Mechanical engineer

“Scientists investigate that which already is. Engineers create that which has never been.”

— Theodore von Kármán

I am a graduating mechanical engineer from the University of Toronto, focused on innovative design and practical problem-solving. I specialize in turning complex challenges into simple, effective and elegant solutions as I begin my professional career.

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About Me

I enjoy following a design through every stage, from the first sketch and CAD model, through analysis and force calculations, to a prototype I can test.

DisciplineMechanical Engineering

DegreeB.A.Sc., University of TorontoMinor in Engineering Business

Emailkhoinguyen.lam@mail.utoronto.ca

Based inToronto, ON

Space

Modeled and tested the structure of the FINCH CubeSat with the University of Toronto Aerospace Team.

Industry

Designed, 3D printed and tested a constant tensioner for a window regulator in partnership with Magna.

Mentoring

Supported students as a math classroom assistant and engineering outreach counsellor at the University of Toronto.

Skills

Select an area to see its skills.

Analysis and Programming

ANSYS (static and fatigue FEA)MATLABPythonMinitabSPICE circuit simulationMicrosoft Office

CAD and Design

SolidWorks (CAD Design Associate certified)Part and assembly modelingDesign for manufactureGD&T (ASME Y14.5)Tolerance stack-ups

Design Process

Requirements and benchmarkingDesign for XBrainstorming with TRIZ and SCAMPERPugh chartsTechnical reports

Electronics

EAGLE schematics and two-layer PCB layoutOp-amp circuitsHand solderingSTM32CubeIDE

Machining

Basic Machining course (U of T MIE)LatheMilling machineDrill pressMachine shop safety

Prototyping and Testing

3D printingIterative prototypingCaliper measurementiPhone LiDAR scanningBench testingWater-leak testing

Safety Training

WHMIS and Lab SafetyBasic Health and Safety AwarenessAODA Training

Projects

Select a project to view its details.

Six Sigma Teaching DeviceJan – Apr 2023

Hand-drawn concept sketch of the Hockey Puck device, with a top view and two detail views — Fig. 1Concept SketchThe “Hockey Puck” design: an elastic launcher fires a weighted puck across the floor.

Plywood prototype of the device lying on a wooden floor, with metal corner braces — Fig. 2PrototypeA plywood body held together with corner braces and glue.

The prototype seen from above, split into its two main pieces — Fig. 3Two PiecesThe body and the launcher separate into two pieces for quick setup and carrying.

Fig. 4Functionality TestTesting the completed prototype.

Table of the client’s five test settings, with the distances measured in three runs each — Fig. 5Test DataThe client’s test settings and the distances measured in three runs each, in cm.

Surface plot of distance against puck weight and elastic quantization — Fig. 6ResultsThe surface plot from the client’s analysis of the prototype’s results (transfer function R² = 0.968).

Year: Jan – Apr 2023
Type: Group project
Client: Dr. Guerino Sacripante, McMaster University

The challenge: A McMaster professor needed a portable device with two adjustable inputs and one measurable output, so students could fit a transfer function to their data. It had to cost under $150, set up in 30 seconds and fit in a backpack.
My role: One of six team members. I was responsible for the prototype: its build, setup time, portability, durability, cost and test performance.
The process: Narrowed 61 ideas from brainstorming, TRIZ and SCAMPER down to three finalists.

Chose the “Hockey Puck” with a weighted Pugh chart: an elastic launcher whose pull distance and puck mass set how far the puck slides.

Built a two-piece plywood prototype and tested each objective, including a 114 cm drop test.
The results: Highest Pugh score (58, against 52 and 40) and the only design with no negative marks.

Sets up in under 30 seconds and cost $95.35, below the $150 target.

The client fitted its test results to a transfer function with an R² of 0.968.

