Caterpillar Inc.

Corporate Engineering Internship - Aftertreatment Systems

Objective

During Summer 2026, I spent 12 weeks interning on the Aftertreatment Systems Team in the Industrial Power Systems Division - Large Engines at Caterpillar. Going into this internship, my goal was to learn as much as possible, developing hands-on engineering skills as well as professional skills and making meaningful contributions to my team.

Outcome

I grew so much as an engineer and as a professional over the course of this internship. On the engineering side, I learned what it means to be in a design engineering role, use industry grade software, and work with multiple suppliers. More generally, I gained experience balancing multiple long-term projects, presenting my work to cross-functional teams, and being a part of a large, global company.

Project 1: New Product Introduction (NPI)

Project Overview: Selected the optimal joint design for a new aftertreatment product following the Six Sigma DMAIC methodology

Define Stage:

  • Defined critical Voice of Customer (technical) and Voice of Business (commercial) specifications for the new joint

  • Identified 20+ solutions (clamps, flanges, etc.) through research, discussions with suppliers, and internal conversations

  • Selected the 6 strongest contenders to move forward with for further analysis

Measure Stage:

  • Defined critical Voice of Customer (technical) and Voice of Business (commercial) specifications for the new joint

  • Identified 20+ solutions (clamps, flanges, etc.) through research, discussions with suppliers, and internal conversations

  • Selected the 6 strongest contenders from the solution pool and measured/gathered all VOC and VOB specifications for each one

Analyze Stage:

  • Compared each specification for each joint design against the pre-defined requirements, ranking them on a scale from 1-5

    • 1 = Does not meet requirement, strong cause of concern

    • 5 = Exceeds requirement, high confidence in solution

  • Selected 2 solutions (same joint style, different suppliers) to move forward into the testing phase

  • Held a team design review to present my findings and being planning for simulation and testing

Over the course of my internship, I was only able to complete the first three stages of the process, but I worked with a coworker at the end of the summer to hand off the project and ensure that it was successfully seen through.

Project 2: Cost Reduction

Project Overview: Identified over $100K/year in cost savings by developing a commonized bracket design and performing should-cost analysis to inform supplier re-sourcing decisions

Bracket Simplification:

  • Original project scope: Investigate brackets used to mount differential pressure sensors across various aftertreatment products and determine whether slight changes could be made to their designs to reduce mounting complexity

  • Recognized a opportunity to potentially commonize brackets across multiple aftertreatment products due to similarity of sensor placement and orientation

  • Developed a simplified bent bracket to be used across 3 different products, increasing the project’s estimated cost reduction from $15K/year to $60K+/year

aPriori Re-Sourcing Evaluation:

  • Performed should-cost analysis on 20+ aftertreatment parts to compare against their current prices and advise upon whether or not the part should be considered for re-sourcing with a new supplier

  • Compared multiple manufacturing methods for 10+ parts to determine the optimal process, and therefore the optimal supplier, for each one

Project 3: Competitive Analysis

Project Overview: Coordinate planning, testing, and data collection for a benchmarking study of 3 competitive aftertreatment systems to inform new product development

Define Stage:

  • Coordinated 2 viewing sessions for the competitive systems, collecting insights from 15+ engineers across multiple teams

  • Synthesized research, data, and these inputs into a comprehensive technical report

  • Developed a testing plan, delegated tasks across team members, and tracked process and complied results in a master spreadsheet

Other Highlights!

Skills

  • CAD Modeling & Simulation (Creo)

  • Cost Reduction

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Technical Documentation

  • Attending and participating in a VA/VE Cost Reduction event with a Tier 1 Supplier in Seward, NE

  • Volunteer Day at Camp Wokanda with the New Technology & Aftertreatment Systems Team

  • Volunteer Day at Habitat for Humanity with the Industrial Power Systems Division interns

  • Visits to multiple Caterpillar manufacturing and distribution facilities

  • Hikes, cookouts, trivia, and game nights with other interns!

Next

Experimental Internal Combustion Engine Evaluation