01 / OVERVIEW
During my exchange semester at the University of California, Berkeley, I joined Berkeley Hyperloop as part of the structures team. It was my first international engineering project and my first experience working in an English-speaking technical team. When I joined, the team was approaching the 2018 SpaceX Hyperloop competition cycle, but the pod chassis was not yet ready for manufacturing or subsystem integration. My role focused on reducing this bottleneck by turning the CAD concept into a manufacturable aluminum structure and physically contributing to the chassis fabrication.
02 / ENGINEERING CHALLENGE
The main challenge was time. The competition deadline was approaching, but the team still needed a completed chassis before other subsystems could be integrated. Unlike Baja SAE, this vehicle had no driver, which gave the structure more design freedom. However, the chassis still had to be strong, lightweight and stable for a high-speed straight-line vehicle. A key requirement was integrating a traction concept based on four independent electric motors, one for each wheel, while maintaining precise alignment for the belt-drive transmission.
03 / DESIGN & DRIVETRAIN INTEGRATION
Making the CAD manufacturable and aligning the drivetrain
The chassis was designed in SolidWorks using square aluminum 6061-T6 profiles. My work focused on reviewing and adapting the CAD so the structure could actually be manufactured with the available equipment. The most critical areas were the motor mounting regions, where geometry and precision directly affected belt alignment. Because each wheel had its own electric motor, the chassis had to support accurate drivetrain positioning while keeping the structure simple, lightweight and manufacturable.
04 / MANUFACTURING & WELDING
In-house aluminum fabrication and TIG welding
Manufacturing was the most demanding part of the project. Critical 45-degree cuts for motor-related chassis members were made on a conventional milling machine with an adjustable head angle to improve precision. Less critical aluminum profiles were cut using a precision table saw. I also performed a large part of the aluminum TIG welding, which was the appropriate welding process for the 6061-T6 aluminum chassis. By manufacturing the chassis in-house instead of outsourcing it, the team reduced the fabrication cost from an expected budget of approximately $3,000 to about $800 in material cost.
05 / OUTCOME
Completed chassis for subsystem integration
What this project demonstrates
• International engineering teamwork in English
• CAD-to-manufacturing refinement
• Lightweight aluminum chassis fabrication
• TIG welding of aluminum structures
• Electric drivetrain mounting integration
• Belt-drive alignment considerations
• Design for manufacturability under time pressure
• Cost reduction through in-house manufacturing
• Hands-on ownership from CAD to welded hardware
Image gallery
CAD MODEL
CHASSIS MANUFACTURING
PRECISION FIT
COMPLETED CHASSIS
FINAL MODEL