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Mechanical Engineering Projects

Tecnológico de Monterrey students interested in the program, please address any questions about the application process to Crockett Sewell, sewellc@purdue.edu.

Additive Manufacturing of Multifunctional Continuous Fiber Composites

Faculty Name: Eduardo Barocio

E-Mail: ebarocio@purdue.edu

Project Term: Fall 2026 or Fall 2026/Spring 2027 (Full Academic Year Preferred)

Project Description:

Additive manufacturing with continuous fibers enables the fabrication of high-performance preforms that can be molded into structural components. Current commercial systems-such as the 9T Labs printing platform-typically rely on pre-preg tapes as feedstock, which limits the range of available material systems.

This project aims to expand these capabilities by developing a custom filament through a pultrusion process that impregnates thermally conductive carbon fibers with a suitable polymer matrix. The resulting pultruded filament will be used to print continuous-fiber preforms, which will then be molded into multifunctional composites that combine structural performance with enhanced thermal dissipation.

To support this effort, physics-based simulations of both the pultrusion and printing processes will be conducted to gain fundamental insight into the process-structure-property relationships governing the final composite performance.

Requirements:

Desired Majors:

  • Mechatronics Engineering

Mechanical Engineering Desired Skills and Coursework:

  • Proficiency with CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, Fusion 360)
  • Experience with programming languages such as Python, C++, or MATLAB
  • Hands-on experience through labs, personal projects, or design/build activities
  • Numerical methods, differential equations or equivalent courses.
Continuous Induction Welding of Thermoplastic Composites

Faculty Name: Eduardo Barocio

E-Mail: ebarocio@purdue.edu

Project Term: Fall 2026 or Fall 2026/Spring 2027 (Full Academic Year Preferred)

Project Description:

Assembly of thermoplastic composites requires fast, reliable, and repeatable joining techniques to produce structural components larger than what can be fabricated in a single molding operation. This project leverages a research platform for Continuous Induction Welding to investigate how process parameters influence the weld strength of thermoplastic composite laminates. The experimental studies will be complemented by physics-based simulations to deepen our understanding of the process-structure-property relationships that govern weld performance.

Requirements:

Desired Majors:

  • Mechatronics Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering


Desired Skills and Coursework:

  • Proficiency with CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, Fusion 360)
  • Experience with programming languages such as Python, C++, or MATLAB
  • Hands-on experience through labs, personal projects, or design/build activities
  • Numerical methods, differential equations or equivalent courses.