top of page
Headshot - Eric Sass_edited_edited_edited.png

About

Hello! My name is Eric Sass, I am in my final year of mechanical engineering; at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

 

I am from Toronto and played sports like volleyball, basketball and hockey growing up. Now, I enjoy following basketball, F1 and MotoGP.

 

I love camping - I've camped almost every year of my life, and been on dozens of canoe trips.

Projects: About

Work Experience

Multimatic, Design Engineering - Suspension

May - August 2024

I supported the suspension design engineering department in Multimatic's Technical Centre (MTC), for my final 4 months. Some of my core responsibilities were:

  • Designing components in CATIA V5 and Seimens NX, editing/updating designs.

  • Creating or updating technical drawings and GD&T.

  • Co-ordinating prototype fabrication, testing, and analysis.

  • Conducting assembly tolerance stack-up analyses.

  • Analyzing test data. Processing vehicle sensor data.

  • Processing 3D scans in Geomagic Studio.

  • Working on reports: Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA), Customer Test Specifications (CTS), and Design Verification Plan and Reports (DVP&R).

  • Designing stamped sheet metal, forged, and plastic injection molded parts.

​

An accomplishment of mine, is contributing to the quotation/acquisition phase of a program, for a popular truck.

  • I designed multiple components and created component/assembly drawings.

  • There were multiple product options, I created packages for each option containing CAD, drawings, and a presentation.

  • Additionally, I created a presentation comparing components and manufacturing processes between each option.​​

​

​

Multimatic, Design Engineering - Mechanisms

September 2023 - April 2024

I supported the mechanisms design engineering department in Multimatic's Technical Centre (MTC), for 8 months. My core responsibilities were very similar to those shown above.

  • I learned surfacing and solid body modelling techniques in CATIA, to design stamped sheet metal, cast, and plastic injection molded parts.

 

A responsibility I was given, was to manage all design tasks for one subsystem in a next-generation complex mechanism. This was directly before a manufacturing plant began production of the product. This involved:

  • Updating designs and drawings based on prototype testing results.

  • Performing structural analysis using CATIA to validate designs.

  • Creating a calculator in Excel to estimate the subsystem's performance.​

  • Performing a kinematic study regarding the motion of the part - creating kinematic simulations and swept volumes using CATIA.

  • Conducting tolerance stack-up analyses, and coordinating 3DCS tolerance analysis.

  • Presenting these design changes, drawings, analysis, calculations, and kinematics to lead design engineers, process engineers, and a manufacturing plant's general manager.

​

​

Honda of Canada Manufacturing, Product Engineering - Interior

May - August 2023

I supported the product engineering department at Honda of Canada Mfg.'s factory, for four months. The majority of my work was related to Buzz/Squeak/Rattle issues in the interior of Civics and CRVs. Some of my tasks were:

  • ​Conducting root cause analysis, using dynamic multi-post stands, test tracks, collaborative robots and environmental chambers.

  • Supporting prototype testing, I helped set up a collaborative robot to perform durability tests over the course of multiple days.​

  • Configuring sensors like accelerometers, microphones, and thermocouples; collecting and processing data.

  • Presenting results to collogues and supervisors.

​
 

Royal Military College of Canada, Junior Researcher

Part - Time: January - April 2023

I supported the turbomachinery research group at the Royal Military College of Canada, for four months on a part-time basis. I researched flow control techniques in aircraft engine S-ducts.

  • RMC has spent years developing a rectangular to circular S-duct. 

  • My task was to design a duct in Solidworks to improve flow characteristics by manipulating the cross sectional shape.

  • I used "Gerlach" shaping where the duct is designed so that velocity is increased at the outer wall and decreased at the inner wall of the first bend. This solution mitigates the natural geometry of an S-duct. This is achieved by narrowing the duct at the outer wall and widening it at the inner wall, resulting in a trapezoidal inlet face, rather than rectangular. As a result, the pressure gradient between the walls is reduced, without changing the average flow velocity.

  • I designed the duct and all required components for testing in a transonic wind tunnel. I prepared models which were 3D printed, and 2D drawings.

​​

​

Royal Military College of Canada, Research Assistant

May - August 2022

I worked in the turbomachinery research at the Royal Military College of Canada, for four months. I independently operated a wind tunnel, this involved:

  • Collecting data to validate airfoils designed by the United States Airforce Research Laboratory (ARFL), which represent a 2D simplification of compressor blades within a jet engine.

