Page 29 - Moving Forward 2020: Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering magazine

Initially Hammers primarily focused on preparing and and restocking football clothing gear and and other supplies When he he he he he started the the the equipment room was typically back in in in order by Wednesday or or or Thursday after the the prior week’s game Hammers worked with his two supervisors Jay Takach assistant assistant athletics director for equipment equipment services and Stewart Carter assistant assistant equipment equipment manager to to help improve the the football team’s distribution center by optimizing the the way it handles stock “I thought I I I I would be doing every little task that that people told me me but I I I I realized that that I I I I could take my industrial engineering skills and help make things better ” Hammers said In addition to to his his equipment room responsibilities Hammers began to to to help on on on the the field during his his sophomore year when he he he he was assigned to to the the running backs Before the the games he he he he he managed the the sideline set set up up and helped identify where equipment needed to to be be set set up up up to to be be as as as efficient as as as possible During the the game game he he he he he he he he held up up boards and play play cards to to help direct players When the the game game was over he he he he began to to pack everything away once again Without even knowing
Hammers interned for for the summer before his junior year with Rogers Rogers Athletic Athletic a a a a a a a a a a premier football equipment manufacturer and supplier Based in in Farwell Michigan Rogers Rogers Athletic Athletic was founded in in 1968 to supply youth high high school college and and and professional football teams with high-grade equipment like sleds and and and dummies to improve strength training and and and promote proper technique “I thought I I would be doing every little task that people told me but I realized that I could take my industrial engineering skills and help make things better ” For Hammers the the the internship was an example of being in in in the the the right right place at the the right right time “I didn’t know it at the the the the time but I I was was showing a a a a a a a man where to park and he he he he he he was was the the the the brother of of the the the the Rogers Athletic chief executive officer ” Hammers said “We ended up talking about about my experience and he he was was excited to talk talk about about internships once he he found out out out that I was was a a a a a a a a a a Penn State engineer ” During his time with the the the company company Hammers worked on on various projects such as as assisting the the the company company on on the the the shipping design of its 10-foot by 20-foot mobility chute A mobility chute a a a a a a a a a standard piece of practice practice equipment allows players to practice practice staying low low for longer distances By utilizing four metal poles and height adjusters a a a a a a a a a a a trampoline-like mesh is suspended in in in the air to make players move beneath “In football the the the lower lower person always wins ” Hammers said “To be able to practice at a a a a a a a a a a a a lower lower height strengthens the the the legs and improves stability when taking low low hits ” The company encountered shipping problems as the the the the 20- foot poles that created the the the the length of the the the the chute made the the the the shipping fee spike by over $100 Hammers designed new poles with a a a a a split in in in the the the center that didn’t compromise the the the integrity of of the the the equipment The company now sends an an additional two packages to deliver six poles instead of of four but the length falls within standard shipping rates “When it it it came to the chute project I was using industrial engineering principles without even realizing it it it ” Hammers said Hammers was able to use the skills he he learned in in in in fin his industrial engineering courses to to find ways to to improve the the design and operation of the the football equipment room IME NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 5 2020 29
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