Stephen Jeffreys

What is the name of the company you work for and what do they do?

The Lubrizol Corporation is a technology driven company who formulate complex speciality chemicals for a wide variety of applications. Lubrizol’s products are being used worldwide and are making a real difference in the transportation, industrial and consumer markets. Lubrizol does not sell directly to the consumer so you may not have heard of them, but you will have heard of their customers such as BP, Castrol, Shell, VW and BMW.

What is your role within the company?

My role is working in the Tribology team as the Mechanical Engineering Research and Development Student.

A typical day on placement

A typical day involves: 

•    Interacting with others in the applied science department, commercial areas and other research groups. 
•    Completing high quality testing which is vital to Lubrizol projects.
•    Using my engineering knowledge and problem solving skills to analyse and process data to present work.

What are you enjoying the most and are you involved in any interesting projects? 

I am involved in a lot of engineering projects which are at the forefront of research in the fields of friction and wear relating to internal combustion engines.

Why did you want to undertake a year in industry?

The main reason that I wanted to undertake a placement year was to gain experience relevant to my degree and build on my CV for graduate opportunities.

What are you hoping to get out of this experience? 

In my third-year individual project at University, I completed a tribology-based project and became interested in developments of fuels and lubricants and how they could improve efficiency. Working with Lubrizol for a year; who are a technical leader in this industry, was a chance to improve my understanding of the subject further. On top of this, the experience was a chance to develop many skills including presentation and report writing.

Do you have any tips and advice to current students thinking of undertaking a year in industry?

To undertake one - a year in industry has improved many important skills that are vital for success as a future engineer.