Bsc/Msc: Internship Mechanical Engineering - Optomechanical design of a paper protrusion sensor

Canon Production Printing is offering a BSc/MSc internship in Mechanical Engineering focused on the optomechanical design of a paper protrusion sensor.

Are you a mechanical engineering student with an interest in optics and precision design? Do you want to contribute to the development of new sensor technology for high-end printers? We are looking for you!

Your assignment

Within Canon Production Printing, a new concept is being developed to measure paper protrusion on a transport belt inside a printer. Such protrusions can lead to print quality issues or even damage to the printheads and therefore need to be detected reliably and accurately.

The goal of this assignment is to further develop a concept in which optical measurement is used to detect height variations in paper sheets. The optical and electronic principles are already largely defined, but the optomechanical implementation and algorithms for height determination are still under development. You will translate this concept into a robust and feasible optomechanical design.

The assignment focuses on designing the positioning and integration of the light source and sensor. You will investigate how the illumination should be positioned relative to the sensor and establish the relationship between the captured image and the paper topology.

In addition, you will analyse the sensitivity of the system to mechanical tolerances and alignment errors. You will determine the required positioning accuracy to achieve the desired measurement performance. You will also assess what measurement accuracy can be achieved with the chosen concept and which design parameters influence this. Based on these insights, you will develop a well-founded optomechanical design, including a tolerance chain analysis. Depending on progress, building a proof-of-concept or test setup may be part of the assignment.

Your profile

• You are studying Mechanical Engineering (TU BSc) or a related field
• You have an interest in optics and precision mechanics
• You have strong analytical and structured working skills
• You have affinity with tolerances, design, and modeling
• Knowledge of optical systems or measurement techniques is a plus

What’s in it for you?

• A challenging assignment with skilled coaching
• Internship/ Graduation compensation of €500,- per month
• Travel cost compensation if you don’t have an ‘OV-weekcard’
• The possibility to network with professionals inside and outside your field of expertise, thanks to our diversity of disciplines which you will work with

About Canon Production Printing

We develop and manufacture high-tech printing products and workflow software for the commercial printing market as part of Canon, a global leader in imaging technologies. With around 3,300 employees across three continents and our headquarters in Venlo, the Netherlands, we innovate to create high-quality solutions. Guided by the philosophy of Kyosei—living and working together for the common good—our culture is built on openness, collegiality, trust and stability. We empower our people to grow, take initiative, and make an impact.