    • AFRL additionally provided airfoils with "tubercles" which are small, rounded bumps, protruding from the leading edge of the airfoil. ​These are found to improve flow characteristics of certain animal structures, like whale flippers.​

  • Setting up the wind tunnel to test under different conditions, different angles of attack and speeds.

  • Using pressure tap and velocity probe data to calculate performance metrics in MATLAB, and compare to CFD predictions from AFRL. Additionally, using these performance metrics to determine whether the tubercles are effective.

  • Presenting results to supervising professors.

image.png

Multimatic Control Arms

image.png

Multimatic StepGate

image.png

2022 Honda Civic interior

image.png

RMC logo

klf8zkf085r91_edited.png

S-duct

1-s2.0-S0029801822004632-gr4.jpg

Airfoil with tubercles (right) and without tubercles (left)

image.png

Typical jet engine compressor rotor

Projects: Projects

Projects

Individual Research Project - "Thesis", In progress

image.png

SickKids logo

image.png

                       Compression device

Reference: Nia, H. T. et al. In vivo compression and imaging in mouse brain to measure the effects of solid stress. Nature Protocols. 15, pages 2321–2340 (2020). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41596-020-0328-2

Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children want to understand how a growing tumor applies mechanical stress to the brain, so they began an experiment with mice using a compression device, containing a screw (green) and window (blue).

 

I am currently modelling this experiment in ANSYS Workbench.

  • I am adjusting things like screw depth, direction, and shape to investigate which factors affect the stress within the brain.

  • I am performing mesh refinement studies, and comparing simulation results to microscopic images of compressed mouse brains, to validate the accuracy of the simulation.

 

The aim is to refine the design of the device to better replicate the mechanical environment of an expanding tumor, ultimately enabling more realistic studies of tumor progression.​

Senior Group Design Project - "Capstone", In progress

NewQCar-1162x766.jpg

Autonomous parallel parking maneuver

This team project began with the task of developing an autonomous parallel parking system using the Quanser QCar, a scale-model autonomous vehicle platform equipped with advanced sensors and NVIDIA Jetson hardware. We used two approaches:

  • Using traditional computer vision techniques

    • Applying image preprocessing (grayscale + Gaussian blur) and edge detection ​(Canny using OpenCV) to identify the parking lines.

    • Executing the trajectory of the parallel parking maneuver using inputs from this edge detection.

  • Using machine learning techniques​

    • ​We captured 1500 images of parking lines at different angles and lighting conditions, and annotated them using RoboFlow to generate a dataset.​

    • Next, we augmented the dataset and used MobileNet V2 to train our CNN model. We relied on NVIDIA's Deploying Deep Learning for tutorials and libraries.

​

I am continuing this project in 2025, our task is to develop a similar vehicle platform from scratch. The purpose is to allow educators at Queen's to use it as a learning tool, since it costs approximately $20,000 to purchase the QCar from Quanser. This will involve:

  • Researching and purchasing required components like a chassis, sensors, and Jetson. The layout of the sensors must match the QCar, so it can be used in the same research setting.

  • Designing the layout of the car.

  • Manufacturing any required components, assembling the car.

  • Testing the function, comparing to the QCar.

Queen's Racing Design Team:
Frame

Fully assembled car

Freshly painted frame

I joined our FSAE Racing team in my first year at Queen's. I became chassis lead after one year on the team, when we began to design our first car since before the pandemic.

​

I led the design our 4130 steel tube frame. This involved:

  • Reviewing FSAE rules, and considering our team's objectives.

    • We prioritized simplicity for manufacturing ease, in addition to reducing cost.

  • Planning the integration of other systems like suspension and powertrain.

  • Building a rig to test ergonomics using multiple drivers, to ensure visibility and comfort. We measured the geometry of the cockpit after adjusting seat back/thigh angle, steering wheel location, and pedal location.

  • When we had a design space, we designed a baseline frame in Solidworks using the minimum amount of tubes dictated by the rules.

  • We used Solidworks Simulation to calculate the baseline's torsional stiffness.

    • ​Next, we​ designed dozens of iterations with different tube configurations and cross sections.

    • Then, we analyzed these options and evaluated them based on their  stiffness : mass ratio. We validated the final stiffness using stiffness target calculations.

  • We communicated with VR3 (the supplier that bends and laser cuts our tubes), to ensure our design was manufacturable. I provided CAD and drawings, and ordered our frame.​

  • We set up each tube on our welding table and measured it's position, then our certified welder finished each tube.​

​

The team suffered an expensive engine failure after multiple days of testing, prior to the competition in Michigan. We decided to stop the season, and save the money for our transition to EV. Despite this, the season was still deemed a success, since we built the first car in over three years and learned a significant amount.

