Nordson
We engineer, manufacture and market differentiated products used for dispensing adhesives, coatings, sealants, biomaterials and other materials
Our Scholarships
Placement Location
Southampton, Colchester or Aylesbury
Type of Placements Offered
• Summer placements only
Restrictions/Notes
No first year students
2024/25 Scholarships
One new scholarship
Who we are and what we do
Nordson Corporation delivers precision technology solutions to help customers succeed worldwide. We engineer, manufacture and market differentiated products used for dispensing adhesives, coatings, sealants, biomaterials and other materials; for fluid management; for test and inspection; and for UV curing and plasma surface treatment.
Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, USA, we have operations and support offices in more than 30 countries.
The UK based Test and Inspection division has a strong portfolio of award winning products for destructive and non-destructive mechanical testing and inspection of electronic components.
With its self-contained R&D facilities in Colchester and Southampton, and manufacturing site in Aylesbury, Nordson DAGE has developed world-leading products for testing wire bonds on semiconductor packages such as BGA, Chip Scale Packages (CSP) and other electronic components, and an excellent suite of award-winning X-ray inspection equipment targeted at both the Semiconductor and PCBA markets.
In 2020, Nordson acquired vivaMOS, which became part of the Test and Inspection division within Nordson’s Advanced Technology Solutions segment.
What you could be doing during your work placement
You will be gaining work experience in semiconductor design, electronics design, and testing, and new product development (CMOS image sensors, X-ray Tube systems and wire bond test systems).
Meet one of our Scholars
Name: Will
Sponsor: Nordson
University: University of Southampton
Degree Course: MEng Electronic Engineering
Why I chose Electronics
Leaving school, I wanted to study product design. I was interested in the design of smartphones and other consumer electronics, but eventually found them far more complex than I had imagined. I realised that I would need to study electronic engineering to start designing and building similar devices. Since then, my horizons have broadened quite significantly.
Why I chose Nordson
Like most people, I had never heard of Nordson before applying. Upon researching the firm, I quickly realised the importance Nordson plays as a supplier of precision manufacturing and testing equipment, and thought that if I were able to intern there, my work could have enormous scope in its use in industry. Upon working here, I understand this to be indubitably true.
My Work and Responsibilities
I have interned for two years at Nordson. In my first year, I was responsible for writing tests for X-Ray sensor PCBs, and in my second year I have been writing VHDL as part of an image processing module for an X-Ray sensor. I have found the work mentally challenging, and excellent in improving my understanding of complexity, and how things work in industry.
My Interests
Outside of my work and university, I run the university paintball society. It’s more of a sporting society where we compete against other universities throughout the year, and against other teams during the summer. Otherwise, I am interested in photography, and whilst my interests change, I currently prefer shots that involve dynamic perspectives of architecture and urban environments.
Meet one of our Engineers
Name: Agnes
Job Title: Electronics Design Engineer
Why I chose my degree?
Growing up, I had no idea what career I’d want to pursue. I was good at science and maths and enjoyed practical work much more than theory – so some sort of engineering was what I expected to be doing, but nothing could hold my attention long enough. That is, until one day in physics class the topic of electronics was introduced, and something just clicked. Electronics is everywhere – we take it for granted that things work but I was fascinated by the how.
Why Nordson?
I joined a small start-up, vivaMOS, as a summer intern through the UKESF Scholarship Scheme. This company has since been acquired by Nordson, but the way my team works remains the same.
What caught my eye before I decided to apply was the product. I was, and still am, interested in medical electronics, so working with x-ray detectors seemed like the perfect way to get a foot in the door. Then, during my internship, I was given a task that allowed me to add some real value to an important project. The test suite I created as an intern is still being used by Production 3.5 years later!
After finishing university, I decided to return to Nordson as a graduate electronics engineer to complete a 2-year-long rotation. This decision was affected by the good experiences during my internship and the mentoring I received, in addition to the plenty of options for personal and professional development. I took on my current role after completing the rotation.
What do I do?
As an electronics design engineer in a small R&D team, I am involved in all sorts of activities. These include PCB design and debugging, IC design, firmware, embedded software, application software, as well as testing. The area I’m working on any given week changes with the progress of our running projects and depends on where the extra hand is needed.
Regularly switching up my tasks allows me to continuously develop my experience and keep my knowledge fresh. I enjoy working in each of these areas and could not commit to a single one to spend the rest of my career on – this way I get to keep my options open and can still choose to specialise later on.