Engineering Portfolio
Kacper
Walczuk
Mechanical engineering student at Illinois Tech and working at Finkl Steel. Hands-on experience spanning CNC machining, industrial automation, robotics, and precision manufacturing.
At a Glance
SchoolIllinois Institute of Technology
MajorMechanical Engineering
WorkFinkl Steel — Engineering
FocusManufacturing / Automation / Design
SoftwareSolidWorks, MasterCam, Python
Projects
Selected Work
Academic engineering projects in CNC manufacturing, 5-axis machining, FEA analysis, and industrial process design.
INTM 439 — SPRING 2026
Ye Ole Pop Topper
5-axis CNC bottle opener on DMG MORI DMU-50: CAD, FEA, custom soft jaws, Mastercam toolpaths, cost analysis, and interactive 3D viewer.
5-AxisDMG MORIFEASoft JawsThree.js
View project →
INTM 438 — DECEMBER 2025
Art to Part: CNC Machining Final
Reverse-engineering workflow — inspection, SolidWorks CAD, hand-written G-Code, MasterCam 2025 toolpath generation.
SolidWorksMasterCamG-CodeAluminum 2024
View project →
PERSONAL PROJECT — 2023–2025
MeetPad: Video Conferencing Keypad
Designed, manufactured, and sold custom keypads for Zoom & Teams. Custom enclosures, PCBs, firmware, and keycaps.
PCB DesignSLA PrintingPrototypingProduct Design
View project →
More projects coming soon
H-Bot Gantry System • VFD Troubleshooting • Industrial Automation
Interactive
3D Model Viewer
Three.js approximation of the bottle opener. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom.
YeOlePopTopper — Three.jsdrag to rotate
01 — Specs
Part Specifications
LENGTH2.563"WIDTH0.953"THICKNESS0.460"MATERIAL6061-T6HOLEø0.213" ThruCHAMFERS1/64" × 45°TOLERANCE±0.005"FINISHRaw Machined
PHASE 01
SolidWorks 2024
Spline-based profile with fully defined sketch. Vector reference from customer overlaid. Chamfers added to all edges and thru hole. Blueprint exported as PDF and DXF.
Spline ProfilesFully DefinedEdge Chamfers
03 — Analysis
Finite Element Analysis
Three materials tested under 50 lbf: PLA (failed), A356 cast (passed), 6061-T6 (selected).
FEA STUDY
Static Stress — 6061-T6
Peak stress 138 MPa vs 275 MPa yield. PLA exceeded 50 MPa yield — would fail. Handle is the critical feature. Factor of safety validated for production.
Von Mises50 lbf3 Materials
04 — Workholding
Custom Soft Jaws
FIXTURE DESIGN
Soft Jaw Design
Custom jaws for SCHUNK KSC 11 base. Profile from part geometry with chamfered clamping edges. One-time setup for repeatable high-volume production.
SCHUNK KSC 11RepeatableProduction Ready
ON MACHINE
Installed on DMU-50
Machined soft jaws mounted with bottle opener seated. Part centered and clamped on two additional contact surfaces from jaw profile.
DMG MORI DMU-505-Axis Mill
05 — CAM
Mastercam Toolpaths
OP1
First Operation
3" face mill, 5/16" dynamic contour (828K toolpath), 1/4" finish contour, through hole drill, chamfers, and 5-axis engraving.
Dynamic MillHigh Speed5-Axis Engrave
OP2
Second Operation
3in face mill, 45 degree chamfer
5-AXIS
CNC Engraving
Name engraved on side face using 5-axis simultaneous milling. Machine tilts part to access side while maintaining tool engagement.
5-Axis Simultaneous
06 — Cost
Production Quoting
QUOTES
Bid Analysis
Stock: $1.64/block (Grainger). 1.62 parts/hr at $75/hr. 100 pcs: $4,407 (1–2 wk). 200 pcs: $8,238 (2–3 wk). Includes CAD/CAM, material, machining.
