An endless cycle of building, breaking, and fixing.
A proven track record of adapting theories into robust, innovative designs.
The following is a brief overview of my experience and projects. Feel free to contact me to connect or ask any questions!
ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE
Design in the Office.
DENSO International America, Inc.
Mechanical Co-op, Apprentice Design Engineer II
DENSO is one of the largest Tier 1 automotive suppliers that manufactures and sells air-conditioning, thermal, safety, electronic, and powertrain products. As part of the automotive climate control group at DENSO, I worked as an application design engineer where I had the opportunity to develop and test HVAC systems for General Motor's E2XX program. During the school year, I got a lot of experience with time management by balancing my time between a part-time position as a co-op, a full-time courseload, a student design team, and other activities/groups. It was my privilege to work at DENSO and take on challenging and rewarding opportunities that have proven invaluable towards my future engineering career.
• Design: Developed design reviews based on failure modes (DFMEA, DRBFM) and design verification reports (ADVP&R) to ensure that systems and components met design specifications and to identify potential points of failure. Led VAVE cost reduction and redesign opportunities. Modeled parts within Siemens NX and Teamcenter, and produced 3D printed models for prototype testing. Drafted GD&T drawings according to ASME-Y-14.5-2009.
• Project Management: Defined project timelines, coordinated with key players, and communicated project risks and intentions to management and executives. Participated in weekly PDT and development meetings. Worked with suppliers, manufacturing plants, and customers to validate and monitor over 30 different service parts in production. Developed a new LIN Step control box using Arduino and an accompanying operation manual for common prototype testing in the U.S. and China.
• Testing: System and component level testing, developing test plans based on DENSO and customer specifications. Verified blend door actuation using different temperature conditions, torque margins, and linkage grease. Examined air flow and thermal distribution for the entire HVAC assembly. Evaluated TXV valve sealing by simulating in-vehicle conditions and exposing the seal material to various compressor oils to check for adnormalities. Technician instruction and guidance.
• Analysis: Extracted root causes from warranty databases with 5000+ data entries using Excel and VBA in order to implement countermeasures. Located the in-vehicle center of mass for different HVAC programs using Siemens NX, VBA, and individual components. Created reports, presentation material, and performed data analysis as needed.
Read more about my experience at DENSO
May 2018 - May 2019
Southfield, MI
Michigan Electric Racing Team (MER19)
Lead Design Engineer - Driveline
As the university's first ever formula electric racing team, Michigan Electric Racing set out to build a high-performance vehicle that built upon our knowledge of hybrid design and outperformed the competition. Transitioning from a formula-hybrid team to all-electric proved challenging and came with a steep learning curve. We met this challenge head on, reorganized our team, and carried out extensive research into the formula-electric space. As the lead design engineer on the Driveline division, I led the design and manufacturing of the in-hub systems, corners, and EV driveline components. After a difficult season preparing for our first ever all-electric competition, MER19 took 2nd place at the Formula SAE North Electric competition in Ontario, Canada, and 9th at the Formula SAE Electric competition in Lincoln, Nebraska.
• Design: Managed a team of 5 student engineers to design driveline components for MER19. Front corner in-hubs designed with a custom planetary gearbox and an inverted caliper brake assembly with improved heat dissipation. Rear corner in-hubs with an integrated speed sensor and redesigned brake rotor for better speed sensing and heat dissipation. Sourced materials and components from suppliers and sponsors. Held design reviews in front of alumni, sponsors, and guests to critique and evaluate design choices. Designed components in SolidWorks and manufactured in-house.
• Analysis: Worked with other subdivisions to determine geometric constraints and meet packaging requirements. Led FMEA for both assembly and component level to determine potential modes of failures and identify countermeasures. Used Ansys for FEA to ensure tensile and shear factor of safety on all system components. Performed thermal simulations within Ansys to improve our braking performance. Ensured the life cycle of the in-hub systems could withstand the fatigue, heat, and stress through competition.
• Testing: Validated components through bench tests and in-vehicle tests on the road to ensure proper function and reliability.
Read more about MElectric Racing
September 2018 - June 2019
Saugatuck, MI
Michigan Hybrid Racing Team (MHR18)
Design Engineer, ICE Division
Our goal as the University of Michigan's Formula Hybrid racing team was to design, build, test, and finance our own high-performance, hybrid-electric Formula-style vehicle. As part of the Internal Combustion Engine and Driveline division, I developed robust mechanisms and systems to transmit power from the engine to the road. Our vehicle, MHR18, placed 5th in the world at the Formula Hybrid competition at the New Hampshire International Speedway.
