My placement at Labman went from May 2025 until January 2026. I moved to North Yorkshire from Scotland, so for 8-months I lived and breathed Labman. It can be uncomfortable starting fresh in a foreign land with no familiar faces. On my very first day I was welcomed with a barbeque by the other residents of the staff accommodation.
Its enormous kitchen was home to countless group meals as well as weekend projects. The convenience of Labman’s workshop being a 4-minute drive away resulted in some interesting activities. One Saturday we woke up and decided to make scrap aluminium into a shawarma rack. Another time we pressed our own tortilla’s flat using the hydraulic press.
For Christmas, we hosted half of Labman for dinner. Everyone brought something and made for a very special meal together. Labman also held a bake-off resulting in Movitz and I staying up until 3am baking doughnuts and cake. Just to wake up at 7 again to decorate them before work.
Much to the despair of Kieran whose room was in hearing distance of the kitchen, weekends also started early with me loudly kneading sourdough on the kitchen counter. Sourdough bread was not safe from Labman’s workshop either. During the placement, I learnt how to throw pottery, spun a humongous Dutch oven, let it bone dry for 3 months, took up the whole furnace to bisque fire and glaze. All just to bake some larger loaves of bread. Labman’s pottery shed kept me late into the evenings. This not only taught me a new skill but built many friendships along the way. I don’t know if Fiona and Jonny would say the same though. Not after all the clay and space my massive pot consumed. I’m sure my friends and family appreciate all the clutter nice gifts I brought back.
Between eating, throwing pots and drinking coffee I did do the occasional bit of “my job” as well. Luckily the work was always interesting thanks to being in concept development. Early on, Jamie tasked me with validating the performance of Labman’s next product. In other words, I got to play with high-speed cameras all day. The SD card will still be inside it if anyone wants to see me getting slapped in 5000 frames per second.
Everyone knows R&D is crucial for a company’s growth and yet we were a team of just four for most of my time there. Even with the added stress of proving relevance, without the budget or the team, Sam and Tom still made time to help me with my project. MiniCapper formed the basis of what I reckon is the most expensive dissertation my university has ever seen. If the cost of time and custom parts alone wasn’t enough to impress, the attention to detail which Sam instilled on me will have done.
Early on, Sam had to explain to me why washers have a correct orientation because I didn’t believe he wasn’t hazing me. I kept an eye out for anyone laughing as I reassembled a whole system with the washer’s shiny side up. This level of excellence was maintained all the way throughout my project when it took three CAD reviews to get my design approved to be machined. All said and done, I am thankful for this as it resulted in an incredible final design which I am very proud of. I look forward to seeing how MiniCapper performs when it’s submodules are finished development.
During Labman’s long lunches, if I wasn’t writing my dissertation, I was partaking in yoga, CrossFit or running clubs. These societies supplemented my training leading up to a fight I had at the end of my placement. In a job where performance is driven by brainpower, fighting sports are controversial. Yet Labman was not only supportive but encouraged it as well.
If you want an internship that will accelerate your growth as an engineer, Labman is your place. Any other intern’s blog will tell you that though. The point I am trying to convey is, Labman will embrace you into their family, support things you are passionate about and stay fun while doing so.
Thanks to Labman’s culture and values, I have made friends and memories which I will have for life. Free coffee is great as well.