Mentored by two senior engineers, I designed and conducted experiments to quantitatively study the performance of various hole threading techniques in additively manufactured polymer parts. In a separate, smaller project, I designed a mold for a silicone-rubber Part Incidental Damage (PID) protector, saving $12,000 in annual labor costs.
Internship
3 (myself and two mentors)
CAD (NX); Additive manufacturing (SLA, FDM, SLS); Technical writing; Experimental design and procedure
As a manufacturing engineering intern in Pratt & Whitney’s Additive Manufacturing R&D Lab, I led an initiative to further the lab’s understanding of threaded holes in polymer parts for use with fasteners. The team was interested in characterizing the polymer materials used in the lab; my job was to quantitatively determine which threading technique (e.g., printed threads, pre-threaded metal inserts, or manual tapping) is most appropriate for a given application. To investigate this, I designed and printed test parts for a range of materials and geometries. I created a database summarizing my findings, including A- and B-basis material allowables, confidence intervals for spinout & failure torques, media of trials & failure modes, and detailed design guides for internal use.
Unfortunately, as per the terms of my contract, I am unable to publish findings, media, or any further information about the context of this work.