High-Speed FDM 3D PrinterSep – Dec 2023

Render of the high-speed 3D printer assembly: a gantry with a print head over a black print bed on a rectangular base, with a small display on the front and two handles — Fig. 1Printer Assembly Render

Year: Sep – Dec 2023
Type: Group project
Tools: SolidWorks

The challenge: Design an entry-level FDM 3D printer that prints faster than traditional ones without losing accuracy, print quality or affordability.
My role: A member of the design team. I modeled the printer in SolidWorks and helped estimate and test prototype designs.
The process: Benchmarked industry standards and comparable machines such as the Bambu Lab X1C.

Modeled the printer in SolidWorks, prioritizing speed while preserving accuracy and quality.
The results: The team’s improvements cut printing time by 20% compared with traditional FDM printers.

A complete SolidWorks model of the printer, shown in the render above.

Improved Lifting Mechanism for a Garbage TruckSep – Dec 2024

Year: Sep – Dec 2024
Type: Group project
Tools: SolidWorks, MATLAB

The challenge: Redesign the lifting mechanism of a 10,000 lb garbage truck so it spills less and lifts more smoothly, while keeping its original range and motion.
My role: A member of a group project, responsible for the force analysis in MATLAB and the redesign in SolidWorks.
The process: Analyzed the forces in MATLAB to balance the load and keep every component from being overloaded.

Optimized the fork link’s motion to hold a 0° angle of attack.

Remodeled the mechanism in SolidWorks.
The results: A balanced load distribution with no overloaded components.

A 0° angle of attack for higher efficiency, with the original range and motion kept and less spillage by design.

Current Sense Circuit for a Lab Power SupplyJan – Apr 2025

Top view of the finished power supply board with its color LCD showing 0.00 V, a 5.00 V target, 0.90 A against a 0.90 A limit, 0.00 W and a lit CC indicator, with test leads and red 3D-printed clips and knob — Fig. 1Finished Power SupplyThe finished supply running its firmware. The LCD shows the 0.90 A current limit and the lit CC (constant-current) indicator.

EAGLE schematic of the current-sense circuit: the 0.1 ohm sense resistor feeds an LM324 amplifier stage with an offset divider, followed by two more op-amp stages that form a low-pass filter, with a five-pin header carrying the signals — Fig. 2Current Sense SchematicOne LM324 op-amp amplifies the voltage across the 0.1 Ω sense resistor and adds the 0.25 V offset; the other two form the low-pass filter. VOUT1 is the unfiltered output and VOUT2 the filtered one.

EAGLE view of the top copper layer of the two-layer board, with the LM324 footprint, the resistors, capacitors and five-pin header, and the board name along the bottom edge — Fig. 3PCB Layout: Top LayerThe top copper layer of the two-layer board in EAGLE, with the LM324, the through-hole resistors and capacitors, and the five-pin header that plugs into the main board.

EAGLE view of both copper layers of the board together, with the top layer in red, the bottom layer in blue and the net names labeled — Fig. 4PCB Layout: All LayersBoth copper layers together, with the net names labeled. The Gerber files were exported from this layout for the department’s PCB mill.

Back of the main power supply board with the hand-soldered milled current-sense board mounted on it and held by two red 3D-printed clips — Fig. 5Assembled BoardThe hand-soldered board plugged into the back of the main power supply board, held in place by 3D-printed clips.

Fig. 6Current Limit in ActionThe supply in constant-current mode with a 0.50 A limit set, holding the current close to the limit.

Year: Jan – Apr 2025
Type: Group project
Tools: EAGLE, SPICE, STM32CubeIDE, soldering

The challenge: For a mechatronics course lab power supply (19 V in, 0–15 V out, up to a 3 A limit), design the circuit that turns the voltage across a 0.1 Ω sense resistor into a 0.25–3.3 V signal for the microcontroller, using one LM324 and filtering out switching noise.
My role: One of two team members. We designed, simulated, laid out, built and calibrated the board.
The process: Designed a gain-of-10 LM324 amplifier with a 0.25 V offset, plus a two-op-amp low-pass filter against 40–70 kHz switching noise.

