Working Well with Robots and Humans at the Delta International Exchange Program

Bangkok, Thailand, September 29, 2022- Thai engineering students looking to learn robotics and industrial automation can take advantage of training and internship opportunities offered by Delta Electronics Thailand. In addition to the Delta Automation Academy, Thai engineering talents also can join the annual Delta International Exchange for world-class training at Delta factories in Thailand or Taiwan.

Although COVID-19 travel restrictions have limited some work abroad activities, our 2022 class was able to learn and train in an international environment at Delta’s Thailand plants. Today we talk with three smart and practical Thai engineering students Thaninrath Thiraphotiwat, Chitchanok Promdan and Jintapan Luechapongtip (from left and right in the above photo), about their experiences with the Delta Thailand International Exchange Program.

Please tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from? What are you studying, and why did you choose this major/field of study?

Thaninrath: I’m from Bangkok, Thailand and I’m studying Robotics and AI Engineering at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL). I want to study and develop in this field because I’ve always been interested in robotics and in the present age AI plays a more important role in our daily lives.

Chitchanok: I am from Pathumthani Province, Thailand and I’m currently enrolled in KMITL as well at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering. My major is Production Design and Materials Engineering. I live in a campus dorm and go home on weekends.

I chose to study in this field because I had taken courses that piqued my interest in it. This major covers a broad range of topics that can be expanded on in a variety of ways in the future.

Jintapan: I’m studying at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) at the Institute of Field Robotics (FIBO). My major is Robotics and Automation Engineering. When I was young, I watched a documentary about the industry and played mechanical games.

Then when I was in middle school, I chose to enter a vocational school based on my preferences for programming and electronics. I found that the field of robotics and automation encompasses all my preferences.

How did you find out about the Delta International Exchange program, and why did you join?

Thaninrath: I found this program on Delta Electronics Thailand’s official Facebook page. I chose this project because I was interested in studying through work and doing an exchange in multilingual and international corporate culture at Delta Electronics.

Chitchanok: I found an ad for this program on my department’s Facebook page. After reading the program details, it seemed to be a very interesting program where I could improve my abilities in both soft and hard skills.

I applied online and contacted Delta HR for more details. After two weeks, I did an online interview with the Delta Plant 1 engineering manager and I was then invited to join the program.

Jintapan: I heard about this program from my Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) professor who learned about programming in industrial systems and various equipment from Delta. He shared information with me about the Delta International Exchange Program.

How long is your internship at Delta?

All: Our internship at Delta is for 6 months. From June 1 2022-Nov 30 2022. For the first two months, we work to support our teams and then we spend two months in a specialized training course and for the last two months, we work on real projects.

What are your main roles as a Delta Thailand Intern, and what is the most interesting part of your work?

Thaninrath: I’m doing my internship at the Automation Engineering (AE) department at Delta Plant 3. I’m most interested in machine parts design for automation and circuit design.

Chitchanok: I’m training at Delta Plant 1 as an EV Industrial Engineer. I am responsible for timing observation on the onboard charger assembly line. I use a stopwatch to measure the cycle times both between workstations and the entire line of 11 workstations. I also update the Operation Instructions (OI) online.

Working in real-life situations is the most interesting aspect of my job. Communication and coordination with others are key to improving human relations at work. I communicate with my manager and the nine engineers on my team. On the production line, I talk with operators and learn about their processes to help me better optimize the OI.

Jintapan: I’m training in the R&D and AMBU Engineering at Delta Plant 5. The most interesting parts of my work are PLC programming and machine design to support factory production. To do this work, I must know what precautions should be taken and what steps must be taken in the entire production process.

What are the most valuable skills you are gaining from your internship at Delta Thailand, and how will they help you in your future career?

Thaninrath: I think it’s the skills for working with people of different ages and time management or planning.

Chitchanok: One of the most valuable skills I gained here is communication with people of different generations. My supervisor is in his 40s and our team of nine people is of different ages and five are women.

