E-DAYS 2025

E-Days 2025 - Mechanical Engineering

Engineering Days (E-Days) is a long-standing CSU tradition that allows senior undergraduate students the opportunity to showcase their senior design projects and senior practicum research. E-Days visitors include faculty, family, industry representatives, peers, and prospective students interested in exploring engineering.

The event will be held at the CSU Lory Student Center Plaza on Friday April 18th, 2025. 

For additional information, visit the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering E-Days page.

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2025 Projects

Projects from other years: 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025

Team photo

3rd Generation Liquid Fuel Control Valve

Students:

Todd Osoba, Kassandra Battle, Alex Buzzetta, Kaleb Wiggins, Ryan Barker, Brandon Somchana
This project was to develop a liquid metering valve that controls fuel flow to an aero-derivative turbine. The criteria of this valve are to have an operating pressure of 3000 PSI, withstand a burst pressure at 4500 PSI, and be able to withstand 7200 PSI. The goal of this project is to develop a valve that utilizes a ball to have a flow rate range of 100 to 35,000 lb/h. This valve must be operable in temperatures of -18 to 217 degrees Fahrenhiet.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
Jason Brack
Advisors:
Dr. Mitchell Stansloski
Team photo

A Blackjack Dealing Robot—Showing the Future of Automation

Students:

Zehn Klimowicz, Ben Gruber, Rowan Vannier, Grayson Bellas, Alicia Rivas, James Burford
Have you ever seen a robotic arm do tasks once thought impossible? Technology is advancing rapidly, and with it comes a growing need for smarter, and better automation processes. That’s the kind of innovation our team wanted to show off with our robotic blackjack dealer. Using the technology distributed by our sponsor, Rexel USA, we have developed a memorable blackjack demonstration showing off a collaborative robot that deals cards onto magnetically propelled carts and interacts with players in real time. This isn’t just about blackjack. It’s a representation of how automation and robotics are revolutionizing industries, removing humans from repetitive or dangerous tasks which will allow them to focus on more creative, fulfilling, and high-impact work. The future of automation isn’t just coming–it’s already here.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
Rexel USA
Advisors:
Peyton McNeil, David Craft, Wade Troxell Mounika Makkena
Team photo

Aerospace Ultrasonic Sensing System

Students:

Gavin Lesh, Owen Kennedy, Lia Rocha Salazar, Aven Santiago
The purpose of this project is to design and build an actuator with modern ultrasonic sensing system. As a contributor for Aerospace components, Woodward Inc. sponsored this project as an alternative to current linear variable differential transformers (LVDT's) with a goal to reduce the size and weight of current actuators. As a non-invasive ultrasonic sensing system, this preliminary system evaluates reflectivity properties of seals and other materials used in the actuator. implementing further testing of this new design allows Woodward to move towards fuel savings and manufacturing simplicity all while accomplishing their customer requirements.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
Woodward Inc.- Travis Rodine, Austin Stamper, Gregg Pulley, Jordan Loos
Advisors:
Dr. Dan Wise
Team photo

BAE Composite Cryo Struts

Students:

Matthew Archer, Dylan Davis, Randy Derock, Timothy Skolds
This project aims to construct and test a thermal vacuum testing system to evaluate the thermal properties of various materials used in struts on spacecraft. These struts serve not only as structural support for spacecraft components, but as thermal insulators to protect sensitive equipment from the extreme environment of space. This system uses a vacuum chamber to emulate these conditions and produces a temperature difference across the test subject. The resulting data can aid designers in choosing the ideal strut material in terms of thermal performance.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Advisors:
Walter Thompson (faculty advisor), Erik Chunko (GTA), Tim Held (BAE Systems sponsor)
Team photo

Bale Unwinder Optimization

Students:

Ryan Byers, Anthony Chamberlain, Eric Fang, Carl Pollock, Mack Winchester
Global Fiber Processing (GFP) designs, operates, and manufactures industrial hemp processing equipment for a rapidly growing market. The bale unwinder is a key component of the production line which GFP intends to improve. This project focuses on optimizing throughput capacity, safety, and operator interface of the bale unwinder, helping GFP remain competitive in the hemp industry.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
Global Fiber Processing
Advisors:
Dr. Soheil Fatehiboroujeni
Team photo

