As summer draws to a close, we’re saying goodbye to some of the brilliant interns who have spent the past year with us at Labman. Each of them has contributed to exciting projects, tackled tough technical challenges, and immersed themselves in the unique culture that makes Labman such a special place to work.
Dylan Corbishley
For Dylan, the past year has been nothing short of “an incredible experience.” He quickly noticed what many at Labman value most: the open and collaborative culture.
Everyone I’ve met embodies open and collaborative attitudes towards their work and it’s been a pleasure to learn from the talented engineers throughout the company. Everyone is always willing to lend a hand with your projects and offer thoughtful solutions to problems you are facing.
Dylan had the chance to get involved in a wide variety of work, from integrating new hardware into our codebase to leading the software development of an entire project. One of his biggest highlights was seeing a project through from the very first line of code to a successful customer installation overseas.
Starting with zero lines of code and ending with a successful installation of the system at the customer’s site abroad, I was able to experience every phase of deployment. Seeing the system move from development to real-world integration gave me invaluable insight into how Labman’s solutions directly impact clients.
Beyond project work, Dylan made the most of Labman’s lively societies, especially Lablaps, the sim racing league. “Although I was never the fastest,” he admits, “the energy and camaraderie made it something I looked forward to every morning.”
Reflecting on his internship, Dylan says:
The technical challenges I have overcome, and the level of autonomy and responsibility I have been given has far exceeded anything I could have expected from this role. I feel truly lucky to have been a part of this amazing company.
Rupert Pomroy
For Rupert, his year at Labman has been “a completely abstract experience to what I expected – in a good way!” Like Dylan, he quickly realised that being thrown into project work from day one was both daunting and rewarding.
From the first week, I was put straight into project work here, making mistakes and asking for help five times a day. Luckily people are really nice at Labman and are always willing to not only help, but teach! This is super valuable when you start and continues to be valuable, even at the end of my time here.
Rupert joined the University of Illinois project, working on a formulation system to characterise new materials for solar panels. His role evolved to include designing the Frontal Polymerisation subsystem – a complex piece of engineering that pushed his skills forward.
This design work was hugely beneficial to my learning as I got to work with far more experienced engineers. Especially, I’ve improved my design of parts for manufacture and now think more on how a module is assembled and wired up, not just its function.
While he’s sad not to see his design fully up and running before returning to university, Rupert is already looking forward to coming back next year as a graduate.
Outside of projects, Rupert threw himself into Labman’s social life, whether it was table tennis, football, or enjoying the legendary Labfest. “One of the best chicken burgers I’ve ever eaten!” he recalls.
Cole Roebuck
Cole joined Labman as a Robotics Engineer Intern over the summer, gaining hands-on experience across machining, pneumatics, and mechanical tasks. His time here was defined by practical learning and responsibility, as he explains:
My day-to-day work centred around a fully automated system developed for a customer, designed to analyse the stability of fluids, from uncapping the sample pots to washing the tools post-analysis. I played a key role in the assembly of the system and took ownership of several design modifications, giving me the perfect opportunity to put my SolidWorks skills to the test.
Cole highlights the support of the Labman team as a standout feature of his experience:
Throughout the process, I was supported by Labman’s friendly, knowledgeable, and always approachable team, making the learning experience both productive and genuinely enjoyable.
Outside of work, Cole also got stuck into the social side of life at Labman, from sharpening his pool shot to braving the bruises of Wednesday night football.
Mohammed Butt
For Mohammed, the past year has been both a professional and personal challenge:
The past year here at Labman has had me working hard and meeting people from all different areas of the business and playing harder in table tennis! Living away from home and managing my own time both in and out of work was quite the change from the university grind for the past 2 years over in Leeds.
He began by working in the Products Area and assisting with testing on a proof-of-concept paint spraying rig in R&D, which involved using a Mitsubishi arm with an atomiser to spray paints onto different materials. “It was fun prepping and setting off numerous runs,” he explains, “although my shoes and clothes weren’t as lucky as my respirator mask and gloves!”
Later in his placement, Mohammed became Mechanical Technician on a sample stability testing system for household products like detergents and fabric softeners. He built much of the system with the Project Lead, ordered and managed parts, and worked closely with machinists to learn how to design for manufacture.
It was a great opportunity to apply and build up my workshop skills, along with managing my time and tasks. The project team were wonderful to work with, and they were always willing to help me out, even with my mistakes (and copious amounts of sheet metal parts).
Outside of project work, Mohammed made the most of Labman’s culture, from the gym and arcade machines to setting up an ELO table tennis league.
Reflecting on the year, he says:
I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work at Labman for the past year. It has really helped me with learning what working in industry entails and what I need to work/focus on in the coming years.
Looking Ahead
Dylan, Rupert, Cole and Mohammed all leave with new skills, valuable experience, and memories of a year filled with collaboration, challenge and community. Their stories remind us of the impact internships can have – not just on career development, but on shaping confidence, friendships, and future opportunities.
We wish them every success in what comes next, and we’re especially excited to welcome Rupert back as a graduate in the near future!