The department of Mechanical Engineering & Technology invites the campus community to attend the Mechanical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Technology Capstone Expo. The showcase will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, in the CEB Lobby. Please join us to celebrate student achievement and enjoy some refreshments!
Here are the project descriptions written by the student engineers:
Automatic Chop Saw
Team Members: David Alvarado, Eric Downing, Kevin Kwong, and Alex Qualls
On behalf of Exotic Metals Forming Company, our team developed a high-precision, automated system that can automatically size and cut industrial tubing of varying diameters, thicknesses and materials.
Operators only need to input cut lengths and quantity into the machine interface and add the material to the input conveyor. The program moves the material up to the sizing fence, clamps the tubing, and executes the cut. The cut piece then moves down the output conveyor to the output area before the system prepares for the next cut. Key accomplishments for this project include creating manual pipe guides accommodating tubing of varying diameters, a safety hood surrounding the cutting area to ensure operator safety, an automatic fence to accommodate varying cut lengths, and a feedback system using a programmable logic controller and multiple sensors throughout the system to prevent errors. The system relies on a robust pneumatic infrastructure to actuate the cutting arm, material clamps, sizing fence, and localized dust management extraction lines. To fully satisfy the client’s rigorous quality requirements, the system successfully achieves a cut length tolerance of +/-0.030 inches, and can be replicated for multiple workstations on the company work floor.
Bipedal Robot System for Advanced Mobility and Control
Team Members: Owen Andreasen, Jerome Buyondo, Steven Grant, and Michael Trainor
Our Capstone team successfully designed and built a fully functional bipedal robot that demonstrates advanced mechanical design, electronics integration, and real time control systems.
The project achieved its goal of creating a stable, two-legged robotic platform capable of controlled movement through the integration of custom mechanical components, embedded systems, and precision motor control. This work followed a complete engineering design process, including concept development, CAD modeling, fabrication, testing, and final system integration. Key accomplishments include the successful design and iteration of structural components using SolidWorks, implementation of motor and encoder systems for joint control, and resolution of critical hardware challenges. The team identified and removed internal defects within a motor assembly that had previously prevented smooth operation, restoring full functionality. Custom components including 3D-printed leg assemblies and machined parts were developed and integrated while maintaining strict budget and scheduling constraints. The final system demonstrated improved balance, reliable operation, and coordinated motion, showcasing the team’s ability to solve complex engineering challenges and deliver an innovative robotic solution with applications in automation, robotics, and assistive technologies.
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Precision Barrel System
Team Members: Kobe Bennett, Forrest Coon, Nathan Dyba, and Ashton Fisk
This capstone project focused on the design, machining, fabrication, and testing of a carbon fiber reinforced precision barrel system intended to improve stiffness, thermal performance, and accuracy compared to traditional steel barrels. The project integrated advanced machining processes, composite material application, and experimental testing methods to create a functional prototype representative of modern high performance manufacturing techniques.
Throughout the project, multiple barrel profiles were successfully machined and wrapped with carbon fiber using a repeatable fabrication process. Critical alignment and concentricity challenges were resolved to within 0.001 inches, allowing for precise machining and assembly. The team also designed and assembled a custom testing block used to evaluate thermal and structural performance under controlled conditions. Testing demonstrated improved rigidity, reduced thermal distortion, and successful integration of the composite reinforcement system. Key achievements included completion of barrel machining, carbon fiber application, fixture fabrication, testing setup development, and performance validation. This project strengthened our skills in manufacturing, machining, materials engineering, teamwork, and problem solving while demonstrating the practical application of composite materials in precision engineering systems.
Lower Leg Gait Machine (LLGM) Redesign
Team Members: Douglas Hobbs, Kevin Maynard, Matthew Norman, and Piotr Proniewski
Patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease regularly lose lower leg strength due to deterioration of the gastrocnemius & tibialis anterior lower leg muscles. Strengthening these two muscles results in improvements in patient gait, reducing injury and fall risk. We produced an enclosed, durable, easy to repair, and compact exercise machine that targets these two muscles in eccentric, isometric, and concentric contractions to monitor changes in muscle strength.
The machine can exert up to 800 Newtons of force with a range of motion 55° down in plantarflexion, and 30° upwards in dorsiflexion. Resistance is provided by a 1/2 horsepower motor connected to a speed-reducing gearbox. All three main parts comprising the machine fit through a standard doorway and weigh under 50 pounds. The gearbox outputs to a series of linkages and an adjustable pedal, allowing force to be applied in both directions at the patient’s forefoot regardless of size. Support systems for the leg and heel comfortably secure a wide range of patients. Our HMI user interface allows trainers to program sets, reps, force and speed settings with audiovisual cues. Test results can be plotted and exported to monitor patient progress over time for each leg.
Pipe Bender Recontrol
Team Members: Chris Goldberg, Gabe Jones, Lea Nizetic, and Stefan Ljubisic
In partnership with Exotic Metals Forming, a division of Parker Aerospace, this project introduces an automated closed-loop control system designed to revolutionize precision pipe-bending for aerospace applications.
Currently, factory floor operators must manually adjust the pressure die during each bend cycle. This manual intervention introduces structural inconsistencies, increases the risk of wall thinning or wrinkling, and limits overall production throughput. To resolve these challenges, our team engineered a portable, modular system that automates and synchronizes the pressure die’s movement with the bend arm in real time, eliminating the need for human intervention. Using a Siemens PLC, servo amplifier and precision encoders, our system continuously monitors the pipe-bending position and adjusts die speed to within ±0.1 degrees. The result will be faster production cycles, more consistent, reliable aerospace-grade bends, and significantly reduced operator workload. The final device is a portable, modular system, weighing under 25 pounds. It will simply plug into the existing bender, making it easy to adapt on the factory floor.
Rocket Avionics Bay
Team Members: Nick Aukerman, Collin Buchanan, Dustin Cole, Konrad Duncan, and Jayden Morlan
Our capstone team designed and manufactured a lightweight, reliable avionics bay for the EWU Aerospace Club’s high-power rocket competing in the International Rocket Engineering Competition.
The rocket is designed to reach 30,000 feet while traveling above Mach 2, exposing the avionics bay to roughly 30 g during ascent and high recovery loads during parachute deployment. The avionics bay securely protects the electronics and supports deployment control for both the drogue and main parachutes. Our design uses custom-machined aluminum bulkheads, a modular electronics sled, and an isogrid structure to reduce weight while maintaining strength. The system includes two independent altimeters, a Blue Raven and an EasyMini for redundant flight data and deployment control, all housed inside a club-built carbon fiber coupler. To improve launch-day reliability and speed, we replaced traditional switch hardware with magnetic switches and designed the bay for faster assembly, arming and disarming. A major accomplishment of this project is that the components were manufactured in-house, giving the team hands-on experience with CAD, CAM, CNC machining, composites, and flight-ready hardware. Ground testing verified that the system is ready for competition flight.