Better Process

Students:

Evan Sugarbaker, Ben Helmreich, Gerard Ketelaar
The purpose of this project is to integrate robotics and vision assistance into one portable and modifiable system that can be used to demonstrate the capabilities of small-scale automation across many industries.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
Better Process LLC
Advisors:
Dr. Wade Troxell, Sami Ahmmed Khatib
Team photo

Calf House

Students:

Sal Abbas, Austin Neuf, Rachel Stevens, and Syd Strejc
Current housing options for young dairy and beef calves are limited to individual plastic hutches, unchanged for 50 years. Dairy producers report challenges with current designs, including poor ventilation, insufficient shade, cleaning difficulties, and hutches lifting in high winds. The purpose of this project is to create a new design for the calf hutches that improves their quality of life during periods of extreme temperatures in order to increase the likelihood of their survival within the first 60 days of their lives. The new design provides improved ventilation, thermal performance, and sanitation processes. 
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
Dr. Diego Manriquez Alvarez, Bianca Costa, and Amanda Johnson
Advisors:
GTA Sami Ahmmed Khatib 
Team photo

Carbon-Neutral Boiler Integration

Students:

Dylan Cutone-Dion, Matias Valencia, Kat Webb, Blake Young
This project aims to design the integration of AtmosZero’s carbon neutral, drop-in, high-efficiency electrified steam boiler in New Belgium Brewing facilities, ultimately presenting our design proposal to their technical teams. This is the pilot project of a first-of-its-kind boiler capable of delivering clean steam up to 165° C at an industrial scale. Our team designed and tested multiple integration alternatives for the boiler to optimize its performance and cost to make it as attractive as possible for New Belgium Brewing and other future adopters of this technology. All integration options were evaluated based on fluid simulations, economic models, and ease of installation to choose the most efficient option.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
AtmosZero, New Belgium Brewing Company
Advisors:
Todd Bandhauer, Nicholas Roberts
Team photo

Caterpillar Methanol Pump 

Students:

Salem Dietrich, Kobe Douglas, Whitley Doyon, Tyson Skanderbeg
The Methanol Pump Project, sponsored by Caterpillar and advised by Dave Montgomery, explores methanol as a low-emission alternative to diesel in marine applications. Methanol’s corrosiveness poses durability challenges for fuel system components, requiring extensive testing to ensure long-term reliability. Our team is designing and building a test rig to evaluate pump performance under real-world conditions, analyzing wear, material compatibility, and efficiency over time. The rig will simulate various operating conditions to assess failure modes and develop solutions for improved longevity. By generating data on methanol’s impact on pump components, this project aims to support the development of more robust fuel systems. The findings will contribute to Caterpillar’s efforts in sustainable marine fuel technology, advancing the transition to cleaner energy solutions in the maritime industry
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
Dave Montgomery
Advisors:
Jack Cavo, John Mizia, Reece Churchill
Team photo

Clean Bean Machine

Students:

Mason Adams, Chance Brockbank, Erick Valentin
The Clean Bean Machine, sponsored by Dr. Henry Thompson, is a mobile produce cleaning system designed for small farmers to share and operate in the field. The system uses a vibration bed to sift harvested beans from common field debris, delivering package-ready produce that meets USDA No. 1 Choice standards. Mounted on a trailer platform, the machine provides an affordable processing solution to increase small farm productivity and enable viable market distribution. By allowing farmers to clean and bag beans directly after harvest, the Clean Bean Machine enhances efficiency and profitability for small-scale agricultural operations.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station
Advisors:
Dr. Henry Thompson
Team photo

CSU Formula SAE Ram Racing Team

Students:

