Internship Experience at Binani Technologies

It all started at the end of the fourth-semester exams. I realized that having an internship experience during the summer break of the second year will be very helpful in applying for further internships in the third year. The deadlines for many research internships had long passed by the time this realization struck. Having no other choice, I started looking for industrial internship opportunities, especially those related to Computer-Aided Design (CAD), my domain of interest.

An advantage of an industrial internship is the opportunity to work on large-scale models and designs from the now-happening world. Because the product you create in such internships will surely have some practical application, you will have the opportunity to combine your creative abilities with your college-level education.

Like many others, I started looking for internships at Internshala. During this process, I discovered that the industry slightly prefers Solidworks over other CAD software. Not having much experience in Solidworks, I started watching YouTube videos to enhance my skill set. I completed a couple of projects on my own, which helped me make it through the general selection process. I applied for 20+ internships, and finally, there was this one appealing offer. A word of advice, while applying through Internshala, you must have a great deal of patience and confidence.

All the initially screened candidates were supposed to execute a task within a stipulated time frame, after which we were filtered through an interview. That was something none of us had expected. I made it through that not-so-humorous surprise on their part.

By the time we could believe all would be good, we had to face another storm; the chief strategist of their company decided to further shortlist - basically choose the best of best after one month. Thankfully we were informed of this beforehand. But still, the pressure was no less. I had downloaded and started using Solidworks a mere ten days before. Yet, I was in the race with others who were already pretty proficient in it. I’m not exaggerating; except for myself, everyone on my team had a verified Solidworks certificate.

Here’s a gist of what exactly I did as an intern. My task was to design a subframe using Solidworks and iterate it under different loads using ANSYS (An Analysis and Simulation Software). In Solidworks, a component can be created in several ways. I used sheet metal components for flanges¹ and weldments² as pillar supports for my subframe design. I was also supposed to calculate all the forces acting on the subframe due to various components like dampers, control arms, and chassis rails. This entire deadline-based process helped me learn so many cool features of Solidworks in a very short span of time. I also gained a lot of understanding about automotive parts and how they work in unison with other components.

My day usually began with a meeting where tasks and deadlines were given, and we had to follow up with regular work check meetings in the evening. Even though we were competing with one another, the team of prospective interns had regular phone calls, and we all even discussed our interests. Our assigned mentors were really very kind and helpful. They gave us great flexibility to work on our tasks at our own pace. A month soon passed, and the daunting question of whether or not I would be selected got an answer.

I made it through the selection process successfully. Then we all split and worked on another project - Designing a front subframe under multi-axial loadings. This time I had been assigned a partner and a new mentor. With our mentor’s guidance, we successfully completed the task allotted to us.

Although we had loads of fun, the experience would have been much better had it been offline as compared to the Work from Home internship that I had. My internship ended in the first week of August after I presented my work.

I am truly grateful that I made some really wonderful friends who were/are supportive and competitive.