Simulated it in SPICE, then laid out a two-layer PCB in EAGLE for the department’s PCB mill.

Hand-soldered and bench-tested the board, then calibrated the current reading in the STM32 firmware.
The results: The finished supply works and holds its current limit in constant-current mode, as shown in the photo and video above.

Uses three of the four op-amps on one LM324 and only standard-value parts.

Window Regulator Constant TensionerSep – Dec 2025

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Outer shell

Click Interact, then drag to rotate, scroll to zoom and right-drag to pan. Click Done or press Esc to scroll the page again.Tap Interact, then drag to turn the part and pinch to zoom. Tap Done to scroll the page again.

Fig. 1Outer ShellThe tensioner’s outer shell, shown on its own.

Fig. 2Inner ShellThe inner shell, shown on its own.

Fig. 3AssemblyHow the parts fit together.

Fig. 4MotionThe tensioner in motion.

Total deformation, von Mises stress and safety factor of the inner shell in ANSYS, with the peak stress where the shell narrows at the top — Fig. 5FEA: Inner ShellPeak stress of 118.74 MPa against a 230 MPa yield strength, for a minimum safety factor of 1.94.

Total deformation, von Mises stress and safety factor of the outer shell with its spring fingers under compression — Fig. 6FEA: Spring Finger BucklingThe outer shell’s spring fingers under compression: peak stress of 29.6 MPa and a minimum safety factor of 7.77.

Von Mises stress, sideways deformation and safety factor of the outer shell as its spring fingers deflect — Fig. 7FEA: Spring Finger DeflectionThe fingers bending out by about 0.7 mm as they ratchet over the teeth, with a minimum safety factor of 2.44.

Normal stress along the outer shell as the spring fingers deflect, highest at the root of a finger — Fig. 8FEA: Spring Finger Bending StressPeak bending stress of 67.77 MPa at the root of a finger, compared with 88.05 MPa from the hand calculation.

Von Mises stress on a ratcheting tooth under the spring finger’s load, highest where the tooth meets its base — Fig. 9FEA: Ratcheting TeethUnder the 167.5 N finger load, the peak stress converged to about 181 MPa after mesh refinement, below the 230 MPa yield even with a 1.2 safety factor.

Year: Sep – Dec 2025
Type: Group project
Client: Magna
Tools: SolidWorks, ANSYS, 3D printer
Models: 3 parts, viewable in 3D

The challenge: Magna needed a constant tensioner for a window regulator, the mechanism that raises and lowers a car’s window. It has to keep the window cable at 40–75 N of tension over its lifetime.
My role: One of the team’s designers. I modeled, 3D printed and tested the parts.
The process: Designed the tensioner as three parts: an outer shell with spring fingers, an inner shell with ratcheting teeth and an adapter.

Modeled them in SolidWorks, checked the assembly fit and 3D printed prototypes to test.

The team checked each part with hand calculations and ANSYS FEA against a 1.2 safety factor, in 40% glass-filled Nylon 66 (230 MPa yield).
The results: A complete three-part design, with a 3D model of each part and videos of the assembly and motion above.

FEA showed every part stays below yield: the inner shell has a safety factor of 1.94 and the spring fingers 2.44 when they deflect.

The ratcheting teeth peak at about 181 MPa, within the 1.2 safety factor and about 22% above the hand calculation, mostly from its estimated stress concentration factor.

Exterior Corner Seal for Residential DoorsSep 2025 – Apr 2026

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Main body

SolidWorks model of the final corner seal on a door frame, labeled: on-frame corner patch, 45 degree angled chamfer, front patch and bottom flange — Fig. 1Final DesignA rigid PVC patch bonded to the door frame, a front patch, a 45° chamfer on top to shed water, and a flexible bottom flange that deforms to seal against the sill.

