Commex Corp (June2022 - Aug2022)

During my internship at Commex Corp from June 2022 to August 2022, where I served as an Automations Engineer, I actively contributed to the company's growth objectives. Commex Corp, a small-scale packaging industry with a valuation of $10 million, aspired to transition into a mid-sized industry, and my role was pivotal in facilitating this progression. My primary focus was on expediting their growth through the development and manufacturing of innovative in-house machines.

Upon joining Commex, my initial task involved a comprehensive study of their operations and workflow. This allowed me to pinpoint critical pain points in their manufacturing process. One notable challenge was the reliance on an outsourced railcar adapter part used for connecting hoses to railcars transporting raw materials, specifically Polyethylene pellets. Recognizing the inefficiencies associated with the expensive and lengthy lead times of this outsourced part, I took the initiative to address this issue.

To streamline the process and reduce costs, I designed a Railcar adapter (On SolidWorks) and utilized a Creality CR-30 3D printer to bring the design to life using PLA material. 

Recognizing another significant pain point during my internship at Commex Corp, I observed that each machine in the facility relied on air filters that required daily manual cleaning by a dedicated technician. With close to hundreds of filters of varying sizes (diameters ranging from 4" to 12"), a dedicated technician spent considerable time each day cleaning them individually.

To address this efficiency challenge, I took the initiative to design and manufacture an automated air filter cleaner machine. This innovative solution could accommodate air filters of all sizes and was designed with practicality and versatility in mind. The machine featured a chamber mounted on a stand, incorporating a flexible filter mount equipped with a motor for rotation. The flexible mount was made using TPU on the Creality CR30. This required me to convert the printer into direct drive which I did inhouse with 3D printed PLA components. Within the chamber, tubes with strategically drilled holes were installed on the walls. These tubes delivered pressurized air to the center of the filter stand, effectively cleaning the filters.

The construction of the machine included transparent plexiglass walls for the chamber, and the bottom funnel, responsible for collecting the dust, was also meticulously designed and constructed using epoxy. Upon completion this machine was over 80% more efficient completing the cleaning process in just 3 minutes compared to the manual 15-minute counterpart.

Software skills: SolidWorks

Hard skills: 3D printing, Drilling, Welding