About this role
Heat Treat Straightening & Dimensional Control Engineering Intern
Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry | Manitowoc, WI | Paid, 12–14 weeks, May/June to August 2027 | Day shift, 6 am – 2:30 pm
About Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry
Since 1909, Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry (WAF) has made aluminum, brass and bronze castings for customers with the toughest requirements: heavy-duty truck, automotive, marine, agriculture, defense and medical. Our Manitowoc foundry runs permanent mold, low pressure, green sand and air set processes, then heat treats, machines and finishes in-house. Our interns don't shadow. They own a real project, work alongside engineers and operators on the floor, and present measurable results to leadership at the end of the summer.
Castings move during heat treat. Your job is to get them back in spec. You'll design the straightening process, connect it to machining results, and tighten it until parts come out right the first time.
What you'll do:
- Design and implement hydraulic straightening for heat-treated castings
- Read dimensional scans and CMM data to see where and how much parts move
- Tie machining results back to our straightening fixtures to find what's driving out-of-spec parts
- Improve fixtures, setups and methods so parts need less rework
- Make the straightening process safer and less dependent on operator feel
- Present your results and recommendations to WAF leadership in August
What you'll deliver:
By the end of the summer, you'll report:
- Scrap dollars saved from fewer out-of-spec parts
- Time saved in heat treat and straightening per part or per shift
- Safety improvements to the straightening process
What you bring:
- Pursuing a degree in mechanical or manufacturing engineering
- Experience reading dimensional scans or inspection reports
- Working knowledge of GD&T
- Problem-solving ability: you dig into root cause, not just symptoms
- Attention to detail with measurements and tolerances
- Bonus: SolidWorks or fixture design experience, hydraulics coursework, or shop-floor experience
What you get:
- Paid, hands-on mechanical design work with results you can measure
- Real experience with heat treat, machining and dimensional quality in a production foundry
- A results story with real numbers for your next interview
- Mentorship from WAF engineers
Castings bend. You straighten the process. Apply at wafco.com/careers.