Operational Technology Automation Engineer Intern

Who We Are: Challenge Manufacturing’s mission is to manufacture with operational excellence by empowering our employee-owners. As a leading tier 1 supplier of complex metal assemblies for the global automotive industry, we drive innovative solutions for future mobility. We believe the best ideas come from individual unique perspectives. These ideas combined with the teamwork of industry leaders allow us to accomplish any challenge. Our team members take pride in the work we do and embody our core values of safety, ownership, and teamwork every day; they are the true driving force in our operations. Challenge is proud to be one of the largest employee-owned automotive companies in North America. One of the many benefits of joining the Challenge team is the ESOP program. This program allows Challenge to give shares of the Company to all employee-owners annually. These shares are an additional retirement benefit that will continue to grow during your time at Challenge. Being part of an ESOP means our employee-owners share in Challenge’s success! Challenge is #QualityDriven and #PeoplePowered! Who We Want: Challenge Mfg. Company’s Internship Program allows students to obtain real world work experience through technical and software exposure. This exposure is granted through individual projects, hands-on tasks on the plant floor, and much more. Challenge Mfg. Company prides itself on giving students a head start on experience in the Automotive Industry to enhance their future. We are currently looking for a Operational Technology Automation Engineering Intern to join our team! What You'll Do: The intern will work closely with controls, manufacturing, and maintenance engineers to model press behavior, acquire and visualize real-time machine data, and develop a scalable digital twin architecture that supports future predictive maintenance and performance optimization initiatives. - Assist in the development of a digital twin for 800+ ton mechanical stamping presses - Learn and work with Rockwell Automation PLCs (Allen-Bradley ControlLogix / CompactLogix) - Identify, map, and validate PLC I/O and data tags related to press operation - Configure and utilize OPC UA for secure, structured data communication between PLCs and higher-level systems - Support data integration into Ignition SCADA for visualization, trending, and analysis - Develop logic-based and data-driven models of press motion, tonnage, cycle timing, and operational states - Create dashboards or visual tools to represent real-time and historical press performance - Assist in analyzing machine data to identify abnormal conditions and improvement opportunities - Document system architecture, data flow, and digital twin design standards - Participate in cross-functional engineering reviews and project updates When and Where: This will be a 7AM-PM M-F position located at our Plant in Holland, MI. What You Need to Have: Must be pursuing a four-year Bachelor’s degree related to Mechanical Engineering from a accredited college or university Must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to be considered for the Internship program Must have superior verbal and written communication skills Strong organizational skills and ability to multi-task in global manufacturing environment Authorized to work in the U.S. Must be physically capable of performing the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation. What We Offer: We’re excited to offer a range of awesome benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a Health Savings Account with annual employer contributions, Flexible Spending Accounts, company-paid Short-Term Disability and Basic Life Insurance, Voluntary Life and Long-Term Disability options, an Employer 401k Match, ESOP shares, tuition reimbursement, a Referral Bonus Program, Challenge Incentive Program, and paid time off. Please note, while these benefits are part of what we offer, they may not all apply to this specif ... (truncated, view full listing at source)