Summary

This week, I worked on polishing 3D-printed egg shells, building a custom case to hold them, and milling a PCB to fit inside the eggs for the Eggcellent Imposter project. In the Drain Saver project, we attached a medium-fidelity prototype to a hot condensate pipe for testing. We also enjoyed a fireworks show, providing a fun break after a productive week of hands-on engineering work.

This week brought steady progress and new experiences in both of my internship projects: Eggcellent Imposter and Drain Saver. Our focus shifted toward building physical components and testing them in realistic conditions.

Eggcellent Imposter: Shaping, Polishing, and Housing the System

In our egg project, I continued polishing the 3D-printed egg shells to improve their finish and fit. Making sure the shells look realistic and smooth enough to resemble actual eggs has been both fun and challenging.

Alongside polishing, I designed and 3D-printed a compact case to hold multiple eggs in place securely. This structure will help in organizing and stabilizing our system during field testing.

To improve internal hardware fit, I also milled a custom PCB based on our final circuit design. This allowed the circuit to sit neatly inside the egg a critical step in making our device both compact and functional.

After completing the integration of the internal electronics we moved on to egg shell polishing and designing the protective case.

Drain Saver: Medium-Fidelity Prototype in Action

For the Drain Saver project, our team created a medium-fidelity prototype that reflects the updated design for cooling autoclave condensate. We tested it by attaching it directly to a hot condensate pipe, and began monitoring its behavior in real conditions.

After days of hands-on building and testing in the lab, we wrapped up the week with a fun and colorful celebration outside the workspace.

A Sparkling Break: Fireworks Experience

After a full week of prototyping and testing, we had a chance to relax and attend a fireworks show — a bright and colorful end to a productive week. It was a great moment of bonding with fellow interns and a reminder to celebrate progress both big and small.

This week reminded me how hands-on work brings design ideas to life. Whether it was polishing egg shells, milling PCBs, building cases, or testing prototypes, each activity taught me something new about engineering in action. I’m excited to continue refining and testing these systems next week!