Baylor Book, Steven Johnston, Harrison May and Alex Ramer
Cleco
Zachary Smith, Facilities Engineer
Garrett Grayson, Facilities Engineer
Dr. Micheal Swanbom
Our project is sponsored by Cleco Power, an electric utility company. Specifically, it is intended for use at the Brame Energy Center in Lena, Louisiana. This site contains Rodemacher Lake, from which they use the water as coolant for various processes around the plant. Except, on this lake there is an invasive species of plant called water hyacinth. This plant floats on the surface of the water and forms large, fibrous masses that clogs up the filtration systems used in the water intake pumps. This project was proposed in a previous design quarter, but the solution did not yield the desired results. Therefore, our team was tasked with improving and reiterating upon the already existing project. To achieve this, our team has consulted the sponsor representatives and faculty advisor, conducted research, generated simulations using SolidWorks, and implemented conservative design calculations. The primary design goal was to reiterate upon the mechanism that physically collects the plants, in which a prototype has already been completed. A test of this prototype has resulted in an improvement over the previous design, measured by the ease of use and the amount of vegetation gathered.
Cass Alexander, Cole Bladsacker, Alexander Dunn and Hunter Hagan
Gordon, Inc.
Steven Shugarts
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman
Gordon, Inc., a manufacturer that specializes in sustainable custom metal architectural
products, sponsored this project to address inefficiencies in its current shipping
process, which relies on single-use, custom-built crates for transporting high-value
finished goods. These crates require significant material and labor, lack size standardization,
and occupy excessive storage space. The proposed design is a reusable, modular, rapid-assembly
crating system to reduce waste, lower costs, and improve storage efficiency while
maintaining safe transport performance. Interchangeable components support small,
medium, and large configurations, with the large crate assembled or disassembled in
under 20 minutes using minimal tools. Crates collapse flat for storage and can be
returned by the customer for reuse. The design targets a factor of safety of at least
two, reduces stored volumetric space by at least 80%, and achieves durability for
at least 15 shipping cycles. The system is expected to improve sustainability, reduce
operational costs, and enhance overall shipping efficiency for the sponsor and customer.
Cayden Lee, Bryce McClendon, Christian McCoy and Jonathan Rosas
Frosty Factory
Joshua Wheat
Dr. David Hall
Frosty Factory stationed right here in Ruston is home to a multitude of frozen beverage machines. What is unique about Frosty Factory’s machines is their ability to incorporate alcohol into their mixes. The model we’re in charge of is the 127-A which houses a connecting coupler made of Nylon-6. This coupler has a unique “D-shape” hole that is cut via a manual broaching press. Our project is based around this broaching process and its ability to broach a consistently concentric line relative to the coupler. Through analyzation of the factory’s current process, we realized a need to stabilize the broach inside the press, so we designed an adapter to serve as a median between the press and broach. To verify that our design is capable, we fabricated a testing rig to directly measure the concentricity of this broached hole which will determine whether the fabricated coupler is fit for its job.
Andrew Barham, Reece Delatte, Joseph Denton and Thomas Maggio
Intralox, LLC
Steuart Turner, Ben Hall and Caleb Phillips
Dr. Timothy Reeves
Intralox, LLC, a global manufacturer of modular plastic conveyor belts, conducts quality
testing using their Achilles 7 Testing System, which requires frequent loading and
unloading of heavy belt sections. The existing process demands two operators, exposes
them to multiple pinch point hazards, and often exceeds safe ergonomic limits. To
address these challenges, our team designed a Conveyor Testing Loading System that
streamlines belt installation while improving safety and efficiency.
The system integrates a rolling cart mounting platform, a universal belt connection
interface compatible with all required belt series, and a hand-operated crank mechanism
that allows a single operator to pull belts through the return way without excessive
force. This design meets the sponsor’s key measures of success by reducing manpower
requirements by 50%, limiting operator effort to under 30 pounds, and eliminating
the need to reach into hazardous areas during installation. The anticipated impact
includes reduced labor costs, improved operator safety, and more consistent preparation
of belts for testing, providing long term operational value to Intralox’s testing
facility.