Screenshot 2023-04-02 185418.png

Ergonomics testing rig

Screenshot 2023-04-02 182323.png

Tube cross sections

Screenshot 2023-04-02 145858.png

Frame analysis, front torsion load case

Pedal Box

3D Model, Pan/Zoom:

Queen's Racing Design Team:
Pedal Box

IMG_0357.jpg

Assembled pedal box

Screenshot 2023-04-01 234559.png

Brake pedal analysis

As chassis lead, I also led the design of our our pedal box. This involved:

  • Reviewing FSAE rules, and considering our team's objectives.

    • To save money, we used a scrap piece of aluminum as a base, and reused the throttle assembly from the previous year.

    • Adjustability is another objective. 

      • The base is bolted to rails, allowing longitudinal adjustability for different sized drivers.​

      • Brake Pedal Ratios of 3.5/4.0 were used, to set driver braking force to be approximately 100/120 lbs.

      • A cable allowed us to change the brake bias on the fly.

  • Designing the base​ was an iterative process, removing material based on analysis results. The final design of the base and brake pedal was validated using Solidworks Simulation.

  • ​Our welder welded the tabs to the base, and we assembled the master cylinders and pedals, and mounted it in the car. 

Screenshot 2023-04-02 125249.png

Pedal box base analysis

3D Model, Pan/Zoom:

Queen's Racing Design Team:
Seat

IMG_0539_edited.png

Cockpit

I designed our carbon fiber seat. This involved:

  • ​Reviewing FSAE rules, and considering our team's objectives. 

  • Sketching the seat profile based on cockpit geometry and ergonomic parameters determined by physical testing.

  • Sketching the lateral support based on anthropological data and physical testing.

  • Using surfacing techniques in Solidworks to design the seat.

  • Communicating with our Composites team, to ensure smooth manufacturing.

  • Cutting clearance holes to allow for use of the safety harness.

3D Model, Pan/Zoom:

Seat

Queen's Racing Design Team:
Mounting Systems

I designed tabs using Solidworks to support things like the seat, engine, safety harness, pedal box, and more.

  • I ran the CNC laser cutting machine.

  • Then, I manually bent tabs, and jigged them to be welded to the frame.

  • We analyzed tabs using a 3g load case.

Tabs used to mount components to the frame

Rocker

Computer Aided Design, Class Project:
Suspension Rocker Optimization

As a class project in MECH 465: Computer-Aided Design, I worked with a team to optimize a rocker link for an FSAE race car's suspension system. ​​

  • First, we analyzed the loads and boundary conditions in the system, then created an optimization problem statement. The goal was to minimize mass while ensuring the von-mises stress does not exceed the material's yield stress.

  • Next, we set up the model from the bottom up in ANSYS Mechanical APDL, implementing parameters for every dimension, creating every element by hand.

  • Finally, we optimized the design using the steepest decent method.

rocker3.png
rocker2.png

Initial rocker geometry

rocker.png

Optimized rocker geometry

FSAE rear suspension with rocker link highlighted in blue

Great North Concrete Toboggan Race (GNCTR) Design Team:
Mechanical Design

Screenshot 2025-01-06 193001.png

I assisted with the design of the mechanical systems within the team's toboggan:

  • ​Chassis and mounting

  • Steering

  • Braking​​

​

Additionally, I prepared drawings to help our machine shop cut and weld every tube.

Concrete toboggan frame

​Additional Experience

Holiday Pools, June - August 2021

I independently completed cleaning, maintenance and chemistry checks for pools across Toronto.

​​

Bank of Montreal, October 2018 - May 2019

I worked with the Estates Processing team, I completed tasks like data entry and file organization.

  • I earned the Award of Excellence within the BMO co-op program.

​

True North Sports Camps, June - August 2018/2019

I spent two summers as a multi-sport camp counselor for children aged 4-12.

Volunteer Experience
YMCA Camp Pinecrest, August 2018:

  • Cook/dishwasher

  • Maintenance technician

  • Day camp counselor 

​​​​​​

John Wanless Public School, September - December 2019

I was an assistant volleyball coach for grades 4-6 boys. The team placed second in Toronto.

Additional

Contact Me

Please feel free to reach out to me at ericsass167@gmail.com, or connect with me on LinkedIn and send me a message.​

bottom of page