So this experience has helped me improve my interpersonal skills which will be very useful in my future work or even in communicating well with others in society who are different.

Jintapan: I think it is the soft skills needed to adapt to a diverse organizational culture. Here our work requires a lot of caution because the machines assembled by my department will be used to develop our factory production. We cannot have any errors in our entire work process.

How is your supervisor supporting your internship experience, and what are you learning about working with others?

Thaninrath: My supervisor helps me to study the work process on our team and at other plants. I have the chance to do some work outside my main scope and I learned how to teamwork and do work planning involving other departments.

Chitchanok: My supervisor helps me with my work by delegating tasks that allow me to gain experience and skills while working with others, which is the most important aspect of my job. I get the responsibility to complete tasks and find my own way to succeed in our mission. My supervisor also follows up and I can ask anything at any time.

Working with others has taught me that I must listen to other people’s opinions while also having the courage to express my own ideas. I get one-on-one training and can consult my teammates anytime. Sometimes I get to join the daily standup at the production line to observe the routine operations.

Jintapan: My supervisor helped me a lot in planning our project process and my co-workers also helped teach me some things that weren’t covered in my university classes such as the techniques of assembling, various operational precautions and safety practices in the factory.

What do you recommend other students do to prepare for an internship and work in a factory?

Thaninrath: I recommend studying and seeing what kind of work you want to work in and how to prepare to use English every day for conversation, reports and presenting.

Chitchanok: Before starting an internship, I would recommend preparing yourself to work under real-world time and social pressures. In addition, review the basic knowledge required to work in your field. Work study is the field of studying operation and process times by key performance indices. This is a basic part of manufacturing and engineering work that emphasizes on empiric observation of procedures and time. You also need to observe safety practices and master basic electrical skills.

Jintapan: Delta is an industrial manufacturing company. If you have relevant knowledge before joining then it will be easier to work with your team. You’ll understand your work better such as programming, basic electrical work, mechanical processes and especially industrial operations knowledge.

What do you find unique about Delta Thailand?

Thaninrath: I feel it is a company that cares a lot about clean energy. This is what I find most unique about Delta Thailand.

Chitchanok: Working here has taught me to arrive at work early in the morning at 7:00 and start on time at 7:40. Everyone is constantly rushing to meet the needs of our clients in a timely manner.

Delta’s factories also use renewable energy which I think is a good idea for saving the planet and it saves costs for the company too. The working environment is green which is good.

Jintapan: Delta Thailand is a company that uses clean energy from the environment and has a green building which is why the head office received the LEED Gold award in 2017.

What are the most important factors for you when choosing a company to work at after graduation?

Thaninrath: I look at the work environment along with company benefits and salary. This includes the distance from home to the company and how to get there.

Chitchanok: The most important factors in choosing a workplace after I graduate are a green and clean working environment, people working well together with kindness and not pressuring each other but sharing ideas openly together. Of course, salary matters.

Jintapan: The most important factors for me are salary, welfare, work duties and career position progression.

Can you share your next plans and do you have any ideas to make the internship experience better?

Thaninrath: I plan to work here first to gain experience and after that, I plan to pursue a master’s degree.

Chitchanok: To improve the internship experience we should accept differences in generations, listen to other opinions and don’t make decisions based on emotion.
When in doubt or if you have a question, ask immediately to gain a better understanding of the work. I want to study abroad in the logistics industry in Europe and if that isn’t possible I plan to work at Delta to learn more.

Jintapan: I would like to learn about my work and related departments more deeply so I can understand the overall work process. In time, perhaps I will discover my personal preferences or abilities are better suited to other jobs.

Work with robots and humans at Delta
Are you an automation Thai engineering student who wants to deepen your understanding of automation in production processes while learning how to work in a team? Find out more about the Delta International Intern Exchange Program from our Delta Thailand Careers Page or contact our HR today.