Christopher Tseng
Christopher Tseng
Engineering Student at the University of Waterloo
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MDE Intern - Ample (Winter, Fall 2024)
MDE Intern - Ample (Winter, Fall 2024)
For two of my work terms, I was a mechanical design engineering intern at Ample, a Series C startup in San Francisco working on EV battery swapping. I was on the battery modules team, which is responsible for both the core functionality/DFM of the high voltage battery modules, as well as working with other teams to ensure smooth operation.
There, I gained experience through the entire development cycle -- beginning ideation, quick-turn samples, DVP&R testing, integrating those test results back into engineering, then product release & production troubleshooting. I worked on designing parts and releasing drawings for vendors across a variety of manufacture methods (sheet metal, injection molding, CNC, die casting, FDM/Carbon CLIP 3D printing).
Certain contributions are partially redacted or not included for confidentiality.
Short Circuit Fixture
Short Circuit Fixture
One of my projects during my most recent term was designing a short circuit fixture for use in internal UN ECE R100/R&D testing. The fixture is designed to withstand in excess of 500A for the time period until the vehicle fuse activates. The busbar is connected to 10 500A contactors in parallel -- the semicircle configuration was used to equalize resistances from the contactors to the main busbar lugs, for proper current distribution.
Major goals of this project were quick turn around and low cost. By building it in-house, we achieved cost savings of over 90%.
By utilizing sheet metal design/services as well as leveraging the CNC router already available in-house, the project was completed in under a month start to finish (2 weeks for design, 1.5 weeks for build).
ANSYS joule heating simulations were used to validate the busbar design & current distribution, as well as milliohm meter checks.
High Voltage Components
High Voltage Components
Examples of some parts designed for injection molding, for use inside the high voltage battery.
Internal Assembly Jigs
Internal Assembly Jigs
Small in-a-day fixture projects to assist production technicians with certain assembly features that were being attempted as part of R&D for the next major product version. Numerous other small projects made for deployment, assembly, etc.
Test Engineering
Test Engineering
Gained a lot of experience setting up, performing, and tearing down all kinds of abuse tests (internal, UN38.3, R100, OEM). This included strapping systems to a shaker table for shock/vibe, thermal propagation out in the middle of the Mojave, and IP testing.
QC Gauges
QC Gauges
Used GD&T principles to design various gauges for internal QC. Mostly designed to be machined. Other gauges included designs meant for use in hi-pot testing.
Other Projects
Other Projects
Production line gauges for pre-packout validation/deployment troubleshooting
Prototyping sheet metal enclosure modifications using 3D printed tooling
Solved P0 issues that were blocking a couple of international deployments with major OEM partners. Rapidly determined root cause, developed fix, and implemented SOPs on production line/rework teams deployed internationally.
Validating supplier samples from engineering side (PCBA mechanical, die cast dimensions)
Designed 3DP replacement for CNC engineering validation part that unblocked cross-team R&D in <1wk, with production continuing into current major version for internal test/validation use.
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