Adrian Dancea
When I first visited the University of Northampton, the NETP programme was one of the most important and attractive features of any of the Engineering degrees that I was considering at that moment. This helped make my decision much easier and got me highly motivated.
After my first year of study, I was privileged with the opportunity to work at Danfoss LTD for a 6-month placement. The company is well known internationally for the wide range of top products within the Heating Industry. Their products are covering applications within refrigeration, heating, hydraulics control, motor speed control, and industrial automation.
With the support of a solid and great team, I was able to conduct my main project with plenty of confidence and motivation. They provided me with many useful tools and under my mentor’s supervision I was able to complete internal training and build an exceptional range of skills in areas such as: Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Preventive and Predictive Maintenance, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Root Cause Problem Solving, Continuous Improvement, SPC Process Capability, 5S, and many others. All of these, under the newest automotive quality management system standard IATF16949:2016 with which Danfoss LTD needs to comply. Also, I have been able to improve my communication, project management and quality control skills in a way that has made me much more efficient and reliable.
From the beginning, I felt like I was part of the team and I was given other suplementary tasks to support my learning process while working on my main project. I never felt under pressure or overwhelmed, even when I had to dedicate time for the examination period at the university. The way the NETP placement programme works in collaboration with the University of Northampton, is very complementary and focused on the student.
Currently, my initial 6-month placement has been extended for another 6 month period and, at the moment, I am involved in several projects that are priceless for building my experience with regards to the future. Here, I feel like I am just another member of the team and we are all a big family.
I would like to express my gratitude to the NETP and Danfoss LTD staff, but especially to Danielle Knights (NETP), Dan Bailey (NETP), Kevin Abreu (Danfoss LTD Engineering Department Manager), Paul Forster (Production Engineer) and Reiss Willets (University of Northampton alumnus, Junior Manufacturing Engineer and my mentor). Thank you all!
Adrian Dancea
