Forestry Plant Automation

Fusion 360 BOM / Data AutoCAD Inventor

I interned at Roseburg Forest Products working on CAD, drafting, and automation tools used by the engineering team. My role centered on reducing repetitive work, improving consistency across drawings, and building tools that engineers with different workflows could actually use.

Role

Mechanical Engineering Intern

Goal

Reduce repetitive engineering work by turning common designs into reusable, consistent CAD workflows.

i Many deliverables are under NDA. This page uses non-sensitive artifacts while describing the real workflow and responsibilities.

Overview

The internship covered a mix of drafting, modeling, and automation. Early on, I focused on converting legacy 2D drawings into 3D CAD to make designs easier to understand, modify, and reuse. As I learned the company’s drawing standards and OSHA requirements, I started building automation tools that produced consistent outputs without redoing the same work each time.

Whiteboard walkthrough of plant layout, waste flow, and constraints (non-sensitive) — **Figure — System walkthrough (non-sensitive).** Early notes used to map flow, constraints, and interfaces. (Click image to expand.)

CAD Automation & Generators

A large part of my work was building parameter-driven generators in Inventor for structures like stairways and access platforms. These are repeated designs with small variations, so the goal was to generate accurate outputs from a short list of inputs.

What the generators did

Inputs: dimensions, heights, and configuration choices.
Outputs: 3D models, 2D drawings, BOMs, and load studies.
Standards: matched OSHA requirements and internal company drawing standards.

One of the generators was reviewed and redlined by a senior engineer using the 2D output and approved without changes. That review confirmed the automation matched how work was already being done by the team.

Evaporation Panel Cleaning System (Concept)

One non-sensitive project I can share is a concept developed with another intern and engineering staff for an evaporation panel cleaning system. The goal was to reduce buildup on heated plates by mechanically removing solids after evaporation, allowing material to be collected instead of hauled away.

Designed a tracked cleaning mechanism using corrosion-resistant components.
Focused on serviceability, wear compensation, and simple operation.
Concept work supported future development rather than immediate construction.

Evaporation panel cleaning system concept sketch (non-sensitive) — **Figure — Concept sketch.** Whiteboard layout used to communicate system ideas and constraints. (Click image to expand.)

Results

Converted legacy 2D drawings into 3D CAD for clarity and reuse.
Built Inventor generators that output drawings, BOMs, and load studies.
Produced AutoCAD drawings following OSHA and company drafting standards.
Contributed to non-sensitive system concepts with clear documentation.

Internship work artifact (non-sensitive) — **Figure — Internship artifact.** Representative non-sensitive work showing systems thinking. (Click image to expand.)

What I’d Change Next Time

Move some generator tools outside of Inventor so engineers without licenses can use them.
Add more automated checks to catch drawing or BOM issues earlier.
Make the cleaning system concept more adaptable to different environments.

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