How the work
came together.

Problem

Creating assembly work instructions manually required repetitive formatting, image placement, revision work, and quality checks. The process took engineering time without adding technical value.

Constraints

• Fit the company's existing Excel and PowerPoint workflow
• Preserve revision history
• Support varied assembly complexity and image counts
• Flag missing information before output

Engineering approach

I separated structured content from presentation. Engineers enter parts, equipment, steps, hazards, PPE, and revision information in Excel; Python validates the inputs, processes images, and assembles the presentation.

Key decisions

• Selectable 2-, 4-, or 8-step page layouts
• Custom PPE by assembly
• Revision history retained rather than overwritten
• Validation focused on actionable missing fields
• Standardized parent and subassembly references

Implementation

The application builds PowerPoint work instructions from structured worksheets and organized image folders. Layout logic keeps step text readable and images consistently placed while accommodating different instruction lengths.

What I learned

Useful automation must fit the engineer's real workflow. The biggest gains came from making the system flexible enough for different assemblies while keeping output predictable for operators.

Problem

Create a portable stand that lets an operator rotate a long square-ended key against deliberate resistance while keeping the mechanism stable, safe, and visually understandable for demonstrations.

Constraints

• Approximately 30 ft-lb target resistance
• Operator controls the top while the stand remains self-supporting
• Foldable or transportable frame
• Machinable parts and commonly available hardware
• Access for bearing service and preload adjustment

Bearing strategy

Two tapered roller bearings are arranged back-to-back so controlled axial preload can create resistive torque while supporting radial and moment loads. The cartridge includes shoulders for the cups and removable end retention.

Shaft & retention

The center shaft carries the rotating square interface and uses a threaded lower end for preload retention. The design work considers weldability, thread selection, locking hardware, and access after assembly.

Structure & ergonomics

An 80/20 aluminum-extrusion frame supports a separate standing platform and central torque cartridge. Custom joints, leg geometry, material choices, and trip hazards are being evaluated together rather than independently.

Next validation

After the tripod interface and purchased components are measured, the design needs tolerance confirmation, preload-to-torque testing, structural checks, and an operator stability trial. No finished-system result is claimed yet.

Problem

A newly introduced assembly needed a repeatable throttle test. A one-time PASS/FAIL indication was not enough; engineers also needed a useful record when failures recurred.

Constraints

• Offline Raspberry Pi operation
• Simple operator interaction
• Reliable electrical measurement
• Clear PASS/FAIL communication
• Persistent records without exposing test limits publicly

Test workflow

The interface guides login and test preparation, displays timed instructions, acquires measurements through the ADC, evaluates the captured range, and presents a clear result before optional label printing.

Traceability

Each test records timestamp, operator initials, result, measurement summary, and diagnostic fields in monthly CSV data. The purpose is not just record keeping—it is to make patterns easier to investigate.

Operator design

The testing view shows only the instructions and countdown needed at that moment. After the run, it transitions to result actions so the operator is not asked to interpret a cluttered screen.

What I learned

Production test systems sit between hardware, software, and human behavior. A technically correct measurement still fails if the operator sequence and engineering record are unclear.

Problem

Evaluate whether an autonomous mobile system could support environmental monitoring in cleanroom settings without compromising the requirements of the controlled environment.

Constraints

• Sterility-assurance and microbiology practices
• Cross-functional laboratory coordination
• Proof-of-concept hardware
• Clear, repeatable protocols
• Employer confidentiality

Protocol development

I helped convert broad technical questions into four defined studies covering particulate behavior, disinfection, robustness, and mobility. Each needed a repeatable method and a clear connection to project risk.

Execution & analysis

The first three protocols were executed and analyzed during the internship. Work required rapidly learning laboratory practices, coordinating resources, recording observations, and interpreting evidence at a proof-of-concept level.

Communication

The project included technical presentations and demonstrations for stakeholders with different backgrounds. Communicating the purpose, limitations, and next questions was as important as running the studies.

What I learned

Validation is a design activity. A strong protocol does more than generate data—it isolates the question, respects constraints, and gives the team a defensible basis for the next decision.

Problem

Advance a student nanofiber research effort for the Global Air Quality Trekkers team while preserving enough experimental context for each week's work to build on the last.

Archivist system

I documented weekly testing, summarized findings, and recorded recommendations for subsequent trials. This turned the archive into a research-planning tool rather than a passive log.

Technical work

I trained to operate the electrospinning equipment independently and supported the team's testing and material-production work while following laboratory safety procedures.

Leadership transition

As team lead, I organized research areas, member training, experiment coordination, and preparation for technical design reviews. The role combined laboratory work with project continuity.

Result & limit

The team successfully produced a sheet of nanofibers. It did not reach a completed air-quality product, so the value of the project is the research progress, documentation, and team capability—not a finished-device claim.

What I learned

Research teams move faster when results, unsuccessful trials, assumptions, and next questions are all preserved. Leadership often means building that system of continuity.