PRINT A CAR PART IN 5 DAYS

What: A 3D-printed plastic model of an air intake, the part of a car that allows and directs air to the engine. Students use this model to test the dimensions for the car's final aluminum intake. The team is hoping their car will take the top slot at the Formula SAE Collegiate Design Series​, to be held June 19 to 23, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Who: A dozen Cal State LA students led by faculty advisors and assistant professors of mechanical engineering Arman Pazouki, Ph.D., and John Christopher Bachman, Ph.D., with assistance from Javier Vasquez at Foundry Works Inc.

Material: ABS plastic, which is durable and can withstand higher temperatures

Time to print: Five days

Lesson: “The experien​ce has helped me think outside the box," says Fernando Covarrubias, a senior mechanical engineering student. “Using 3D printing for this project saved ​us a good four or five months of work. Without it, we would've had to chisel the intake model into wood by hand."