Mannheim, October 23, 2024
Jakob Graf is on an integrated degree program at Caterpillar Energy Solutions. In his free time, he enjoys working on an unusual university project. As part of the CURE Mannheim Formula Student team of the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW), the mechanical engineering student designs a racing car to run against other students in international competitions.
Hands-on approach of integrated degree program in mechanical engineering
21-year-old Graf is currently in his 4th semester of mechanical engineering at the DHBW. Within the framework of his integrated degree program, he alternates between the practical training he receives at Caterpillar Energy Solutions and classes at the DHBW. “Since I really enjoy a hands-on approach, I opted for the integrated degree program in mechanical engineering at Caterpillar Energy Solutions”, explains Jakob Graf. “An outstanding aspect of my day-to-day work is that I am involved in international projects at an early stage and have already been able to gain a lot of valuable experience.”
Global student design competition
Graf has been a member of the CURE Mannheim Formula Student team at the DHBW since October 2022. Since November 2023, he has served as Technical Project Manager. The team comprises more than 70 students from 20 degree programs. Every year, the CURE (Cooperative University Racecar Engineering) Mannheim team develops a racing car to run against other students in Formula Student competitions. Formula Student is an international design competition in which student teams from all over the world take part with their custom-built racing cars. Following the extensive development of the design by the students, the components for the planned racing car are manufactured. “As soon as the first components arrive at the workshop, they are gradually assembled and tested for function”, says Graf. “Starting in April, we will go down to the test track to see how fast we can drive the disciplines to be completed.”
This year, the CURE Mannheim team participated in the international races with the vehicle from the last season. “For this season, we had set ourselves some ambitious goals, and wanted to enter the race with a dramatically different concept”, explains Graf. “Based on a risk analysis, we decided to wait another year before we take this major development step, so we took part in the races with ‘Rennate’, last year’s vehicle.”
Racing car parts manufactured in Caterpillar Energy Solutions training workshop
Various components for the racing car of the CURE Mannheim team were manufactured in the Caterpillar Energy Solutions training workshop. “In the training workshop, we manufactured about 80 small aluminum components for our racing car”, says Graf. “The components were then used for the assembly of the car’s wishbones.”
Switzerland, Croatia, and Italy—these were the countries where the CURE Mannheim team made its pit stops to compete against other Formula Student participants with its racing car “Rennate” in 2024. In the competitions, the vehicle was driven by the students themselves. “The drivers are selected using various criteria and introduced to the vehicle in testing sessions”, says Graf.
Focus on fun and teamwork
What Graf especially likes about his work in the CURE Mannheim team is the close cooperation with his fellow students. He says: “The team evenings and the many meetings on technical and organizational topics allow you to spend a lot of time with other students, resulting in many close friendships.” In his work as the team’s Technical Project Manager, Graf was able to make use of the practical experience he gained at Caterpillar Energy Solutions. “Through my work on international projects at Caterpillar Energy Solutions, I have gained valuable experience in cooperating with various people and in the project management”, says Graf. “This knowledge helps me greatly in my duties in the CURE Mannheim team.”
Apart from the integrated degree program in mechanical engineering, Caterpillar Energy Solutions also offers other integrated degree programs, e.g. in the fields of business engineering, integrated engineering, and electrical engineering. Moreover, the company offers apprenticeships in mechatronics, industrial mechanics, business administration, and warehousing.
Further information on the range of apprenticeships offered by Caterpillar Energy Solutions and free posts is available here: https://caterpillar-energy-solutions.de/en/jobs-career/junior-staff/