Aidan Williams, Forrest Fortier House, Jarek Hladik, Zach Stull, Max Grisham, Garrett Nowell, Mason Haller, Roman Smith, Adam Shatila, Elliot Foster
The mission of the Formula SAE team is to design, build, and race a Formula 1-inspired vehicle as part of the largest collegiate engineering competition in the United States. This club provides students with a unique, hands-on opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in engineering, manufacturing, and business management. Our team races the car against 120 other universities in dynamic and static events. Each year, the team builds a new car from scratch, giving students of all experience levels exposure to real-world engineering challenges and practical work. Tasks such as laying up carbon fiber, 3D printing prototypes, and operating heavy machinery like CNC mills are just some of the experiences available to team members. Collaborating with the CSU Mechanical Engineering department, the team is able to manufacture parts in-house at the Engineering Manufacturing Education Center. This experience has teamwork and problem-solving opportunities that can be beneficial for future engineering careers. 
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Advisors:
Chris Weinberger
Team photo

Data Center Cooling

Students:

Alexander Sutherland, Joe Balderson, Andrew Archundia, Alen Osmanovic, Zach Sheehan
The purpose of this project is to develop a product that can be installed on servers with issues with cooling. Currently many data centers of any size are having to invest in larger HVAC units to cool their services. Liquid cooling has begun to be more of a necessity with how powerful the chips are getting for AI. Our project is to design a system that can be added on to servers to cool the chips more effectively and use the waste heat from the slice. This design utilizes an Air conditioning like system to cool the CPU and then Cool the system with water.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Advisors:
Wade Troxel, Bert Vermeulen
Team photo

Design, Build, Fly

Students:

Evan Duchesne, Alex Lueker, Adel Nuseibeh, Josh Thatcher, Kevin Keneally, Logan Dooley, Jackson Webster
This project is designed to fulfill there requirements of the 2025 Design, Build, Fly competition that is hosted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and sponsored by Raytheon. The project requires teams to create a radio-controlled airplane that fits within the competition rules and can succeed against other teams in the missions at the competition. This year, the aircraft was designed to carry a heavy payload under the wings and a glider that, when released, is capable of achieving stable flight and landing in a designated scoring area autonomously. To score well, the aircraft was designed to fly fast while maximizing payload capacity. The final design combines a variety of materials to create an aircraft that can carry 20 lbs of payload, has a cruise speed of 75 mph, and can deploy an autonomous glider that only weighs 0.22 lbs.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
MaxAmps, LoveAirRC, DualSky, Ace Hardware, SolidWorks, Ansys
Advisors:
Dr. Marco Ciarcia, Chris Douglas
Team photo

Dynamic Force Control in 3D Printing

Students:

Brenner Craft, Sam Smith, Xander Curry, Jacob Miller
Inconsistent extrusion rate caused by printers being unable to account for variation in filament diameter creates excess waste prints that do not meet design specifications. This issue leads to an excess of failed prints and wasted time. The Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group (MTDG) has prompted us to solve this problem with an add-on to 3D printers. We have developed a system that maintains constant pressure on the filament in real time regardless of the diameter variance.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group
Advisors:
Dr. David Prawel
Team photo

Electrifying Africa – ROAM Electric Motorcycle Frame Redesign

Students:

Gabriel Castro, Wesley Holmes, Jim Mayberry, Taylor Meland, George Poggemeyer
Our team is collaborating with ROAM Electric, an emerging startup focused on electrifying transport and reducing emissions in Kenya. As the project sponsor, ROAM has tasked us with refining its existing electric motorcycle frame, the ROAM Air. We were asked to make the frame lighter while ensuring its performance and strength are still suited for the Kenyan lifestyle and its demands. Our redesign prioritizes weight reduction, strength, and design for manufacturability. By optimizing frame geometry and material selection we aim to enhance performance without compromising safety. The project has involved extensive research, simulation, prototyping, and fabrication in order to develop a frame that offers both a practical and innovative solution for ROAM as it continues to electrify African transportation.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
ROAM Electric (Stephen Nyambura & Victor Erwing)
Advisors:
Bryan Willson & John Mizia
Team photo

Keck Observatory Calibration Screen for Enhanced Telescope Accuracy 

Students:

