There’s a science to packaging products, and Michelle Burnham, newly appointed design engineer at Standard-Knapp in Portland, has a solid handle on it.
Burnham has had a hankering to be an engineer since she was seven, with a brief consideration for architecture. Tinkering around in her grandfather’s workshop (he is also an engineer) since she could barely see over the counter, Burnham followed his advice when he said, “You should be an engineer some day.”
“When I was younger taking classes in high school it was difficult because I was usually the only girl and the same was true in college, but I never let that affect my decision to continue on,” said Burnham, who graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2000 with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and metallurgy.
Today at Standard-Knapp, Burnham, 30, works in the tray packing division, creating new trays and packaging options for clients that roll out new bottle designs, for example (think: those cardboard bottled water trays that are covered in tough plastic).
Burnham said one of the most difficult aspects of her job is finding cost effective solutions.
“It’s a balance of cost verses benefit when new technology comes to market. Frequently, it is expensive until it gets into products where demand begins to drive the cost down,” she said.
Burnham chose to exercise her skills at Standard-Knapp after more than six years at Gerber Technology as a mechanical engineer. She chose her new digs for the environment and the manufacturing aspect, but also because it’s a U.S.-based company.
“Coming from an international company before Standard-Knapp, I’ve seen how time differences, work schedules and work ethics at times can conflict across continental barriers and can affect new product designs and time to market,” said Burnham, who participated in a job swap at Gerber in Denmark for three months, including a nine city tour from Italy to the U.K. “I’ve also seen how business trends have moved to the Asian market and how, as a design engineer, other countries don’t necessarily respect the ability to uphold patents and proprietary material.”
Amanda Blaszyk is a staff writer for the Hartford Business Journal.