SolidWorks model of concept 1, a solid angled bracket with a flat base — Fig. 2Concept 1: Door-MountedA foam bracket fixed to the door face. It was dropped early because it left the gap under the door open.

SolidWorks model of concept 2, a tall angled plate with a thin slot on one edge and a flat base — Fig. 3Concept 2: Jamb and Sill MountedA rigid PVC seal with a slot that engages the door jamb and a flat base bonded to the sill. Relying on adhesive alone was judged too insecure.

SolidWorks model of concept 3, a flat patch with a jamb slot on its left edge and a flap that hangs below it — Fig. 4Concept 3 and Iteration 1Adds an extension that bonds to the door frame and a rubber sweep that slots in and overhangs the sill. This is the concept the team developed.

SolidWorks model of iteration 2, a smaller version of the patch with the flap below — Fig. 5Iteration 2A smaller footprint, because the first version covered too much of the door corner.

Fig. 6Iteration 3A shorter overhang, and geometry changes to make the part easier to manufacture.

SolidWorks model of iteration 4, the final design, without the jamb slot — Fig. 7Iteration 4 (Final)Testing showed the jamb slot added no benefit, so it was removed, making the part simpler to manufacture and ship.

Engineering drawing of the main body with front, right and top views and an isometric view — Fig. 8Engineering Drawing: Main BodyThe part that bonds to the door frame, drawn in three standard views plus an isometric view.

Engineering drawing of the bottom flange with front, side and isometric views — Fig. 9Engineering Drawing: Bottom FlangeThe flexible flange that slots into the main body and overhangs the sill.

Two photos of the test rig, a wooden door frame with a white door panel, set up outdoors on a porch — Fig. 10Test RigA mock door and frame used to compare each seal. Water was sprayed at the corner and the time until it leaked through was recorded.

Fig. 11Spray Test VideoWater sprayed from a spray bottle at the sealed bottom corner of the test door.

Bar chart of the time until water penetrated for each corner seal, in minutes: the final design is highest at about 48, last year’s design about 34, and no seal about 2 — Fig. 12Water Penetration ResultsAverage time until water penetrated, in minutes and seconds, over three trials each: no seal 2:31, pile dust plug 6:37, wedge foam 9:04, Simple Solution pad 13:43, Solution seal 15:23, last year’s design 34:26, final design 48:12.

Close-up of the bottom corner of the test door during the spray test, with water droplets on the panel and a wet sill — Fig. 13Spray Test: Corner Close-UpAfter 30 minutes of water exposure, the paper behind the door stayed dry.

The full test rig during the spray test, with water pooled on the ground beside the frame — Fig. 14Spray Test: Full RigThe full test rig during a spray test.

The hinge side of the test door at the bottom corner during the spray test — Fig. 15Spray Test: Hinge SideThe hinge side of the door and frame during a spray test.

Year: Sep 2025 – Apr 2026
Type: Group capstone project
Client: Aribell
Tools: SolidWorks, 3D printing
Models: 2 parts, viewable in 3D

The challenge: Aribell, a Canadian door-systems distributor, needed a seal for the bottom corners of exterior doors, where water and air get in and market seals fail. It had to resist 400 Pa of water pressure, keep air leakage under 1.5 L/s·m² and cost about $1 per piece.
My role: One of three team members. I drafted the design requirements and final specification, contributed test research and did the final review of the report.
The process: Benchmarked four market seals and chose a multi-interface design: a rigid PVC body bonded to the frame, with a click-in EPDM rubber sweep over the sill.

Refined it over four SolidWorks iterations, adding a 45° chamfer after tests showed a flat top trapped water.

3D printed prototypes and timed water leaks on a mock door, with three trials per seal.
The results: Kept water out for 48 min 12 s on average: 213% longer than the best market seal and 40% longer than last year’s design.

Estimated cost of about $0.30 per piece, well under the $1 target.

Next step: lab tests for air leakage and 400 Pa water pressure (ASTM E283 and E1105).

