R&D Co-Op - Aston, PA

Company Overview: FXI is a leading producer of foam innovation in the Bedding, Furniture, Industrial, Home & Office, Healthcare, and Transportation markets. We have made it our mission to provide tailored solutions that delight our customers and consumers. With our corporate headquarters, high-tech research and development facility, and multiple manufacturing locations in North America, FXI has built a culture of innovation and achievement that is recognized by customers, suppliers and peers. Our products include finished goods, sub-assemblies, services, and raw materials for OEMs, fabricators, and retailers. You will find FXI's foam innovations inside, around, and under yourself in countless applications. Everywhere foam goes, FXI's innovations lead the way! Won't you join us?

Position Overview: Our R&D group handle s everything from new polymer development, product design, root cause analysis of quality issues, to even analytical analysis of materials and test development. The role of R&D Co-op will start with expo sure to all of these areas of w ork and will follow with a focused project tailored to the student's interests. In general, this position will require the student, under the guidance of a senior scientist/engineer, to: Synthesize polyurethane foam from base chemicals and explore
formulation development Proce ss and test the resulting foam samples for relevant material properties Fabricate the foam into parts and products for further evaluation
and testing Analyze raw materials and foam using various instruments, such as DMA, FTIR, SEM Execute technical service requests from the commercial and quality
teams. These requests will range from root cause analysis to identification of materials Perform chemical formulation scale-up testing on our pilot plants Potential
projects for the R&D Co-op include: Develop novel reaction chemistries to incorporate other polymers, such a s siloxane s, into the urethane network Analyze foams
using a variety of instruments to determine the cause of several historical material defects for product improvement and faster formulation development in the future
Explore unique surface treatments to improve foam properties, such as wettability Develop next generation water filtration foams for bio-trickling filtration processes
Design innovative products based on recently developed foams for untapped markets Re formulation of legacy foams to improve material properties and reduce
chemical costs

Responsibilities:

• Assist with Daily Operations:
  
  
  
  • Support department activities and tasks as directed.
  • Help with administrative duties such as data entry, filing, and document preparation.
  
  
  
  
• Project Support:
  
  
  
  • Assist with ongoing projects and contribute to project goals.
  • Perform research and analysis to support project objectives.
  
  
  
  
• Collaboration:
  
  
  
  • Work closely with team members to complete assigned tasks.
  • Participate in meetings and contribute ideas and feedback.
  
  
  
  
• Reporting and Documentation:
  
  
  
  • Prepare and maintain reports and documentation as required.
  • Assist in organizing and updating departmental records and files.
  
  
  
  
• Learning and Development:
  
  
  
  • Attend training sessions and workshops as needed.
  • Seek feedback and actively work on personal and professional development.
  
  
  
  

Recommended Qualifications:

• Notions of physics, chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, or mechanical engineering strongly preferred Laboratory environment experience
• Familiarity with mechanical equipment, such as band saws and drills
• Strong work ethic, punctual, and self-motivated Proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel
• Preferred Majors: Eng. - Chemical Engineering, Eng. - Materials Engineering, Eng. - Mechanical Engineering, Arts & Sci. - Chemistry
• Level(s) of Experience Sought:
  
  
  
  • Beginner - Limited or no previous w ork experience /first Co-op
  • Intermediate - Some related w ork or volunteer experience/second Co-op
  • Advanced - Previous related w ork experience /final Co-op