Hardik Patel discusses his poster, “Process Improvement at Highline Mushrooms,” during a presentation Monday in the Centre for Engineering Innovation.
Serving a work term on co-op taught him more than the SolidWorks design program, says Hardik Patel.
The M.Eng student also gained experience in defining problems and working on solutions, he said during a poster presentation by students in the Master of Engineering co-op program about their recently-completed placements, Monday in the Centre for Engineering Innovation.
Patel used SolidWorks computer-assisted design software to draw up plans for a funnel for a packaging line at Highline Mushrooms, the country’s largest mushroom grower. It was one of several improvements he suggested for its operations, including a recalibration of its tray placement machinery that reduced delays from 450 per hour to fewer than 40.
“The distance the plastic trays dropped onto the conveyor was too far,” Patel said. “When they took my advice to optimize the size of the gap, I could see the immediate improvement in efficiency.”
Romi Saraswat, program administrator for the Centre for Executive and Professional Education, said the posters give students a chance to discuss their work experiences with instructors and fellow students.
“This is a unique opportunity, as not all co-op students get to present in this format,” she said. “The presentations were very well received by faculty, students and staff.”
