Vehicle Design, Development and Manufacturing is a highly complex process that must conform to stringent specification and targets without any compromise in quality.
Subhiksha Devi Rajendran, our next pathbreaker, is currently an international student in UK pursuing her masters in Engineering Projects and Systems Management from
Kingston University.
Subhiksha talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about her previous stint as Dimensional Variation Analysis (DVA) Engjneer at Ford Motor Company (deputed from Satven) where she was part of a team that enables engineers to assemble parts in a seamless manner with zero quality issues.
For students, DVA deals with the craftsmanship necessary to ensure the manufacture of perfectly fitting parts resulting in successful launch of a car.
Subhiksha, can you share your background aith our young readers?
I was a curious little kid born in Trichy, the heart district of Tamil Nadu. We were a lovely family of four with a lot of pet cats. My father was a supplier agent with a minimal salary of 25k per month. Having this single income, my mom gathered all the happiness and courage and let us spread our wings. My elder brother is my first foremost role model. He pursued his dreams by studying hard to become a passionate engineer. Despite all the employment struggles, his persistence and consistency has made him a successful marine engineer. Then there is me who was quite smart in school, always in the top 3 rankings. I’ve always strived hard for success. I happily involved myself in sports activities which were exhausting but rewarding in the end.The success in netball and carrom is pure dopamine. There are plenty of times when I’ve failed. But it’s okay to make mistakes! There are two sides to a coin. Like most of the students, I was clueless about my future career. However, I was determined to be financially independent after my undergraduate degree.
What did you do for graduation/post graduation?
An inherited interest in engineering made me pursue Production Engineering at Government College of Technology, Coimbatore. As I had a high cut-off, I was able to join based on merit. This made my parents very happy. The engineering course made me dive deep into manufacturing concepts. Sometimes, I would just wonder about the process and planning behind a product that we are using. I perceived manufacturing as an incredible innovation of science and technology. I joined as a Graduate Engineering Trainee at Ford Motor Company. Later, I got promoted as a Dimensional Control Engineer. It was not an easy path to find this job. As I graduated during the COVID pandemic, the recruitment was very selective and competitive when compared to previous years. There were very few campus placements. The IT companies were willing to take candidates from any background of engineering. But I had made up my mind to start my career in the manufacturing sector. I never gave up while searching for jobs because I knew that there would be a magic door waiting for me at the right time. I’m still grateful for my patience during my job hunt.
I am currently doing my masters in Engineering Projects and Systems Management from Kingston University (UK).
What were some of the key influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional, and uncommon career in Automotive Manufacturing?
I was influenced by observing my brother’s interest in engineering and by my father who is an engineer without a degree. He was extremely talented in mechanical concepts. We hardly ever called outside technicians for repair work because most of the electrical, plumbing and construction work was taken care of by my father.
I would say my father was the key influencer in pursuing this career path. Also, my mom who always wanted me to be a strong girl breaking stereotypes in this modern world. I had almost decided to pursue my career in manufacturing but not automobiles. It is all the little things that matter the most. Building connections and networking was the major turning point in my life. I would not have imagined of this job at Ford without connections.
How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Tell us about your career path
My approach was quite straight forward. Being a fresher, I knew the difficulty of getting a job in the manufacturing sector. Hence, I kept my hopes high and started reaching out to my connections and my alumni network for referrals rather than choosing off-campus and walk-in interviews. This was my thought process and it worked. Initially, it was a college alumnus who shared a job opportunity. I am grateful to that person for my entire lifetime. However, we need to build a profile which stands out from the rest of the competition. Here, my selling point was internships. I took two internships during my second and third year. Most importantly, it must be completely relevant to your coursework.
The first internship training was held by Tamil Nadu Newsprint Private Limited for a duration of 4 weeks. Though it seemed like a short period, it was truly an enriching experience to get introduced to actual manufacturing! I started to realize that engineering is more than what we see in books. The second internship training was held by Acoustics India Private Limited which was an industry which manufactures spare parts like acoustic accessories like Silencers and Compressors. I gathered a broader knowledge about the welding processes and key concepts of quality inspection and assurance. Later, I secured a job though with a lower salary than expected. Still, I joined just to kickstart my career, to learn and not to earn. I joined as Graduate Engineer Trainee at Satven Venture Engineering Services deputed to Ford Motor Company.
How did you get your first break?
I didn’t get any break after my undergraduate degree. I got my job immediately. After 3 years of working with industry, I wished to study for a master’s degree. There is no clear explanation on the reason for pursuing masters. It just flashed in my mind that I wanted to study. Currently, I’m on a career break as I’m studying MSc Engineering Projects and Systems Management at Kingston University London. I don’t know if this is the right decision, but I still took it because I just wanted to try. We have to wait and see my career prospects after the degree.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
Challenge 1:
Being a girl, it’s hard to get a core job in the manufacturing domain. I didn’t give up or join the IT sector, I was patiently hoping for opportunities. Also, I was determined to start my career path in the industrial domain. Some things may take time, but it’s worth the wait.
