Course mechanical engineering (HBO, Dutch)

roelieknoelie · Since 18 Sep 2010 2 Posts The Netherlands New Member

Hello, I'm Roel from the Netherlands.

At the moment I'm looking for a course to graduate for my HBO (something like University college) Mechanical Engineering. I'm doing a minor for structural lightweight vehicle design, a minor about composites, sandwitch constructions and lightweight structures.

For my graduating course i'm looking for a kiteboarding company for an assignment to write my last essay. My intention is that I design a new or improved product which has affinity with composites, like glass-/carbon-/aramidfibre or dyneema.

I probably want to start around february and it has to be a course for about 800 hours of work.

Does somebody know a company for such an course?

Martin_6453 · Since 29 Apr 2010 26 Posts

Hi,
I was the one who suggested Roel to post this question here. (so don't let me down guys Smile

)

Roel has a Higher Vocational Education in Mechanical engineering and is looking for an internship.
From what I understand, the way he has specialized his study is exactly what one would need when developing kiteboards. (or wake and snowboards)
I figure that offering this guy an internship, could be very beneficiary for a kiteboard company.

Can one of you hook him up with a kiteboard company, or suggest someone he could contact?

massterb · Since 16 Apr 2010 17 Posts

I have a ME degree also. Maybe consider talking to a progressive custom board builder:

Aggression Kiteboards - this guy builds ~indestructible light boards. I rode with him in hatteras last spring. Very smart and enthusiastic guy with ME background, so highly technical disucssion possible. I forget his name:
http://www.aggressionkiteboarding.com/history.html

Lee at rogue wave is master shaper using composites. he built me a custom jimmy lewis model 3 which i love.
http://www.roguewaveboards.com/

Hein · Since 08 Mar 2005 1314 Posts Possessed

Question is:
What is he expecting to be paid, if anything?
Not that I'm hiring. Just wondering.

Also,
What is he willing to do? Sounds like he just
needs to spend 800 hours writing an essay.
That's gonna be a long essay! Not sure there
is enough subject matter in a kiteboard for
that. Is he planning to do some load testing
to provide a basis for his calculations and
design? What resources does he have available?
How are his CAD skills? You can't adequately
communicate your design ideas without an
accurate 3D model. Modeling composite layups
is pretty advanced stuff. Same with real CAD
based shaping.

Here's a thought...
There might be some interest in a group buy
for a run of my boards.

I could use someone who could facilitate that.
Work with a production company. Spec the core
materials, layup, etc. Does he speak Chinese?
Actually, I would prefer an onshore (US) manufacturer.
But these are more production/manufacturing engineering
tasks.

Honestly though, I'd look into a different industry.
Great fun, building boards, but there is more
challenging engineered composites work out there.

-Hein

roelieknoelie · Since 18 Sep 2010 2 Posts The Netherlands New Member

@Martin: Thank you for the extra explanation! Its hard for me to give a good explanation in English, but I will try to give some more information.

I understand I've gave not so much information for the internship.

The school want me to work at a company for about 20 weeks (5 days a week, 8 hours a day makes 800 hours). I've already done something like this at a producer of machines for the potato-industry. In those 20 weeks I have to (re)design a product for the company, they need to have a job for me (like a kiteboard/snowboard/new quickrelease etc.) and I will come with a solution (a new design). In that 20 weeks, I will work like a normal employee at the company.

I have a lot of experience with 3D CAD programs, like Solidworks, Autodesk Inventor and at the moment I do a course for Abaqus, a program from Simulia. With that last program its possible to design composite structures and test them for strengt and flex.
At the school where I'm at this moment, we learn a lot of composite structures, how to use it, how to design product with composites/sandwitch constructions.
I speak reasonable English, a littlebit German and ofcourse, Dutch.

Maybe a kiteboard is to small to write the whole essay, but maybe there are also some other things to do.

Thank you for al the tips! the next 4 days I probably can't answer because I'm at my student room, there is no internet overthere.
I will use the tips and hope something is usefull for the internship!

Gr.

Roel v.d. Gun