Katelin
As a mechanical engineer, what are the three most exciting projects you have been assigned?
I am interested in pursuing a career as a mechanical engineer. It is always interesting to me know the most inspirational parts of someone's career. #mechanical-engineering
3 answers
Joseph Apollo
Joseph’s Answer
I've had a career pivot recently but had Mechanical Engineering internships and it was my major in college. My three favorite projects were:
1. Throgs Neck Bridge Deck Replacement (Bronx, NY) - I was helping redesign and upgrade a MASSIVE bridge while cars were on it every day. One of the coolest experiences I've ever had being under the bridge on temporary platforms and get to see the entire underside.
2. BAE Systems Battery 3D printing - My senior project was to create two battery packs for BAE systems that could help cool batteries which heat up tremendously and could burn down vehicles. We got to 3D print our designs which was super cool and definitely recommend getting involved in 3d printing
3. Arduino Design project - We got an Arduino (Like a computer chip that you can upload code to) and we had to develop a game in a team. Our game was Reaction timer and we decided to make it Mario Kart themed. Super fun and cool!!!! I know it was a college project but this goes to show you how creative you can get with engineering in the workplace too
Brian Cunkelman
Brian’s Answer
Well I must admit there are way more than three... As an engineer you are taught to solve problems and my favorite projects were solving difficult problems. My three favorites (that I can recall at this moment) would be:
I led a team that created a thermostatically controlled intercooler system and solved a condensation problem with motor driven air compressors on locomotives. This product was patented and introduced in 2001 on GE locomotives. A cool project and one that is still being produced to this day.
I worked on a project to design an air dryer for the Indian Railways. Designing the product was interesting and I had to spend a significant amount of time in India to perform and pass the qualification tests. This was a wonderful opportunity to work in another country and culture. The product became the standard for diesel locomotives built for the Indian Railways.
I worked on a project to re-design a hande latching mechanism for a brake valve. This may not seem like a very exciting project, but the previous design was involved in an accident that caused a fatality and it was rewarding to design something that would prevent that from ever happening again.
Daniel Diaz Bayona
Daniel’s Answer
One of this most exciting project I have work on was during the beginning of the pandemic. I was working at INTEL at the time, and with the help of almost 30 Engineers we started to support hospitals by building respirators from scratch. We ended up donating almost 13k respirators to hospitals across Arizona, Oregon and California. This was exciting because we didn't have to be doctor to help during this time, but I know we help a lots of people by providing this equipment.