Here at Domino, we offer Student Placement opportunities to degree level students by supporting their University courses with 12 months’ practical work experience. We offer placements across a range of disciplines, including Electronic and Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry (Marking Materials), plus we are open to considering others in future.
We are focused on providing valuable work which supports business requirements, whilst also giving students real-life experience of working in a busy team within Domino.
Here we hear from Samuel Shone, our Mechanical Student Placement from the University of Surrey, who spent 12 months working in our R&D team. Samuel worked on several projects during his time with the R&D team and here he tells us about his experience of the placement with Domino.
Recruitment Process
Domino’s mechanical student placement advert was circulated to those looking for engineering placements at the University – the recruitment day was well organised, and I got my offer very quickly.
How I’ve Found the Placement
I feel like I made a slow-ish start – perhaps to be expected on a first excursion to full time work in a field I am unfamiliar with. A combination of various colleagues and supervisors going on holiday across the following month and a half, as well as my predecessor having already left meant that work was somewhat stop-start to begin with.
My satisfaction in the work I’m undertaking has steadily improved since the beginning though, and there has always been a lot of different work to do.
There is great fulfilment in seeing your work manifest in changes to the system, or go out to a supplier to be produced.
What I’ve Been Up to
There is excellent variety in the work I do – my time is split between hands-on investigative work/integration testing, and design work, as well as some mathematical modelling of the system.
I’ve had the opportunity to attend training courses in various software packages since arriving.
Examples of projects I’ve worked on
- Design of print-head holder for production line
- PID tuning of gear pumps
- Gutter pump validation/integration
- Development of new cleaning sequence on shutdown
- 40, 50, 60, 75 micron nozzle testing/validation
- Leaking nozzle investigations
- Gear pump ‘Ripple’ Investigation
- Optimising PID tuning for printhead heater
- 75 micron opaque pressure setpoint finding
- Fan power against volume investigation
- Solving miscellaneous issues from system test
How I’ve Found the Team, Culture and Working Environment
The atmosphere in the office is relaxed, and it is easy to go and talk to any of the team, or whoever else may be helpful to my work. The team has been accommodating, and willing to help when I ask for it.
Would I recommend Domino to others for Student Placements?
Yes – whilst I do work for the company here, my position as a placement student is also considered, and efforts are made to build my skills as an engineer, and recognise requirements for IMechE’s engineering development scheme (required to become a recognised Chartered Engineer).
I think having a degree of confidence with hand tools, and having the patience to manage with some very fiddly parts is extremely helpful.
It is also important to not be too perturbed by the possibility of occasionally getting a little ink on yourself!
I feel I’ve immeasurably improved as an engineer since starting, which speaks for itself.
Find out more and meet some of our other students carrying out placements by watching our video or contact our HR team on h.r@domino-uk.com