Device Engineering Intern Review

My main role was to support all ongoing and new vapour and THP (Tobacco Heating Products) projects at different stages, from development and testing to production and launch. I was also tasked with managing, operating, and maintaining the 3D prototyping capability and various additive manufacturing technologies. I was involved in the design, development and validation of heating technologies used in our vapour devices. Also raised and managed purchase orders and dealt with suppliers when receiving invoices.

As I grew into the role, I was given more responsibility in the number and importance of task. At one point I was in charge of the prototyping capability and I had to operate 3D prints for multiple teams, clean all the machines and run their wizards when requires. I was also handed the duty of managing POs for most of my placement, helping teams order goods and services and talking to suppliers for quotes and invoices. In terms of the projects I was involved in, my work also was more important being involved in the design of the heaters and testing them along the way.

I have learnt many new technical skills involving prototyping equipment and general engineering machinery that I had to use in labs as well as more industry specific ones like smoke machines. Went to a 3D modelling training course and massively improved my SOLIDWORKS skills over the year. My personal skills in communication, team working and leadership have also improved as we have had many workshops and opportunities to grow in these. On top of this I gained a lot of knowledge about the company and the industry's products, components and technologies.

Throughout my placement I was supported by the placement team onsite for both personal and workplace queries. We met once a month for an intern session to present work but where we could also raise concerns. This could also be done more privately with your assigned mentor within the placement team. I was also assigned a mentor in my department that guided me and helped with more technical scenarios and was someone I could talk to about career choices or work related issues. On top of this, the support offered by my team to develop and make me feel valued was outstanding.

The company culture was great. Their ethos aligned with what I believed and meant everyone was working together to achieve the same goals. Everyone is very focused and genuinely invested in the work they do and this is contagious as you want to know more about your own and others' projects to help out and continue the research. The atmosphere is really relaxed, at BAT people act like a big family taking care of each other and pushing each other so we all reach our maximum potential.

I absolutely loved this placement opportunity as it allowed me to develop many of my skills, technical and soft, gain huge amounts of knowledge about heating technologies and the science related to this industry, and discover how a massive multinational company operated at a small and larger scale. I have met amazing people and networked with experts from many fields, seen the work done in many departments, and been able to contribute to some of the amazing research being conducted on this site.

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