Mohammed Alghanim, Lander Meinen, John Rasberry and Ryan Staggs
West Fraser
Blake Coe
Dr. Jonathan Niemirowski
The West Fraser sawmill in Joyce, LA uses a boiler fueled by scrap wood to help power the facility. This boiler experiences frequent clogs due to wood chips in the feeder hoppers. The current method of clearing clogs requires a worker to use an air lance to dislodge the clogs. Our capstone group designed and fabricated a mechanism that reduces the work needed to unclog and the likelihood of clogs in one of the hoppers. Four designs were initially considered that were based on how the workers declogged the hoppers at the time. These designs were then put in a decision matrix that accounted for cost, complexity, and safety among other considerations. In the end, it was decided that a constantly running screw conveyor mounted at an angle from the entrance of the hopper to its furthest section to allow for constant movement of the wood chips made the most sense as the mill already uses a screw conveyor to move the chips from the hopper to the boiler. The modular style of the design allows it to be implemented on all other hoppers not only in the plant but any hopper that moves bulk material experiencing clogs.
Jules Callais, Jacob Marks, Lloyd Silvey and Noah Wolf
AEP/SWEPCO (Southwestern Electric Power Company)
Brice Daniel, Controls Engineer
Dr. John Matthews
The Boiler Test Loop addresses corrosion-fatigue failure in water-tube boiler systems, a critical issue affecting reliability, safety, and maintenance costs in power generation. This project investigates whether electroplating can reduce crack initiation and growth under real operating conditions, which has not been fully validated beyond laboratory testing. To address this, a modular test loop was designed to replicate high-pressure and high-temperature environments. The system includes interchangeable pipe geometries, automated control using a programmable logic controller, and real-time pressure and temperature monitoring. Analytical methods such as head loss calculations, fatigue analysis, and SolidWorks simulations were used to evaluate thermal stresses, fluid behavior, and structural integrity. Results show that piping elements create localized turbulence and thermal hot spots, leading to stress concentrations and reduced fatigue life. The test loop successfully simulates boiler conditions and identifies failure-prone regions, providing a practical tool to improve boiler longevity and guide design improvements.
Trilby Hill, Riley Lamonte, Ryan Mulkey and Elisa Tomlin
R&H Machine, LLC.
Brian Traywick - Partner
Holly Richardson - Owner
Dr. Arden Moore
R&H Machine is a multi-discipline machine shop based in Longview, Texas. The machine shop frequently mills and routes the entire surface of large, flat steel and aluminum parts up to 20 square feet in size on their CNC machining center. Currently, these parts are secured using clamps that obstruct the machining surface, requiring the process to be stopped, and clamps repositioned to achieve complete full-face machining. This increases machine downtime and overall project lead time. To fix large parts without obscuring any face, the team designed a modular vacuum fixture system which utilizes suction force to hold these parts in place. The system uses distributed vacuum channels and a gasket to control airflow and suction area underneath the parts. As requested by R&H Machine, the vacuum fixture is divided into 6 independent sections, and the entire device can be operated remotely to ensure the safety of machinists. Testing confirmed an average pressure differential of 7.5 psi, producing approximately 3,300 pounds of clamping force per section in under 10 seconds. This new large part fixture reduces machining interruptions, improves efficiency, and enhances shop safety.
Mallory Barnett, Joshua Lawrence, Claire Scott and Erin Stallings
LA New Product Development Team (LA NPDT)
Dr. Konstantin Dolgan
Dr. John Matthews
LA New Product Development Team (LA NPDT), based in Ruston, Louisiana, provides technical support to transform conceptual ideas into functional engineering solutions. One such concept involves a portable device that uses electrodeposition to arrest fatigue cracks in aircraft structures. Fatigue cracking accounts for more than 60% of aircraft structural failures and often leads to costly repairs or component replacement. This project developed a portable electrodeposition system that delivers a controlled electrolyte stream and adjustable voltage to form a localized electrochemical cell at a crack site. Nickel deposition via a Watts bath was implemented to promote crack growth arrest. A corrosion potential stabilization protocol using a copper/copper-sulfate reference electrode (less than 5 mV change over three minutes) ensured consistent plating conditions. Plated specimens underwent cyclic fatigue testing, and crack growth was evaluated using Paris’ Law to determine propagation arrest effectiveness. This design offers a portable and practical solution to extend aircraft service life and reduce maintenance costs.
James Brown IV, Aaron Johnson, Casey Markham and Charles Waite
Haynes International
Clint Stephenson, Production Control Manager
Dr. Kelly Crittenden
This high-performance tube manufacturer must package each titanium tube individually in plastic for secure shipping to clients in the aerospace industry. The current process is manual and constitutes a bottle neck in the overall operations. The scope of this project is focused on the design of an automated Titanium tube packing system that reduces the process time. The design demonstrated in this project will be done at full scale to the extent that the budget permits.
