be doing. I would also recommend having a mindset of curiosity coming in- there is lots to learn and a ton of opportunities to grow if you're willing to ask those questions. Furthermore, I believe seeking feedback from other engineers on how you can develop professionally will allow you to have the most well-rounded experience possible.

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Process Development Engineer

August - December 2022 • Wickliffe, OH

What I liked

I liked how much responsibility they gave me and how my projects were my own, I really felt like a member of the team. Full time engineers were very interested in getting to know me and were very willing to offer guidance. I felt very integrated into the company and could definitely envision myself working there full time.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more set timelines/expectations at the beginning of my term. I was still able to accomplish what I needed to but external factors often were the cause for delays.

Advice

I would tell people to make sure you network with those you work with, not only that but find out more about their career path to see if there is something you can learn from it rather than experiencing it yourself.

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