Case studies : R & D Engineering graduate scheme at Cat: Andy Cawdery

Andy Cawdery studied Mechanical engineering at Warwick University before joining Cat's R & D Engineering graduate scheme in 2004. Andy has been involved with various roles within the company.

Caterpillar is an engineering company that values its engineers, and being such a large, global company it gives the opportunity to work abroad and move into areas that are of interest to you.

I have been in three roles so far. The first being within the Performance Department, in which my main task was working on generator sets, tuning them to give their optimum performance, both in ambient and sub-zero conditions.

My Product Management role was very varied, from giving electronics support for project engines to leading a focus team who's task it was to take a component through from prototype to mass production. During my time within applications engineering, I have carried out machine installation appraisals and dealt with customer technique issues.

I then moved into the CAE department were I conducted CFD appraisals on our core product’s air system. My final placement was in our Proving Test department, installing prototype engines into machines and carrying out performance testing of them, which was good fun. 
 
I have enjoyed all my time at Perkins, however the highlights, must be conducting machine testing while in Proving Test, it was thoroughly enjoyable and a great experience for me.

The company positively promotes becoming chartered, be it by the IMECHE or IEE. You are assigned a mentor (already a chartered engineer) who will take you through the accreditation process until you become chartered.

The most important skill I feel I have developed whilst being on the scheme is teamwork, and learning how to work with different types of people and characters to get a job done quickly and efficiently.

I have found the time working at Cat Very enjoyable, the work is challenging and more importantly there is a superb working environment.

There is a great atmosphere at Caterpillar both in the workplace and outside of it. As you join the scheme at the same time as the other graduates there is a large group of you. You all get to know each other and there is an excellent social side to life here. Caterpillar’s global presence is emphasised by the fact that there are amazing opportunities to both travel and live in different parts of the world.

Since completion of the graduate scheme, I have been involved in performance and emissions working on the c4.4 and Tier 3 calibrations. This involved supporting the factory with the increase in production. I then moved into a Emission Systems Integration group as an Application Engineer for after-treatment, part of the Tier 4 interim. I worked with the hydraulic excavator based in Japan, to integrate after-treatment into their machines. This meant I was working in projects from Peterborough to Mossville, U.S.

Two years ago I had the opportunity to move overseas. I now live in Japan supporting the prototypes and builds of a new system. My role now is as a technical liaison between the engine rooms. I’m part of a team with the local engineers integrating the new technology of the engines into the excavators.