Abbie Carlson, Ella Locke, Maddox Taunton and Ethan Tomsu
The A.J. Weller Corporation
Hunter Lee and Tim Edwards
Dr. Matthew Young
Founded in 1982, A.J. Weller is a steel fabrication company that specializes in high-wear
resistant products that serve a multitude of industries. One product of interest is
their
WellerCLAD®, which is a composite steel material that must be machined on its mild
steel side to avoid damage to the clad layer on the opposite side for future fabrication.
Due to the weight and size of these plates, the team was tasked with designing a mechanism
to improve the current process for rotating these plates. The final design solves
this issue by decreasing the time it takes to flip each plate, reducing the number
of defects on the plate that are caused by the previous flipping process, and reducing
the number of operators required for the overall flipping process. The design provides
an overall simpler and safer process that aids A.J. Weller to produce a more resilient
product for their customers. The final design is easily repeatable for future applications,
requires little maintenance, and eliminates the previous risk involved in rotating
these large steel plates for machining.
Liam Denehan, Sydney Leonard, Ryan Pearson and Daniel Waguespack
Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), Commercial Capabilities Division (CCIT)
Michael Gurtner, AFGSC AgilePod Senior Project Manager
Kieran Denehan, AFGSC/A5N Project Manager
Mr. Michael Theodos, P.E.
The Commercial Capabilities Integration and Transition Division (CCIT) connects small businesses and universities with Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) to accelerate capability upgrades and strengthen national defense. One such upgrade is the AgilePod26, a retrofit for the B-52 Stratofortress that outfits the aircraft with modular sensor packages. During ground operations, the AgilePod is transported by a steel loading cradle and mounted with an MHU-83 forklift. The existing design exceeds 463L pallet dimensions, limiting deployability during group flights. This project redesigned the cradle to meet dimensional constraints while retaining structural integrity under operational loads. Finite element analysis, analytical calculations, and load testing maintained a design factor of safety of 3 and a test factor of safety of 2, validated by a 2.5x operational test load. The final design allows eight cradles to fit on one 463L pallet, reducing cargo footprint, transportation cost, and improving deployment efficiency for AFGSC operations.
Grant Bowling, Charlie Dronet, Caleb Granger and Ethan Plunkett
DIS-TRAN Steel
Rett Gatewood, Reliability Engineer
Nick Parker, Mechanical Engineer
Dr. Kelly Crittenden
DIS-TRAN Steel manufactures large steel utility poles that require an internal backing bar to support full-penetration welds between the pole and baseplate. The current manual forming process requires two operators and averages approximately 5 minutes per bar, limiting throughput and increasing labor demand. This project developed an automated backing bar forming system to reduce labor requirements and improve repeatability. Design requirements included accommodating bars 20ft in length, achieving a variable bend radius, improving the cycle time, and integrating with existing fabrication workflows. The system utilizes electromagnets mounted on a lead screw drive to position the bar and a pneumatically actuated press to generate the required forming force. Force and stress analyses were conducted to size the actuator, lead screw, and structural members with a minimum safety factor of 2. The prototype was fabricated and prepared for performance validation to quantify cycle time reduction and cost savings.
Logan LeBlanc, Mason Senat, Nathan Theriot and Aidan Willis
Clement Industries
Bobby Horton and Griffin Schlamp
Dr. John Kraft
The Anti-Tip Trailer Control System is designed to mitigate risk of tip-over in dump trailers and collect data on the geometry of the trailer while dumping. Tip-overs in dump trailers occur when the trailer is tilted above 30 degrees and submitted to sufficient lateral forces, causing the center of gravity to shift across the furthest reach of the wheels, this causes the trailer to fall on its side. There is currently no product that does this job. We plan to collect the geometry data of the trailer with an accelerometer rigidly attached to the body. We plan to mitigate the risk of tip-over by making the wheel base wider with outrigger style arms. When the trailer is tilted to a set point defined by Clement, the arms will pivot outward to make the base of the truck wider thus making the force to cause tip-over incredibly high. These arms will be able to stow away when not acting as outriggers and become the third axle these trailers are equipped with. The outrigger arms will make the risk of tip-over near 0 in all normal scenarios a dump trailer may see on the job site, this saves time, money, and lives.
Adam Guillory, John Meguess, Garrett Patrick and Seth Roques
The A.J. Weller Corporation
Hunter Lee
Dr. Stan Cronk
AJ Weller is a steel manufacturer who uses a Verson Allsteel brake press to bend thick sheets of metal into the desired shapes. The goal of our project is to design and fabricate a more ergonomic brake actuation system that can enable and disable the rotary brakes on this press, which was created in the 1940s and currently possesses an pedal actuator. The current actuator is a crude pedal that rests 17 inches off the ground and is unwieldy and stressful to use, especially on a constant daily basis. Our solution implements a linear actuator connected to a CNC-style pedal. This removes the old pedal from the system in place for a lower and less stiff pedal that strains the body less. This design is relatively cheap, allowing for easy implementation for similar scenarios.
