John McCollum

Sealed Air is a global leader of food and product packaging. During the summer, I worked with blown film extrusion in the Rollstock department, specifically with the design of slitters used to cut layflat tubing before being wound onto rollers. This material was then sent to the pouch making process which converts the material into cheese pouches that has led to previous customer returns. Following a production month of 12% impounded material, the new design led to 0.81% of defective material. The design has potential cost savings due to scrap of $300,000/year based on variables such as formulations, gauge, preventative maintenance, etc.

Participant in the Boeing-sponsored Aerospace Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering (AerosPACE) program. The two semester program includes teams from 6 universities, including Clemson, comprised of approximately 10 students per team. The purpose of the program is to design, build, and fly a fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Served as the Lead of the Manufacturing and Purchasing IPTs.

As an Manufacturing Intern at DISH Network's manufacturing facility in Spartanburg, which refurbishes 3.5 million set-top boxes every year, I worked to automate a cosmetic operation for the Joey receivers. The automation of the procedure improved labor efficiency, safety, and ergonomic opportunities. By implementing a collaborative robot in my design, there would be large savings due to headcount reduction, a payback period of 7 months, and improved consistency of the process. At the end of my internship, I had the opportunity to present my design and proposal to company executives and manufacturing managers at DISH headquarters in Denver, CO.