• Design: Developed an adjustable driveline assembly with sliding chain tensioning, smaller packaging, and reduced weight. Redesigned the electric clutch to prevent backdrive, reduce wear from debris, and shrink packaging. Made a new driveline sprocket that was optimized to match the EV powertrain. Sourced material and parts from suppliers and sponsors. Modeled parts within SolidWorks and developed manufacturing plans.
• Analysis: Performed FMEA for both assembly and component level. Used Ansys for FEA to ensure tensile and shear factor of safety on all system components.
• Build: Manufactured the majority of components in-house using mills, lathes, drills, and CNC. Used custom jigs for better efficiency and accuracy. Built prototypes to better visualize and test out the designs.
Read more about MHybrid Racing
September 2017 - June 2018
Ann Arbor, MI
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Fast-Paced and Team-Focused.
Saugatuck Brewing Company
Barback, Expeditor, Busser
An awesome, rapidly growing local brewery where I developed strong teamwork, time management, and customer service skills. If you happen to find yourself in West Michigan, feel free to check out the brewery here!
• Bartendar/Barback: Served as a product expert, advising customers on our menu, beverages, and interesting facts about the brewery. Maintained a positive attitude and professional appearance while working in a high-pressure and fast-paced environment. Managed customer expectations, placed food and drink orders, and stocked inventory as needed.
• Expeditor: Developed a systematic method to track tickets and their respective order times, greatly improving the speed and efficiency of servers and the kitchen. Served as the main point of contact between the front of house and the kitchen, facilitating communication, teamwork, and organization.
• Head Busser: Lead development and training programs to get new hires on-board in a timely manner. Prepared tables, catered to the needs of customers, maintained a clean workspace, and oversaw guest seating on 50+ tables.
May 2015 - September 2017
Douglas, MI
Ravines Golf Club
Pro-Shop Assistant, Cart Attendant
The only Arnold Palmer Signature Design Championshop Golf Course in West Michigan.
• Pro-Shop: Organized tee-times and handled customer transactions. Assisted with club outings, tournaments, and high-volume catered events. Responsible for locking the club house and charging the carts overnight.
• Cart Attendant: Provided caddy service to customers and golf outings. Cleaned and detailed carts. Maintained the cleanliness and upkeep of the greens. Managed the golf range facility and collected range balls with a golf ball picker as needed.
May 2012 - September 2013
Saugatuck, MI
The Butler Restaurant
Prep Cook, Host, Dishwasher
• Prep Cook: Ensured freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock. Prepared food with proper food handling techniques. Worked with colleagues and management to create new menu options.
• Host: Welcomed and seated guests for both inside and outside seating. Managed a reservation list and ensured that guests were able to be seated in a timely manner. Helped bus tables and serve food as needed.
• Dishwasher: Maintained a clean work area, equipment, utensils, dishes, and silverware all to sanitary standards.
June 2010 - May 2012
Saugatuck, MI
PROJECTS
Design from Home.
Surgical Eye Shields
Project Manager, Product Design Engineer
For my senior capstone design project, I was the project manager for a multidisciplinary team of 6 students (2 mechanical engineers, 4 material science engineers) tasked with creating better surgical eye shields for surgeons and nurses to use as personal protective equipment (PPE) in the operating room. Working alongside the Kellogg Eye Center at the University of Michigan, we worked through the entire design process from initial concept generation to rigorous validation testing to develop functional and user-friendly prototypes. At the end of the semester, we successfully designed 2 final products geared towards different end users.
The first design is a full-face visor shield that incorporates a hairnet as a adjustable universal solution for users of all head sizes. The visor helps to block light incoming from above, while incorporating the hairnet helps to increase compliance for the auditor's requirements within operating room. The thin, acetate shield can easily pivot out of the way, which makes it very convenient to use at a microscope if needed.
The second design are clip-on side shields that provide an easy-on, easy-off solution tailored to prescription glasses that are allowed to be used in the operating room. These side shields are clearer (due to the flat shield geometry), less distracting, less damaging to expensive glasses, and the flexible design of the clips allows them to fit over a large range of frame sizes. Incoming light from the surrounding light sources experiences minimal distortion and glare due to the flat design of the shield. This greatly reduces the distractions for the surgeon and allows them to concentrate more on the surgery.
