SR26, the CWRU Motorsports Baja car, at speed on a dirt track

Manufacturing & Test Engineer, CWRU Motorsports

ShubhamIyer.

I'm a Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering student at Case Western Reserve University and a manufacturing and test engineer on CWRU Motorsports Baja SAE. I program and machine drivetrain and suspension parts on CNC and manual equipment, and I'm leading the design of a drivetrain torsional test stand.

Studying
B.S. Mechanical & Aerospace Eng., CWRU, 2029
Team
CWRU Motorsports, Baja SAE
Looking for
Summer 2027 internship, or spring/fall 2027 co-op
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About

On CWRU Motorsports I turn team drawings into finished drivetrain, suspension and frame parts for our Baja SAE cars, and I design the tests that show whether those parts hold up.

Manufacturing

I've machined more than 15 unique parts for SR26 and the SR27 build in 6061 and 7075 aluminum, 4130 and 4140 steel, Delrin and UHMW. On the lathe I hold ±0.001 in on reamed press-fit bores. I program multi-setup 3-axis toolpaths in Fusion CAM, and I cut the SR27 front inboard yokes on the 4th axis. I also set up the team's vacuum thermoformer and laid up carbon fiber for the SR26 seat.

Testing

I'm currently leading a four-person team developing a torsional test stand for our drivetrain. It will apply up to 400 lb-ft of torque to the propshaft and the front inboard and outboard yokes, with S-beam load cells and strain rosettes logged through a DAQ. Those measurements will validate the Ansys Workbench FEA I built to predict yield in the 7075 aluminum yoke and spider.

I'm looking for an internship for summer 2027, and I'm open to a spring or fall 2027 co-op, in manufacturing, automotive or motorsports engineering.

Get in touch

From the teardown

Teardownbefore competition

Before SR26 left for competition, I tore down the 4WD assembly and the front transfer case, and helped inspect every part for cracks and deformation. The torque limiter hubs had cracked.

We worked out the design changes needed to fix the problem, and I helped machine the replacement hubs. Then I rebuilt both assemblies and torqued everything to spec. It was all back on the car before the event.

The cracked torque limiter hub, with two cracks circled Crack 1beside the bore Crack 2from the bore into the cross hole
One of the cracked torque limiter hubs, found during the teardown.

From the shop

Parts, drawings and tools from the last year

SR27 yoke, 4th axis
SR27 yoke, 4th axis
On the lathe
On the lathe
Torque limiter hub
Torque limiter hub
Fixture block drawing
Fixture block drawing
Kydex off the former
Kydex off the former
Yoke, still on its stock
Yoke, still on its stock
EMAE 160 hammer
EMAE 160 hammer
The thermoformer
The thermoformer
Wheel force transducer
Wheel force transducer

Where I'veworked

Manufacturing & Test EngineerCWRU Motorsports (Baja SAE)Aug 2025 to present

I hold two roles on the Baja team. On the manufacturing side I make parts for the car. On the test side I get the car and its instruments ready for test days, and I inspect it before competitions.

How: I plan each job from the team's drawings and run it on whatever suits the part: manual lathe and mill, 3- and 4-axis CNC, or the waterjet. Before each event I tear down and inspect the drivetrain. On test days I'm responsible for instrumentation like the wheel force transducer, and I lead the build of the yoke torsional test stand.

Outcome: Over 15 of my parts ran on SR26, and I caught a cracked torque limiter hub before it reached the course. The SR27 front inboard yokes are done.

Teaching Assistant, EMAE 160 Mechanical ManufacturingCase School of Engineering, Case Western Reserve UniversityAug 2026 to present

EMAE 160 is the intro manufacturing course. Every student in it machines a hammer from a set of part and assembly drawings, and I help run two lab sections of eight students each.

