During my second work term during Fall 2023, I spent four months at Bend All Automotive, a Tier 1 automotive supplier. The company specializes in engine and transmission oil cooling lines, but recently started developing and manufacturing HVAC lines. As part of the R&D team, the majority of my work was in this product segment.

I had responsibility over developing formed hoses as part of our prototype HVAC assemblies to be sent to our customers for design validation. The hose forming process involves holding the raw, coiled hose in a certain geometry and heating it until it maintains it shape. It would relax after cooling, so a large challenge was quantifying how much extra bending was needed during curing to maintain its shape without compromising structural integrity. My day-to-day work included:

• Experimenting with time and temperature combinations to cure the unformed hose without compromising structural integrity

• Building modular aluminum extrusion fixtures to create prototype hoses, and refine their geometry and attachment methods to produce accurate, repeatable and unblemished hoses

• Using previously determined mould geometry, designed moulds in SolidWorks and 3D printed them using an SLA printer and high-temperature resin

• 3D printing datum hoses as a physical comparison for bend angle and radius

Working in R&D was an amazing and rewarding experience which allowed me to develop innovative solutions to a new manufacturing process, and collaborate with a talented team to bring these ideas to life.