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Swiss Nano Solutions

Imina Technologies SA is born from the idea that conventional nano-positioning instruments used by scientists at the forefront of nanotechnology research are lacking of versatility to quickly adapt to ever changing experiments and needs.

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R&D Engineering Intern

I worked for 7 months as an R&D Mechatronics Intern at Imina Technologies in Cugy, Switzerland. During my time there, I was involved in various design tasks for different projects within the company, and I also led the development and project management of a new product. Some of my key responsibilities and lessons learned are listed below.

Lessons Learned

My first experience working in a professional engineering setting was enlightening for several reasons. It gave me a better understanding of the skills that are crucial for success in a team environment in an engineering setting. Effective communication, building relationships, and proper planning are essential to making progress on any project. This was particularly important in Switzerland, where cultural and language differences required me to grow quickly in these areas.

Project Management/Systems Engineering

  • Contributed to creating meaningful system requirements for the project based on expert and customer input

  • Developed a project management plan and outline for prototype development, including task creation and design reviews

  • Created a testing and implementation plan to integrate the prototype with testing equipment

Firmware & Software Development                           

  • Wrote integration drivers in C++ for a Thorlabs current controller to be used as part of the Precisio™ software suite

  • Developed a modular, hierarchical coding approach for an STM32-based system for optimized prototyping

  • Integrated an STM32 system with multiple ICs using the SPI protocol

  • Created and implemented an encoding and encryption protocol for UART communication with a PC interface

  • Designed a Windows and MacOS application in QML to set, display, and record values over UART from the embedded system

3D Mechanical & Circuit Design                          

  • Spent hundreds of hours in SolidEdge designing part upgrades for the MiBot platform and new product concepts from scratch to be machined and tested quickly

  • Designed the schematic and layout for a testing PCB with a focus on cost and time efficiency

  • Soldered and tested each PCB manually.