Mechatronics Engineer - Foundry Lab

As an early technical hire at Foundry Lab, I joined during the company’s formative years and had the rare opportunity to work across nearly every aspect of our hardware platform. I learned at an incredible pace, failed fast and often, and contributed to building novel systems that ultimately formed the backbone of a world-first metal casting process. The role demanded broad thinking, deep dives into detail, and the willingness to constantly iterate.

One of my key areas of focus was our deposition system. I selected and integrated industrial printheads and drive electronics into our 3D printing platform, developed early-stage slicing software tailored to our unique process, and became the in-house technical lead for all fluid and deposition-related issues. I traveled to Cambridge, UK to train in waveform development for custom fluids and used high-speed drop-watcher systems extensively to tune our deposition performance.

I also led the design and integration of our ink supply system, collaborating with external vendors to deliver a robust, 24/7-capable setup that handled chemically aggressive, high-solids-content fluids. These systems included fluid agitation, non-contact cleaning, flushing, waste handling, and precision fluid routing, all designed with chemical compatibility and particle settling as key design constraints.

Alongside system integration, I worked on functional fluid development, contributing to the formulation of our custom ceramic binding fluid. I consulted with suppliers and experts, developed custom test plans, and ran validation workflows. I’m proud to be named as a co-inventor on Foundry Lab’s pending patent for this binding system.

My mechanical contributions spanned the design and build of motion systems, powder management equipment (including hoppers, dosing systems, conveyors, recoaters, and sieves), and broader machine architecture, from structural frames and skins to fluid, air, and electrical integration. I also supported the development of microwave and resistive vacuum furnaces, managing a procurement project with an international partner to deliver a custom high-performance unit.

One of my larger solo projects was our build box transfer system. I designed, built, and deployed the initial working prototype, including electronics (circuit design and PCB layout), motion system, actuator, UI, and mechanical components. This was later followed by a refined version built in collaboration with external vendors and an internal mechanical engineer, which was deployed to a customer-facing environment.

I’m highly skilled in assembly and workshop practices, with hands-on experience in machining (manual mill, lathe), laser cutting, FDM/SLA/SLS 3D printing, and general fabrication. I’m also proficient with laboratory and metrology equipment, including surface plates, indicators, roughness testers, oscilloscopes, load cells, and vacuum sensors.

Beyond engineering, I took part in process design and testing, developing test plans, running experiments, analyzing data, and sharing insights to inform product direction. I also advised across marketing and business strategy, notably advocating for our use of X (formerly Twitter), which has since grown to become our largest audience channel. I represented Foundry Lab at U.S. trade shows and visited potential customers, including major automotive and consumer electronics companies, to understand their needs and feed that knowledge back into product development.

Below is a limited (NDA) gallery of photos from my time at foundry lab.