FYI from MCI™

MCI Engineering Group with Red River College professor and former MCI engineer, Ed Hohenberg (top row, 2nd from right) and Red River College interns (bottom row).

MCI courts young talent

In the interest of tapping promising motor coach engineering talent at the source, MCI has partnered with Winnipeg's Red River College, Manitoba's second-largest higher-learning institution, to create a hands-on intern program.

As one of only six colleges in Canada to be granted government funding for applied research, Red River College has long been a fertile recruiting field for MCI. The two-and-a-half-year program trains students in all aspects of mechanical engineering technology. Students enter the MCI co-op program in their first or second year after going through a thorough application and interview process. RRC was selected to implement the program after a proposal and bid process.

The partnership's first project has been assisting MCI with tasks related to the Cummins ISM engine introduction on the MCI® D4505. Engineering and heavy-equipment transportation students have been working under the direction of Ed Hohenberg, professor of mechanical engineering and a former MCI engineer, and RRC instructor Ed Pauch. At MCI, the project is overseen by Paul Fazio, head of powertrain engineering.

Hohenberg knows that his experience at MCI is especially valuable to the students. "This is exactly the kind of thing I did at MCI. I know the system, and they know we're going to get it right. It saves a whole lot of time."

The Cummins engine is being paired with an Allison transmission to meet 2007 EPA emissions standards, and it is being integrated with a common cooling system plus a series of electrical and mechanical components. Students learn such hands-on skills as ordering parts, working on assembly and testing as well as design, documentation and certification. The resulting prototype will also undergo testing by Cummins at its California facility.

"It's a very capable group," said Hohenberg of his students. "They really know their way around the back of a bus."

Said Bryan Couch, MCI vice president of product planning and project management, "It's a win-win situation for everyone."

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