Helical Gear Speed ReducerJan – Apr 2026

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Gearbox assembly

Fig. 1Gearbox AssemblyThe complete two-stage helical gear reducer, as modeled in SolidWorks.

GD&T drawing of the input shaft with a front view, section E-E of the keyway, an end view and an isometric view — Fig. 2GD&T Drawing: Input ShaftThe 154.8 mm input shaft in 4140 steel, with 30 mm and 40 mm diameters, a keyway and a 0.01 mm cylindricity tolerance.

GD&T drawing of pinion 2 with an end view, a side view, a detail of the teeth, an isometric view and the gear specification table — Fig. 3GD&T Drawing: Pinion 2The 16-tooth left-hand helical pinion (module 4 mm, 30 mm wide), with runout, perpendicularity and profile tolerances.

GD&T drawing of gear 3 with an end view, a side view, a detail of the teeth, an isometric view and the gear specification table — Fig. 4GD&T Drawing: Gear 3The 72-tooth right-hand helical gear that meshes with Pinion 2 (module 4 mm, 288 mm pitch diameter, 30 mm wide), with runout, perpendicularity and profile tolerances.

GD&T drawing of the intermediate shaft with a front view, section E-E of the keyway, an end view and an isometric view — Fig. 5GD&T Drawing: Intermediate ShaftThe 200 mm intermediate shaft in 4140 steel, with 45 mm seats for Gear 3 and Pinion 4, two 55 mm shoulders, two keyways and a 0.01 mm cylindricity tolerance.

GD&T drawing of pinion 4 with an end view, a side view, a detail of the teeth, an isometric view and the gear specification table — Fig. 6GD&T Drawing: Pinion 4The 16-tooth left-hand helical pinion for the second stage (module 4 mm, 70 mm wide), with runout, perpendicularity and profile tolerances.

GD&T drawing of gear 5 with an end view, a side view, a detail of the teeth, an isometric view and the gear specification table — Fig. 7GD&T Drawing: Gear 5The 72-tooth right-hand helical gear on the output shaft (module 4 mm, 288 mm pitch diameter, 70 mm wide), with runout, perpendicularity and profile tolerances.

GD&T drawing of the output shaft with a front view, section F-F of the keyway, an end view and an isometric view — Fig. 8GD&T Drawing: Output ShaftThe 211 mm output shaft in 4140 steel, with a 70 mm gear seat, an 80 mm shoulder, a keyway and a 0.03 mm cylindricity tolerance.

Year: Jan – Apr 2026
Type: Group project
Tools: SolidWorks, ANSYS, online gearbox design tools
Model: Assembly, viewable in 3D

The challenge: Design a two-stage helical gear reducer that takes 21 kW at 1,810 rpm down to 87–93 rpm inside a 35 × 35 × 65 cm envelope, with gears and bearings rated for more than 12,200 hours.
My role: One of five team members. I designed the gearbox in SolidWorks from our calculations and supported my teammates with the rest of the project.
The process: Split the 20.25:1 reduction into two 4.5:1 stages, with 16-tooth pinions driving 72-tooth gears at a 4 mm module.

Sized the AISI 4140 shafts by hand (30, 45 and 70 mm) and designed for manufacture with two identical, mirrored housing halves.

Verified the design with GD&T, a tolerance stack-up, ANSYS static and fatigue FEA, and SKF bearing life.
The results: Met every specification, with an 89.4 rpm output.

The bearings last about 27,400 hours (2.25 times the requirement) and both gear stages have a fatigue safety factor of 2.09.

FEA found one weak point, the intermediate-shaft keyway (safety factor 1.02), which a spline would fix.

Bill of materials: $3,685.42.

Personal Projects

Lego Wall MountApr 2025

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Hook

Three Formula 1 Lego cars hanging nose-down from a white rail mounted on a wall — Fig. 1Finished MountThe finished mount holding three Formula 1 Lego cars.

