Blue Sky Solar Racing - structural and manufacturing lead

Role and scope

As structural and manufacturing lead, I was responsible for a large portion of the car's composite build process, from structural decisions and laminate planning to molds, tooling, and shop execution. If a part needed to carry load, fit correctly, or be built efficiently, it usually came through our team.

A big part of the role was translating high-level design goals such as low weight, sufficient stiffness, and manufacturability into practical manufacturing decisions. That meant thinking not only about geometry, but also about tooling splits, layup schedules, fabrication sequence, and what the team could realistically execute on a tight timeline.

Composites, tooling, and process improvement

I led the design and manufacturing of gelcoat and fiberglass molds for major aero body components, including the bottom shell and fairings. This involved working closely with CAD, manufacturing, and shop processes to decide how molds should be split, where flanges should go, and how to maintain tolerances while staying within our time and budget constraints.

On the manufacturing side, I helped develop and refine our carbon fiber layup procedures for both wet layups and infusion-based parts. I also worked on plug development and tooling workflows, including process improvements that reduced 3D printing and finishing time by about 20% while keeping part quality consistent.

We also carried out structural checks and smaller validation efforts before committing to full-scale components, which helped reduce risk and improve confidence in the final build.

Teamwork and race impact

This work depended on constant coordination with other subteams. Structural choices affected packaging, solar array integration, cooling, and race strategy, so I often worked across boundaries to make sure the design could actually be built and assembled without compromising performance.

The project felt a lot like working on a small hardware startup. There were hard deadlines, physical consequences if parts failed, and very little room for disconnect between design and execution. It gave me real experience in composites, design for manufacturing, and leading engineering work under pressure.