Donaueschingen: Mandatory internship/thesis: Lean material flow in CNC manufacturing

Summer Semester 2026 – Fixed term of 6 months

YOUR TASKS:

• Analyze the current material flow in the CNC hall (as-is state) and identify bottlenecks, waste, and safety-relevant aspects.
• Develop a lean, end-to-end material flow concept for the entire hall based on Lean principles.
• Design concepts for floor markings, area labeling, and visual management standards.
• Define material supply and storage areas along the optimized material flow.
• Collaborate closely with production and logistics and actively involve relevant interfaces.
• Implement the developed concepts directly on the shop floor, test them, and refine them iteratively.
• Actively support a 5S initiative in the CNC hall.
• Optionally document your work as part of a thesis.

YOUR PROFILE:

• Enrolled in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Production Engineering, Logistics, Industrial Engineering, or a comparable field of study.
• Basic knowledge of Lean Management, ideally including 5S, Kaizen, or shop floor management.
• Basic understanding of manufacturing processes, preferably in a CNC environment.
• Initial experience with value stream mapping or layout planning is an advantage.
• Structured and analytical working style with a high level of initiative and execution strength.
• Enjoyment of hands-on work directly in a production environment.
• Strong communication skills and ability to coordinate across departments.
• Solution-oriented, pragmatic mindset and strong team spirit

Contact: Sarah Disch