Our final designs met the Association of Operation Room Nurses (AORN) standard for proper eye protection in the operating room.
Find out more
January - April 2019
Four-Bar Linkage
Design and Controls Engineer
In the ME 350 mechatronics course at the University of Michigan, students work in teams of 5 to develop a four-bar linkage that catches balls that drop from a chute, interprets the color, and sorts them into one of two locations. The linkage was required to sort as many of the 25 balls as possible within 2 minutes.
For my team, I was the design and controls engineer responsible for the system modeling and optimization of the linkage dynamics. The linkage system was designed in SolidWorks, a kinematic analysis was performed in Adams, and the components were manufactured using mills, lathes, and waterjets. After assembling, the linkage motion was controlled using a PID controller implemented through an Arduino microcontroller. A state machine was programmed in Arduino that used data collected from a limit switch, color sensor, and incremental encoder to accurately position the linkage during its operation. During our final evaluation, our team's linkage was able to sort all of the 25 balls in 1 minute, 10 seconds - a sorting time of 2.8 seconds per ball.
Find out more
January - April 2018
JAMR 250: V2 Redesign
Lead Designer
Building upon the lessons learned from the previous semester's project in ME 250, I decided to redesign the original JAMR 250 robot to address the challenges and obstacles we experienced near competition. Version 2 of JAMR 250 has a smaller size, lower center of mass, better mobility (especially for turning), and it replaces the ramp with a linear pneumatic grasper that can grab more cubes at a time and lift them up to the desired height all in one motion. In addition, more weight was kept above the wheels to add friction and better traction when moving across the field.
The redesigned robot meets the functional requirements of the original design, and provides innovative solutions to the challenges experienced during competition.
Find out more
December 2017 - January 2018
Robotics Competition - JAMR 250
Project Manager, CAD Designer
As part of the ME 250 Design & Manufacturing course at the University of Michigan, I led a 4-person team of mechanical engineering students to build a remote-controlled robot and compete against other student teams in the Michigan Design Expo at the end of the semester. Each team is part of a squad formed by 4 teams, and the goal of the competition is to work collaboratively with your squad to score as many cubes as possible within a time limit. Based on the my team's functional requirements and overall strategy, we decided to create a robot with a ramp that used a rack and pinion mechanism at the bottom to grab onto and lift cubes to the basket.
All of the components were modeled within SolidWorks, manufactured using mills, lathes, and a waterjet, and then the fully assembled robot was tested to verify it passed our functional requirements. At the end of semester competition, our squad came in second place overall with our team scoring the most points within our squad.
Find out more
September - December 2017
EDUCATION
Background and Academics.
University of Michigan, College of Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Minor in Computer Science, Magna Cum Laude, University Honors & Dean's List (6 semesters)
• Organizations: DENSO (Mechanical Co-op), Michigan Electric Racing, Michigan Hybrid Racing, Intramural Soccer & Basketball, Michigan Campus Band
• Major Coursework: Senior Capstone Design, Design & Manufacturing I/II, Lab I/II, Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics, Thermo I/II, Behavior of Materials, Strength of Materials, Solid Mechanics, Controls, Dynamics & Vibrations, Finite Element Modeling, Acoustics, Biomechanics, Circuits, Signals and Systems
May 2019
Ann Arbor, MI
Saugatuck High School
High School Diploma
Valedictorian, Summa Cum Laude, Senior Scholar
• Extracurriculars
- Band (Concert, Jazz, Marching - Section Leader, 1st Trumpet)
- Tri-Sport Athlete (Soccer, Golf, Basketball)
- National Honor Society, Club de Español, Quiz Bowl
• Awards & Honors
- West Michigan Top Scholar (Grand Rapids Press)
- AP Scholar with Distinction
- Academic Excellence
- Saugatuck Douglas Foundation Scholarship
- Michigan Competitive Scholarship
- Concert Band Division I rating
- Marching Band Division I rating
May 2014
Saugatuck, MI
Drop a line
Andrew Wobith
Ann Arbor, MI | Saugatuck, MI
(616) 283-1392
awobith@gmail.com
Resume available upon request