Strato: For Rutgers engineering students, a taste of real-world manufacturing

Strato, Inc. recently hosted ten Rutgers University engineering students, all members of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), who spent an afternoon with Production Manager Dave Calico to learn more about manufacturing processes.

. Calico reviewed lean manufacturing, design vs. practical application, and safety design and application in a production environment. During a plant tour, the students viewed a variety of high- and low-tech production equipment used in manufacturing, as well as test equipment used for product development and quality assurance. Strato engineers showed the students how advanced technology is used to design new products by demonstrating rapid prototyping and real-world simulation equipment in Strato’s research and design lab.

Rutgers University’s main campus is in New Brunswick, N.J., near Strato’s Piscataway headquarters. Several Strato engineers are Rutgers graduates.

“We’ve experienced a great deal of success with summer interns from Rutgers and hiring experienced alumni permanently,” says Strato Director Engineering Jason Reiling, Rutgers Class of 1999. “This event helps students to visualize what manufacturing is really like outside of a classroom.” The company’s internship and plant visit programs assist the SME’s mission of promoting advanced manufacturing technology and developing a skilled workforce.