Jeffrey Islam, Chloe Lorca, Jordan Ward and Jacob Westmoreland
Hayes Manufacturing
Luke Kirchhoff, Engineer
Dr. Timothy Reeves
This design project was sponsored by Hayes Manufacturing, a metal fabrication company in Pineville, Louisiana. Hayes often has large steel discs to manufacture, weighing up to 800 pounds, that can vary in size. Hayes required a device that can hold and rotate these discs mid-air while operated by crane. Hayes currently has a device that incorporates a magnet and requires multiple steps to rotate the disc. The magnet prevents the device from being used on all steels, and operational steps are cumbersome, often unsafe. The new design is an adjustable bracket device that can account for the varying sizes of the discs, and a frame that connects the bracket to the crane. The bracket rotates the disc within the frame through manual operation of a gearbox. The design is considered a success if it is able to rotate a disc mid-air, requires zero magnets, and does not increase loading times by more than 50% of the current device’s operational time. The new design is expected to make the loading and rotating of the discs safer and more convenient for operators.
Silas Bertrand, Adrian Broussard, Jacob Fannon and Jace Peveto
Haynes International
Shaun Lewis, Quality Manager
Mr. Michael Theodos, PE
Two of the most important aspects of engineering are quality and reliability, especially
in mission critical applications. Haynes International is a manufacturer of high-performance
alloys for aerospace, power generation, and chemical processing
industries. Haynes’ facility in Arcadia, Louisiana produces seamless titanium tubes
for
these applications. The pressure testing process, known as proofing, requires a pair
of
chucks to seal the tube at both ends to be pressurized with water. The problem faced
is
each current chuck holds only one tube size. Our goal is to reduce the amount of
chucks needed and expedite the proofing process. Our team met with Shaun Lewis,
quality manager, to help clarify what was required. After the meeting, the team began
research to find equations for pressure vessels and standards applicable for proofing.
The team conceptualized three designs and chose one to produce. It was then tested
for sealing and efficiency, measured against the previous system. Our team was able
to
reduce the number of chucks with our new design and reduce the time required to proof
a batch of tubes. Potential next steps would be to evaluate if it is possible to increase
the number of sizes in a given set of chucks.
Aaron Cantrell, Kullen Hebert, Brennan Henry, Anthony Holyfield
Strikewerx
Hannah LeBlanc, Project Manager
Dr. Michael Swanbom
STRIKEWERX is a government-contracted innovation resource for Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). Their notable capabilities include digital training innovation, mechanical and aerospace solutions, safety, and process improvements. AFGSC has a high precision tracking system called a Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (Sniper); however, they lack a standardized maintenance stand for it. Furthermore, their current substitutes for maintenance stands are munition stands, which are not mobile, scratch off the Sniper’s resistive outer coating, are too low to the ground, require two workers, and poorly stabilize the Sniper. Scratching leads to corrosion during deployment of the Sniper, and the required maintenance posture is unhealthy for prolonged periods. The team combined static analyses with FEA to address these issues through height adjustability, low friction and full rotation, an ergonomic height, a wide footprint, and casters. The team’s final stand achieves the requirements of AFGSC and STRIKEWERX by allowing reliable axial rotation, ergonomic stand height, reduced manpower to one, and mobility.
William Bagley, Faith Delgado, Evan Garner and Emily Schaff
United States Air Force
Michael Gurtner, Senior Program Manager
Nate Dawn, Deputy Division Chief
Dr. Casey Kidd
The AgilePod26 ergonomic maintenance rack was designed to support and suspend the AgilePod26 during maintenance operations for the United States Air Force. The rack allows technicians to lift the pod from the cradle and position it at a desired height. This design provides access to the pod's internal components through its doors. The current rack is overengineered, heavy, and cannot be deployed. The goal of this project was to create a lighter, more compact rack that meets Air Force deployment needs while keeping its strength and safe lifting capability. The final design features an A-frame structure made from square tubing and dual lead screw lifting system powered by an electric motor. Safety pins and limit switches were added to prevent over-travel and provide support. The rack was modeled in SolidWorks to check its structural performance and ensure it could support the load. The final design meets Air Force requirements and military standards, including compatibility with a 463L pallet, operation using a standard wall outlet, and lockable wheels for stability. The system was designed for three times the expected load and tested at twice the load without permanent deformation.