$1.64/block$75/hr4 Suppliers
SIZE3.5"×2.5"×.725"MATERIALAl 2024ISLAND0.375"TOL±0.005"FINISH63μinHOLES4SLOT0.500"TOOLS8
02 — Inspection
Measurement
PHASE 01
Dimensional Inspection
Measured with digital calipers, height gauge, radius gauge set, pin gauges. Each feature measured at least twice.
CalipersHeight GaugePin Gauges
PHASE 02A
3D Model
SolidWorks 2024. Extruded base, island profile with fillets. Four holes via Hole Wizard.
SolidWorksHole Wizard
PHASE 02B
Technical Drawing
Section A-A, Detail A, feature table, GD&T datums, revisions table.
Section ViewsGD&T
04 — G-Code
Manual Programming
FirstOP — Walczuk.txt
( FACING AND ISLAND CONTOUR )
G00 G90 G40 G17 G80 G49 G20
T324 M6 S2000 M3 G54
G00 X-1.6 Y1.25 Z0.2
G01 Z-0.01 F12.0 ( Face )
T292 M6 S1000 M3 G42 H1
G03 X-1.75 Y-1.25 R0.5 ( Lead-in )
G01 X3.5 Y0.0 G01 X3.5 Y2.5
G02 X1.125 Y0.25 I0 J0.045
M5 G91 G28 Z0 M9 M30
PHASE 03
Contouring & Drilling
5/8" end mill contours, 3/8" slot mill, 4 drills, chamfer mill. 14 total toolpaths with roughing and finishing passes.
Climb Milling14 Toolpaths8 Tools
RESULT
Final Part
Simulation verified all features match inspection. All edges broken with 0.015"×45° chamfers.
VerifiedSimulated
PERSONAL PROJECT — 2023–2025
MeetPad:
Video Conferencing Keypad
Designed and sold custom macro keypads for video conferencing. Full product lifecycle: concept, CAD, PCB design, firmware, SLA-printed enclosures, and direct-to-consumer sales.
- ENGINEER
- Kacper Walczuk
- ROLE
- Solo Founder & Designer
- DURATION
- 2 Years
- REVENUE
- $10,000+
01 — Overview
Product Specifications
KEYS4 MechanicalKNOBVolume ControlLEDS2 Status IndicatorsCONNECTIONUSB & BluetoothENCLOSURESLA Resin PrintPCBCustom DesignedKEYCAPSCustom LegendsCOMPATWin / Mac / Linux
02 — Product
Industrial Design
DESIGN
Enclosure & Keycaps
Custom-designed enclosures printed on SLA resin printers for a smooth, professional finish. Interchangeable keycaps with custom-printed icons for mute, camera, end call, and share screen functions.
SLA PrintingResinCustom Keycaps
03 — Electronics
PCB & Firmware
ELECTRONICS
Custom PCB Design
Purpose-built PCB with microcontroller, mechanical key switches, rotary encoder for volume control, and dual LED indicators for mic and camera status. Plug-and-play functionality with no drivers required.
PCB DesignFirmwareHID Protocol
04 — Features
Functionality
FEATURES
Macro Keypad System
Four interchangeable macro buttons, a precision volume knob, and LED status indicators. Compatible with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and other conferencing platforms. USB and Bluetooth connectivity.
ZoomTeamsUSBBluetooth
PACKAGE
Complete Kit
Each unit shipped with the keypad, spare blank keycaps for customization, USB-C cable, and quick-start guide. Designed for plug-and-play setup on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
USB-CCross-PlatformPlug & Play
05 — Brand
Marketing & Sales
RESULT
KeysCo Brand
Sold under the KeysCo brand at KeysCo.shop. Generated over $10,000 in revenue through direct-to-consumer sales. Product photography, marketing materials, and web presence all created in-house.
E-CommerceBranding$10K+ Revenue
06 — Software
Keys Studio
Created custom python based software allowing for additional customization of keypad functions. Global video and microphone mute allows for system wide control.
