Week 9: Back to the Beginning
Nathan S -
Welcome back! This week I assembled some more control panels, although instead of wiring them I actually built them. I started off with a blank slate, like this.
I first put on din rails and wire channels, which are used to mount the necessary components and to consolidate all the wires respectively. Then I started putting on different components. Because some of the parts had not yet arrived, I was only able to put in some relays and motors. For the most part, din rails have become a part of an industry standard as a method to mount components. They are made so that all the components can be easily snapped to the rails with a clicking sound that is satisfying enough for me to want to keep clicking parts on forever.
Throughout my project I learned so much about many different aspects that go into the engineering field that I would not get from college or even some engineering jobs. While it may seem like my project had many miscellaneous jobs, being able to actually do something in every area instead of just observing made the experience much more impactful. While I was nervous for my future in college and in my career, being at Bent River Machine has made me feel much more confident and equipped to be able to tackle what is to come.
While I have not taken a class similar to what I’m doing at Bent River, I think that the general BASIS education principles of thinking critically and flexibly have undoubtedly helped me throughout my project. I do not think I will go into an engineering field I worked with personally at Bent River, but I got to see other types of engineers interact with a path I am now more interested in, which is computer science. I was thrilled to see how all the many pieces coordinated with each other and with the computer scientist efficiently to be able to bring the machines to life. I enjoyed watching the computer scientist inject a soul into the machine that was just a pile of metal before him.
With next week being the last of my blog, this is the last time I’ll be saying that I will see you all with my tenth and final blog next week!
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