Kennedy Solheim, Kaelyn McMahon, Flynn Nyman, Jimmie Nguyen, Ander Maxwell
Our senior design team is partnering with the Keck Observatory, located atop Maunakea in Hawai’i, to address a 30% illumination error in its telescope calibration process—an issue that compromises the accuracy of astronomical data. Each night of observation is valued at approximately $100,000, making precise calibration crucial for researchers worldwide. Our solution is a modular, hexagonal calibration screen that delivers uniform illumination, reducing errors to approximately 6%. This innovative design improves data reliability while offering enhanced durability and adaptability to environmental challenges such as temperature fluctuations and seismic activity. By increasing calibration accuracy, our project supports groundbreaking astronomical research and strengthens the Keck Observatory’s position as a global leader in scientific discovery. 
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
Truman Wold, Jonathan Steiner, Joel Payne, Ed Harris.
Advisors:
Dr. Mitchell Stansloski
Team photo

Kodak Alaris Film Winding Test Fixture

Students:

Megan Murphy, Jack Tourault, Jakob Scofield
The purpose of this project, sponsored by Kodak Alaris, is to create a system to rewind thermal media for testing usage. This system is needed to test a new thermal media film that Kodak will be producing before it is being sent out to photo printers like Walgreens. This system will take a big role of this material and wind down into a smaller material that can be used to test the quality. There will be several rollers, a dancer arm, and a jack bolt system to properly wind this material.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
Kyle Schumer, Kodak Alaris
Advisors:
Allen Robinson, Mitchell Stansloski
Team photo

Lincoln Electric Automation senior design team

Students:

Brody Flickner, Jared Nelson, Owen Christensen, and Will Davis
The purpose of this project, sponsored by Lincoln Electric Automation, is to develop and test a prototype device that automates the critical wire-changing operation in robotic welding systems. This device is designed to integrate seamlessly with Lincoln Electric robotic welders, enabling automatic filler wire changes without human intervention. Currently, wire changes are performed manually, requiring skilled human intervention and resulting in robot downtime. By automating this process, our solution aims to significantly enhance manufacturing quality and efficiency for Lincoln Electric Automation while reducing the need for human oversight in an already automated workflow.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
Lee Stutzman
Advisors:
Dr. Doug Fankell
Team photo

NASA University Student Launch Initiative (USLI) rocket competition team

Students:

Thor Knutson, Claryssa Dunigan, Anna Stamus, Brandyn Garcia, Leanne Lightsey, Liam Gilloon, Cole Hurley, Jack Garman, Chelsey Kahanu, Charlie Linsenmeyer, Zac Foster, Steven Davis
The NASA USLI competition challenges university teams to design, build, and launch a high-powered rocket that meets rigorous technical requirements. Simulating a real-world aerospace project, the competition requires teams to develop innovative payloads, demonstrate robust engineering processes, and conduct thorough flight testing. Teams must also engage in extensive documentation and safety reviews to ensure mission success. For 2025, the payload mission is to design and fly an astronaut flight capsule that collects in-flight data and transmits it upon landing. The team's rocket is 12 feet tall, has a 6-inch diameter, and is powered by a solid rocket motor.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Sponsors:
NASA
Advisors:
Kari Cowden, Dr. Marco Ciarcia, George Barnes (mentor)
Team photo

Pan-Tilt Mount

Students:

Sam Seybold, Trent Pozzi, Carter Kraemer, Matthew Love
This Pan-Tilt Mount project was created to test cameras across their entire field of view in a temperature range of -40°C to 65°C (-40°F to 150°F). It was designed for small mixed reality cameras used in VR/AR headsets that are tested in a temperature chamber to ensure they will perform in any environment on Earth. The current solution is to manually turn the camera to the desired position which is time consuming and requires opening the controlled temperature chamber and allowing it to then restabilize. This device will allow tests to run automatically and drastically speed up the validation process.
Department:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Video presentation:
Link to project video
Advisors:
Sam Bechara, Mounika Makkena