Hi, I’m Lauren TADDA.

I am a 22-year-old wife, daughter, and sister pursuing engineering and Christ above all.

I am an Assistant Mechanical Engineer at Burns & McDonnell. I graduated from John Brown University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering. I want to share my skills with the world and encourage other young boys and girls to do the same. I interned at three companies and took on many unique projects throughout college, and I now hope to share my experience and help others in need!

Programs:

AutoCAD Electrical, Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks, MathCAD, Matlab, Microsoft Office, Cura, Creo, Calypso, Discus, SAP, Ansys, and Meshmixer are all programs I have worked with.

Hands-on Projects:

  • 3D Model and print hundreds of parts using a CR-10S Pro, Ender 3, and Ender 3 Pro Creality 3D Printers

  • Solder circuits, wire circuits, program arduinos, program PLC’s, design control systems

  • Program and use CNC/CMM machines

  • Machine different metal parts using a bandsaw, hand tools, and a Bridgebort mill

  • Etch professional-looking logos and specs for parts using an Omtech CO2 Laser Engraver/Cutting Machine

  • Design, test, and build a working Electronic Bohr Model prototype

  • Design, test, build, and compete with an automated robot in a robotics competition

My Experience

Over the years I have worked on a number of projects in engineering. To name a few, I have designed, programmed, and built a couple of drivable robots (automated and manually controlled), 3D modeled a button-making machine with dozens of parts, designed, built, and tested a working Bohr Model prototype for educators, and soldered circuit boards for multiple projects.

autonomous Robot

My senior design project in college was to design, prototype, test, and build an autonomous robot that could compete at the IEEE R5 2024 Robotics Competition. The goal was for it to be able to accomplish all the tasks and compete and place well in both the preliminary and elimination rounds within the physical constraints. For the preliminary round, the robot was to start from any position in a 2’ x 8’ arena and find its way to, and press, two buttons on either end of the arena without touching the walls. For the elimination round, the robot was to start from any position within an 8’x8’ arena and follow a predetermined path to eight chargers placed along the walls of the arena. The goal was to charge at each charger, pass other robots in the arena, and be the ‘last man standing’. Our robot placed 3rd place overall and we ended up being the most stable and aesthetically pleasing robot on the floor.

PLC Stand

PLC’s are industrial computers used to control different electro-mechanical processes, and I designed, built, and wired a PLC stand for other students to use and control the PLC. In the image to the left the screen is missing, but you can see all the components that went into using the PLC efficiently. There are multiple lights, buttons, and sensors that the students will program using the PLC, but I machined and built almost a dozen of these stands.

Internships

I have accepted and worked three internships within the time I have been studying for my degree at John Brown University. Summaries of the tasks I completed and skills I took away from each internship can be seen below.

Assistant Engineering INtern - John Brown University

  • Accomplished daily tasks and projects for Head Engineer.

  • Designed, machined, and wired a dozen PLC stands for an upcoming class.

  • 3D printed (using multiple different Creality 3D Printers) approximately 50 or more parts for various projects.

  • Soldered and wired multiple circuits for Arduino programming and use.

Control Systems Engineering Intern - Tyson Inc.

  • Attended meetings and set out weekly/monthly goals with the team.

  • Received project requests from factories to design systems and laid out budgets, plans, and schedules for each project using Procore.

  • Designed schematics using AutoCAD and Revit for poultry factory-floor systems based on available equipment and space.

  • Reviewed peers' drawings and approved for construction.

  • Designed and updated company standards for Controls Engineering.

Quality Engineering Intern - Lockheed Martin

  • Programmed Zeiss CMM machines and inspected parts using those machines

  • Conducted First Article of Inspection (FAI) on new parts

  • Designed fixtures and parts using Creo and Solidworks

  • Updated work instructions for operators using the CNC and CMM machines

  • Reduced unused styli for CMM and created cost savings reports

  • Assisted head Quality Engineers with whatever tasks they needed

  • Learned LEAN manufacturing principles and Six Sigma skills.