How: I demonstrate each machine before students run it: manual mills, lathes, the surface grinder, bandsaws and drill presses. I also teach them to read calipers and micrometers properly. Then I check their parts against the drawing's dimensions and GD&T callouts as they go, and run the final inspection on every hammer. Between labs I keep the machines running, from bandsaw blades and coolant to mill and lathe upkeep, and I make sure PPE and shop rules are followed.

Outcome: Sixteen students get through their first real machining project, and no hammer leaves the lab without being checked against the drawing.

The EMAE 160 hammer.
The EMAE 160 hammer.
A batch of finished hammers.
A batch of finished hammers.

Two broken tools I keep on my desk

A tap and a center drill, both snapped in my lab sections while students were using them. They are hard, brittle tools, and they break quickly when they are forced or go in at an angle. Looking at how they broke, I could see that the way I'd been showing students how to use them wasn't landing, so I changed how I teach both. It was a learning point for me as much as for them. I kept the pieces to remember a mistake I made, and how I fixed it.

The broken tap.
The broken tap.
The broken center drill.
The broken center drill.
Customer Service AssistantHousing and Residence Life, Case Western Reserve UniversityAug 2026 to present

I work the front desk for on-campus housing, which is the first stop for residents who need something.

How: I run check-in and check-out, hand out keys and keep the key inventory, and help with room assignments. I also handle cash and keep the desk's financial and administrative records, and I help with mail and routine facility inspections.

Outcome: One desk where residents can sort out keys, rooms and mail, with the key and cash records kept up to date.

Student Facilities AssistantCase Western Reserve UniversityMay to Aug 2026

Over the summer I worked on facilities for more than 30 residential buildings.

How: I did safety inspections, maintenance and year-end building assessments, and logged what I found in the housing maintenance tracking system. I was also on the on-call rotation for lockouts, maintenance problems and medical emergencies.

Outcome: Every building on my list was inspected and recorded over the summer, with the findings logged for the maintenance team to act on.

Mechanic & Service InternJeep Motors, Surat, IndiaAug to Sep 2021

I spent two months in the service department of a Jeep dealership.

How: I worked alongside the technicians on Compass, Wrangler and Meridian vehicles: wheel alignments, engine and transmission work, and keeping track of parts inventory.

Outcome: My first hands-on time with production vehicles, before I'd started engineering school.

Education

Case Western Reserve University

B.S. Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Expected Graduation: May 2029
GPA: 3.83

Fountainhead School, Surat, India

IB Diploma, 40 of 45 points
99th percentile
Graduated May 2025

Tools

CAD and CAM
SOLIDWORKS (CSWA), Siemens NX, Fusion CAD/CAM, MasterCAM, Onshape, AutoCAD (certified)
Analysis
Ansys Workbench (FEA and CFD), MATLAB, Python (NumPy, Pandas, SciPy, Matplotlib)
Shop
3- and 4-axis CNC milling, CNC and manual lathe, manual mill, waterjet, vacuum thermoforming, carbon fiber layup, 3D printing, SMAW and TIG welding
Quality
GD&T, reading and drafting drawings, precision metrology, teardown inspection

Hobbies

Two finished striped hardwood cutting boards, stackedThe same boards from an angle, showing the oiled finish and chamfered edges

Sears think[box]

Woodworking

I make striped hardwood cutting boards in the wood shop at Sears think[box]. I arrange the strips into a pattern, glue and clamp them into a panel, then flatten and sand the board, chamfer the edges and finish it with oil.

F1Race analysis, 1998 to now
  • Data download and core tablesBuilt and tested
  • ScoringIn progress
  • Race prediction modelsPlanned
  • Tyre and pit stop strategyPlanned
  • WebsitePlanned

Data from Jolpica, FastF1 and Open-Meteo

Personal project, Python and React

Formula 1 data

F1 is the sport I follow most closely, so I'm building my own analysis of every race since 1998, grouped by regulation era and track layout. The Python pipeline will predict qualifying and race results with calibrated probabilities and suggest tyre and pit stop strategy for each team, and a React and TypeScript site will present it.