Project
Details
-
Date: Summer 2026
-
Organization: STS Aerospace
-
Objective: Create and automate manufacturing processes, design fixtures and tooling, streamline workflows and documentation.
-
Role: Mechanical Engineering Intern
-
Achievements:
-
Classified and organized machining operations in support of a millions of dollars investment into the shop.
-
Created automated machine and robot setup procedures to significantly reduce machine downtime.
-
Theorized and experimentally validated methods to reduce expenditure on weld tape.
-
Designed tooling and fixtures to increase production efficiency.
-
Mechanical Engineering Internship
STS Aerospace
Notes
For the summer of 2026, I worked as a mechanical engineering intern at STS Aerospace in Bergen County, NJ, in support of their work machining fittings and tube assemblies. As this was my second internship, I brought prior experience in design and manufacturing work to the job, set about to make a lasting impact. Throughout the course of the internship, I worked on a number of projects spanning multiple disciplines.
Another major initiative began when I was informed that the company was spending approximately $10,000 annually on fiberglass weld tape to seal their orbital weld heads. I was tasked with reducing this expenditure. Initially, I attempted to design a permanent sealing solution. However, due to the wide variety of irregular geometries placed in the weld heads, such a design required an adaptive seal capable of withstanding hundreds of cycles, which was a requirement that fell outside my project constraints. Pivoting my approach, I analyzed the existing welding procedures to determine why so much tape was necessary in the first place. I discovered that the pre and post-purge times for flooding the weld heads with argon were too short. Regardless of the amount of tape used, discoloration could be drastically reduced, and overall weld quality increased, simply by adding 20 seconds to the post-purge time. While my testing was limited by equipment availability, the initial results were highly promising, and engineers were instructed to continue the trials after my internship concluded.
Beyond these core initiatives, I completed several smaller engineering projects. I designed various tools and fixtures, ranging from new orbital weld clamps and improved plugs for manual welding to a larger probe arm stylus edge. I also conducted a study on improving operator inspection processes. This led to tighter inspection instructions and the implementation of isometric part drawings, which replaced older orthographic projections that were difficult to analyze at a glance. Additionally, I modified a shop crane, which included disassembling, flipping, rebuilding, and adding a counterweight so it could fit under new machines, and earned my Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt.
I want to thank everyone at STS Aerospace for enabling such a productive and rewarding summer. Not only was I able to contribute meaningfully through my projects, but I also learned a great deal about aerospace design and manufacturing. I am proud to have left the company improved, and to be leaving as a much stronger engineer.
One of the largest projects I contributed to involved classifying and detailing machining strategies for fittings. Due to the high cost of purchasing these components, the company adopted a strategy of investing in in-house machining to support the manufacturing of tube assemblies. Millions of dollars were allocated to significantly expand the machine shop's capacity. To inform purchasing decisions for this new equipment, I worked with a team to assign attributes to over 600 types of fittings currently in use. Throughout the internship, I analyzed hundreds of engineering drawings, making judgments on optimal machining strategies and stock dimensions. This data was ultimately used to develop a prospective layout for the new shop floor and ensure that machines were purchased in quantities matching production demands.
I also dedicated significant time to optimizing lathe and robot setup procedures. The previous year, a robotic arm was purchased to allow machines to run overnight without operator oversight, substantially increasing runtime. However, when I arrived, no standard setup procedure had been established. This was due to general unfamiliarity with the robot, coupled with the complexity of setting up and grouping large numbers of tools on a turret for extended runs. Initially, an engineer was required to set up the machine instead of an operator. To resolve this, I developed a visual operating instruction (OI) to help operators easily configure the robot, and I built an automated spreadsheet to neatly package the setup information for every part. This also required creating a unified tooling and jaws directory, a system the company did not previously possess. My solution received positive feedback from both engineers and operators; in a short time, it drastically cut down setup time and empowered operators to handle tool changes independently.
