One team – Jared Branfman, a junior majoring in ceramic art in the School of Art & Design, and Matthew Loszynzki, a senior ceramic engineering major in the School of Engineering – spent their internship at Hall China.

Their assignment was to develop a procedure that would give the effect of decoration, without having to do a second firing.

The other team – Michael Hart, a Master of Fine Arts in ceramic art student, and Tom Lam, a senior ceramic engineering major – were assigned to develop a process control technique, using a thermographic imaging camera, for manufacture of glassware products that have a high loss rate due to cracking. They looked at whether the thermographic imaging camera was a useful tool in predicting what ware might fail, and offered suggestions to improve production and control methods for temperature-controlled processes. They worked at Fenton Glass.

Both firms considered the art-engineering interns a success, with George Fenton of Fenton Glass noting the experience was a value-added one for his company. “Without the addition of this team, we would never have set aside enough time to do a proper analysis of the camera,” he said. As an engineer, Lam did much of the data manipulation required, while Hart, with his experience in working with glass, “provided good insight into how the measurements and pictures related to the process.”

Hart also advised the company on development of handle designs and sample moulds, Fenton said.

“We were pleased with the work and the results of the interns from Alfred University and would be interested in being considered in the future for another team,” Fenton said.