Polymer Composites Intern

Lyten•San Jose, CA

5d•$25 - $32•Onsite

About The Position

This Polymer Composites Intern will support active filament development, product improvement, manufacturing follow-up, and customer-facing print validation efforts. The intern will help generate consistent data across multiple material lots and manufacturing conditions, helping the team better understand the relationship between filament quality, printability, and mechanical performance.

Requirements

Currently pursuing a Bachelors degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field.
Preferred academic standing: rising junior, rising senior, or graduate student.
Coursework in materials science, polymers, composites, mechanical testing, manufacturing, statistics, or additive manufacturing is preferred.
Hands-on laboratory, engineering project, research, or coursework experience.
Basic understanding of engineering materials, mechanical properties, or polymer/composite behavior.
Ability to follow written procedures, collect data carefully, and document observations clearly.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or similar tools for organizing and analyzing data.
Strong attention to detail, safety awareness, and willingness to work hands-on in a lab environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience with FDM/FFF 3D printing.
Experience printing or testing engineering polymers, nylon, carbon fiber reinforced materials, or composite materials.
Familiarity with mechanical testing methods such as tensile, flexural, impact, or compression testing.
Experience with basic dimensional measurement tools such as calipers, micrometers, or optical measurement systems.
Exposure to data analysis, basic statistics, Python, JMP, Minitab, or similar tools.
Experience documenting experimental work in lab notebooks, test reports, or technical presentations.

Responsibilities

Print standardized 3D printed test coupons using reinforced polymer filament materials.
Record and track print parameters, including nozzle temperature, bed temperature, chamber conditions, print speed, orientation, drying conditions, and other relevant variables.
Document printability observations such as feeding behavior, bed adhesion, warpage, surface quality, dimensional consistency, and print defects.
Characterize filament quality attributes such as filament diameter consistency, ovality, surface appearance, brittleness, spool quality, and general handling behavior.
Support mechanical testing of printed coupons, including tensile, flexural, impact, or other relevant tests as directed by the team.
Organize and analyze data to compare filament lots, print conditions, and resulting mechanical performance.
Help identify trends between filament attributes, processing behavior, and printed part properties.
Summarize findings and provide recommendations for QC methods, product improvement, and future testing.
Maintain clear documentation in lab notebooks, spreadsheets, test summaries, and final presentation materials.
Follow all applicable safety procedures and maintain a clean, organized lab and printing workspace.