Vikash Balasubramanian
Senior Product Design Engineer
Projects
Water Sampling System
Prototyped an automated water sampling system which could collect water in a dark brown bottle after a particular time interval for PPG Industries.
PPG wanted the water collection to happen at same predefined interval accurately and repeatably, so sample collected would have same preset conditions and can be tested accurately.
My Contribution: Designed and implemented plans to automate the water sampling process. Developed the PLC logic and the link between the PLC, electrical components and mechanical components.
SVTCM
Sensing Verticality of Taut Cable Mechanism (SVTCM) was designed as part of a larger system for commercial use as a gravity offloader. The mechanism was designed to detect the angular displacement of a taut vertical cable to an accuracy of 0.3 degree.
Example usage would be for lunar rover testing, or other low gravity scenarios.
My Contribution: Being a member of a very small team, I pitced in with CAD modelling, machining electrical wiring and software programming.
Flapping Wing MAV
A Passive Flight Stabilization of a Flapping wing Micro Aerial Vehicle with a tail fin was proposed and tested, results of which were compared to a vehicle without any stabilization.
Tail Fin type design uses gravity, drag and lift to resist the rotation away from upright position.
Formula Manipal - FM09
Formula Manipal is the official Formula Student team of Manipal University. Formula Manipal consists of a team of inter disciplinary undergraduate students who conceptualize, design, fabricate, test and race a 600 cc single seater, open wheel formula style car. In the second year of its inception (2009) the team participated with FM09 in the FSAE Student 2009 event organized at Silverstone Circuit.
My Contribution: As theTechnical Team Leader,I was an Integral member of the core team that designed and manufactured the brakes, transmission parts, steering wheel and CNC machined components of the 600cc racing car (FM09).Also worked on special cost task – “15 minute presentation on how to manufacture and assemble a brake caliper” in which we came 2nd.