Challenge 2:
It was hard to find internships. It’s not a piece of cake. We need to try for opportunities in every possible way. I tried contacting various people who could refer me for an internship and that’s how I landed an opportunity!
Challenge 3:
First job as a fresher without any experience. We need a lot of courage to land a proper job that is satisfying. We can’t work in a company without interest. Hence, the first job entirely decides one’s future career.
Where do you work now?
A few months back, I was working as a full-time Dimensional Control Engineer at Ford Motor Company (deputed by Satven). Currently, I am an international student in the UK.
What problems did you solve at Ford?
I really want to explain this unpopular job profile which is not known much in the public. We basically perform dimensional variational analysis for automotive vehicles. One of the most interesting jobs I would say is that we solve different problems every single day. Using tolerance stack up, we help plant engineers to find the root cause of a fit & finish, attachment, or an interference issue
Fit & Finish are called as the appearance assessments to ensure the aesthetics of exterior and interior designs in an automobile. Generally, there are two terms called as Margin/gap and flushness that is seen between two different parts assembled to their parent part.
We make sure that they conform to the target and specifications decided by craftsmanship.
Refer images
For example, in the above image, the operator checks the margin between front and rear door.
Attachment assessments are done to ensure that the part can be assembled as intended without any hard-to-fit issue.
For example, in the above image we do the hood hinge attachment studies.
Interference/Clearance assessments are done to ensure there is sufficient gap between any two parts having a minimum clearance. This nominal gap is very crucial to analyze as even a tiny interference of the parts can be disastrous when the vehicle is moving.
For example, we do the clearance assessment between a brake line and AC line because we need to have a minimum nominal clearance of 2mm (assumed)
Subhiksha, can you give a real example of where your work (dimensional tolerance) comes in car design/ manufacturing and what’s the problem you address?
Have you not amazed by this seamless exterior finish of Ford Mustang MachE?
Is this possible without any analysis?
Dimensional Control is needed for the entire car. Our department is not specific to exterior, interior or powertrain. We ensure the quality of the vehicle that is very critical from a customer point of view. For instance, would you buy a car that has exterior finish like this, below? I don’t think so.
This can be avoided by our dimensional variation analysis performed virtually using visualization software. We can also explain the key contributors for this misalignment. This enables the engineers to assemble the part in a seamless manner with zero quality issues. The same applies with attachment and clearance issues. We also perform post-production issues from customers.
Being a dimensional control engineer, you can have an entire tour of all the parts assembled in a car. You deal with craftsmanship to manufacture perfectly fitting parts resulting in successful launch of a car.
What skills are needed in your role? How did you acquire the skills?
This job requires both technical and soft skills blended with good interpersonal skills. We need basic understanding of 2D drawings, design software like AutoCAD & Solidworks equipped with a grasp of design concepts and GD&T standards.
GD&T, short for Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, is a system for defining and communicating design intent and engineering tolerances that helps engineers and manufacturers optimally control variations in manufacturing processes.
What’s a typical day like?
On a typical day, we start our team meeting at 9.30 am for the regular discussion of our individual workload. Later, we connect with counterparts to discuss plant issues more in detail to provide feedback for proper design recommendations. After confirmation, we start the modelling for the issue that the plant engineers are concerned about. Once the delivery date arrives, we then draft a clear report on the outcome of the analysis. The wrap up time varies with respect to the weightage of the analysis performed.
What is it you love about this job?
I love the variation. You will never have the same job to perform every day. I’ve encountered several problems which are totally different from each other. This broadens our knowledge and perspective on problem-solving.
How does your work benefit society?
Yes definitely. The analysis we perform comes under the realm of quality management where we ensure that the vehicle design in the pre-production stage conforms to the specification and targets. Using the +/-3sigma process, we report the results by running virtual simulations to find the problem at the design level. This team is dedicated to improving quality, and thereby reducing the scrap cost. Each study might save millions in the cost and reduce environmental damage due to unwanted metal scrap. The analysis also double checks and fulfills the customer expectations as there is no compromise in quality.
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
There are a lot of memories to share. To mention one, I would say, the time when I got appreciation from a plant engineer for resolving a major issue in the plant production line. It was a post-production issue which confused the engineers as they were unable to figure out why the problem was occurring. I performed the tolerance stack up analysis which evidently showed the top contributor of the interference between Second Row Seat and the Seat Belt Retractor.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
In my experience, I would suggest students not to stress more about the placements and interview. There are plenty of opportunities in the market for every talented individual. Hence, you will end up in a suitable job. Build your network as much as possible to explore new openings. I would encourage you to be more patient in finding the right job. Make sure you stand out from the other applicants by doing any relevant courses, certifications, or project work.
Future Plans?
My future plan is to complete my master’s degree successfully and look for job opportunities in a similar domain. I remember this quote saying “Jack of all trades is a master of none” If you are satisfied with your initial job, try to have your career path in the same direction.