Year: Apr 2025
Type: Personal project
Tools: Calipers, iPhone LiDAR scanning, SolidWorks, 3D printer
Models: 2 parts, viewable in 3D

The challenge: Mount my Formula 1 Lego cars on the wall so they are easy to remove, on a rail that can also hold other items.
My role: A personal project, so I measured, modeled, 3D printed and tested it myself.
The process: Measured the cars with calipers and scanned them with my iPhone’s LiDAR sensor.

Modeled a rail with interchangeable hooks in SolidWorks, then 3D printed and refined several versions.
The results: The mount holds three Formula 1 Lego cars on my wall, as shown above.

The rail accepts other hook designs, so it can hold other items too.

iPhone Case with DJI Action 4 ND Filter MountAug 2026

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iPhone case

Top view of the translucent 3D-printed case on an iPhone 17 Pro, with openings for the three rear cameras and the flash, microphone and LiDAR module, and no filter attached — Fig. 1Case Without FilterThe 3D-printed case on the iPhone 17 Pro, with openings for the three rear cameras and the flash and LiDAR module.

The case with a round ND filter mounted over the upper-left camera lens, overhanging the top edge of the case — Fig. 2Setup: Upper-Left LensThe ND filter mounted over the upper-left lens.

The case with a round ND filter mounted over the lower-left camera lens, overhanging the left edge of the case — Fig. 3Setup: Lower-Left LensThe ND filter mounted over the lower-left lens.

The case with a round ND filter mounted over the right-hand camera lens of the cluster — Fig. 4Setup: Right-Hand LensThe ND filter mounted over the right-hand lens.

Angled view of the finished case on the iPhone 17 Pro with a round ND filter mounted on the camera area — Fig. 5The Finished ProductAn angled view of the finished case with an ND filter mounted on the iPhone 17 Pro.

A hand holding the iPhone 17 Pro with the case and an ND filter mounted over the camera lenses — Fig. 6In UseThe case and ND filter on the iPhone 17 Pro, held in one hand.

Year: Aug 2026
Type: Personal project
Designed for: iPhone 17 Pro
Dimensions: Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro dimensional drawings
Tools: SolidWorks, basic tools
Model: Case, viewable in 3D

The challenge: Design an iPhone 17 Pro case that mounts DJI Action 4 ND filters, for manual control of shutter speed and exposure in my videography.
My role: A personal project, from concept and CAD to prototyping and testing.
The process: Modeled the case in SolidWorks from Apple’s accessory design guidelines.

Iterated through 3D-printed prototypes to refine the snap fit while keeping the case slim.
The results: A working prototype that swaps ND filters quickly.

Lets me lock the shutter speed in bright light without overexposing.

Experience

Professional Experience

When: Jul – Aug 2023
Where: University of Toronto, Engineering Department

Engineering Outreach Counsellor

I led up to 30 youth campers through indoor and outdoor activities while ensuring their safety. With a team of counsellors, I designed and ran workshops for up to 30 participants, and 90% of post-session survey feedback was positive. More than 10 hands-on STEM activities for high school students raised involvement by 20%.

When: Mar 2024 – Present
Where: University of Toronto, Math Department

Classroom Assistant

I ran more than 10 interactive games and hands-on activities for math instruction, and student feedback showed a 25% gain in understanding. I supported over 30 students individually and in groups, adapting my explanations to different learning needs, and overall class performance rose by 15%.

Design Team

When: Summer 2025
Where: University of Toronto Aerospace Team, Space Station Division
Tools: SolidWorks, ANSYS, 3D printing

Mechanical Team Member, Aerospace Design Team

FINCH is a 3U CubeSat that maps crop residue from low-Earth orbit. I modeled and tested its mechanical structure in SolidWorks and ANSYS, then 3D printed each iteration as a prototype. I refined the design until it met the 4 kg weight limit, with a suitable safety factor, tolerances and design requirements.

Get in Touch

I am seeking a mechanical design or analysis role.

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