At Mission Design & Automation, we believe in the importance of investing in the future—not just of our company but of the automation industry as a whole. These investments often take the form of researching and adapting to the latest technologies, attending industry events, and helping our customers enhance and exceed their manufacturing goals with automation integration. However, we are also very passionate about the value of investing in the next generation. One way we do this is by supporting educational initiatives.

This past school year, Mission sponsored Grand Valley State University’s (GVSU) Senior Project Team 14. Our employees, Collin Merryman and Caleb Kender, dedicated their time to mentor and assist the students with their robotic project.

“It is crucial for companies like Mission to support new industry professionals. These students are often just weeks away from entering the workforce, meaning they could soon be working on projects alongside you. By nurturing these students and instilling good habits, we ensure that when the time comes to collaborate with them, they will excel in their roles,” said Collin Merryman, mechanical engineer at Mission.

The Robotic Pick-and-Place Giveaway Machine

GVSU Senior Project Team 14—comprised of students Ethan Bach, Jacob Frollo, Tyler Harms, Jackson Ritter, Nolan Rood, and Miabela Villa—designed and built a robotic pick-and-place giveaway machine.

Robotic pick-and-place machine

Mission’s sponsorship of this project included financial support, in-house fabrication of some necessary parts, and consistent mentorship and hands-on assistance throughout the project’s lifecycle. In return, the giveaway machine will serve as an interactive display at Mission’s booth (#236426) at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago from September 9-14, 2024.

“My favorite part of helping the GVSU students with their project was being on the other side of the process. One year ago, I was in their shoes, doing my own senior project at GVSU as a student with our own sponsor. I learned a lot from the project, ranging from customer interaction to design iteration to debug. It was very impactful on the start of my professional career, and I have enjoyed helping this year with the group of students just one grade below me. I knew exactly what their processes were, what they would need to be successful, and what I wish I had done differently on my go-around,” said Caleb Kender, controls engineer at Mission.

2024 GVSU Engineering Design Conference

On August 2nd, members of the Mission team had the pleasure of attending the 2024 GVSU Engineering Design Conference at the Innovation Design Center in Grand Rapids. At the event, Senior Project Team 14 presented their final project—the culmination of approximately eight months of hard work.

Senior Project Team 14 with robotic pick and place machine, and mentors from Mission Design & Automation

Senior Project Machines on Display at IMTS 2024

In addition to GVSU Senior Project Team 14’s robotic giveaway machine, Mission also sponsored a senior project at Hope College this past school year. The project, a roulette machine, was completed by Mission’s own Parker Bos—now full-time applications engineer—and his project team members. Both student-created machines will be showcased at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago this September 9-14 at booth #236426. Visit the Mission booth at IMTS 2024 to discover how we support industry education and to win prizes playing the student-designed-and-built machines.