Mechanical Design Engineer for Athletic System
Budget: $50 – $0 USD
Senior Mechanical Design Engineer
Complete Machine Design | Prototype Development | Long-Term Opportunity
Engineering First. CAD Second.
THE LAB Athletic Systems is developing an innovative athletic resistance training system and is seeking an experienced Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to transform an existing engineering architecture into a complete prototype-ready CAD package.
This is NOT a concept design project.
The product architecture has already been developed through extensive engineering, trade studies, component selection, manufacturing analysis, human factors research, and prototype planning.
We are NOT looking for someone to redesign the machine.
We are looking for an engineer who can transform an existing engineering architecture into a complete, manufacturable mechanical design suitable for prototype fabrication and future production.
If your primary skill is CAD drafting, this project is probably not a good fit.
If your strength is solving engineering problems and creating production-ready mechanical designs, we would like to hear from you.
Project Scope
Develop a complete engineering CAD package including:
Complete 3D machine assembly
Individual manufactured components
Weldments
Sheet metal components
Machined parts
Bearings
Shafts
Cable routing
Linear motion assemblies
Height adjustment mechanism
Engine module packaging
Electronics packaging
Structural frame
Assembly drawings
Exploded assemblies
Manufacturing drawings
Bill of Materials (BOM)
STEP files
Revision-controlled CAD package suitable for prototype fabrication
Required Experience
Please apply only if you have experience designing complete mechanical products or machinery.
Examples include:
Industrial machinery
Robotics
Automation equipment
Medical devices
Manufacturing equipment
Fitness equipment
Special-purpose machinery
Electromechanical systems
Experience with:
Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
Design for Assembly (DFA)
Prototype fabrication
Mechanical packaging
Manufacturing documentation
is required.
Preferred CAD Platforms
SolidWorks
Autodesk Inventor
Equivalent professional CAD platforms will also be considered.
This Project Is NOT
CAD drafting only
Reverse engineering
Product styling
Industrial design only
Rendering only
Student projects
We are looking for engineering judgment and real-world mechanical product development experience.
Required Screening Questions
Please answer every question.
Generic proposals will not be considered.
Engineering Experience
Describe the most technically challenging mechanical or electromechanical product that you personally helped design.
What percentage of the engineering and CAD work was your responsibility?
Did the product reach prototype, production, or commercialization?
Describe one engineering decision that significantly improved manufacturability.
Describe one design issue discovered during prototype fabrication and how it was resolved.
Manufacturing Experience
Have you produced complete fabrication drawing packages that were successfully built?
Have you worked directly with fabrication shops, machine shops, or contract manufacturers?
Which manufacturing processes have you designed for?
CNC machining
Sheet metal
Weldments
Injection molding
Castings
Extrusions
Composite fabrication
Additive manufacturing
Mechanical Design
Describe your experience designing systems containing:
Electric motors
Bearings
Shafts
Cable systems
Pulleys
Linear guides
Gearboxes
Structural frames
What CAD platform do you use professionally?
How many years have you used it professionally?
Engineering Judgment
If another engineer owns the product architecture, what is your process for validating it before beginning detailed CAD?
How do you balance performance, manufacturability, cost, and serviceability?
Describe your approach to tolerance stack-up and assembly validation.
What additional information would you require before preparing an accurate proposal?
Project Planning
Approximately how many engineering hours do you believe a project of this complexity would require?
What assumptions are you making when preparing that estimate?
What do you believe is the greatest technical risk in converting an existing engineering architecture into a prototype-ready CAD package?
Portfolio
Please include:
Three complete mechanical assemblies that you personally designed.
One fabrication drawing package.
One exploded assembly.
One example of a product that was actually manufactured.
One project you are most proud of and explain why.
IMPORTANT
To confirm that you have read the complete project description, begin your proposal with the words:
ENGINEERING FIRST
Proposals that do not include these words or fail to answer the screening questions will not be reviewed.
Selection Process
We are looking for a long-term engineering partner, not simply someone to produce CAD.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to review a portion of the engineering package and participate in a technical discussion covering:
How they would approach the CAD development.
Questions they would ask before beginning.
Manufacturing concerns they immediately identify.
Their proposed development strategy.
Estimated engineering effort.
Areas of technical risk.
Opportunities to improve manufacturability and serviceability without changing the underlying architecture.
This discussion is intended to evaluate engineering judgment, communication, and problem-solving ability.
Long-Term Opportunity
The selected engineer may continue supporting:
Alpha prototype revisions
Beta development
Manufacturing optimization
Cost reduction
Production CAD
Future product family development
Complete Machine Design | Prototype Development | Long-Term Opportunity
Engineering First. CAD Second.
THE LAB Athletic Systems is developing an innovative athletic resistance training system and is seeking an experienced Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to transform an existing engineering architecture into a complete prototype-ready CAD package.
This is NOT a concept design project.
The product architecture has already been developed through extensive engineering, trade studies, component selection, manufacturing analysis, human factors research, and prototype planning.
We are NOT looking for someone to redesign the machine.
We are looking for an engineer who can transform an existing engineering architecture into a complete, manufacturable mechanical design suitable for prototype fabrication and future production.
If your primary skill is CAD drafting, this project is probably not a good fit.
If your strength is solving engineering problems and creating production-ready mechanical designs, we would like to hear from you.
Project Scope
Develop a complete engineering CAD package including:
Complete 3D machine assembly
Individual manufactured components
Weldments
Sheet metal components
Machined parts
Bearings
Shafts
Cable routing
Linear motion assemblies
Height adjustment mechanism
Engine module packaging
Electronics packaging
Structural frame
Assembly drawings
Exploded assemblies
Manufacturing drawings
Bill of Materials (BOM)
STEP files
Revision-controlled CAD package suitable for prototype fabrication
Required Experience
Please apply only if you have experience designing complete mechanical products or machinery.
Examples include:
Industrial machinery
Robotics
Automation equipment
Medical devices
Manufacturing equipment
Fitness equipment
Special-purpose machinery
Electromechanical systems
Experience with:
Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
Design for Assembly (DFA)
Prototype fabrication
Mechanical packaging
Manufacturing documentation
is required.
Preferred CAD Platforms
SolidWorks
Autodesk Inventor
Equivalent professional CAD platforms will also be considered.
This Project Is NOT
CAD drafting only
Reverse engineering
Product styling
Industrial design only
Rendering only
Student projects
We are looking for engineering judgment and real-world mechanical product development experience.
Required Screening Questions
Please answer every question.
Generic proposals will not be considered.
Engineering Experience
Describe the most technically challenging mechanical or electromechanical product that you personally helped design.
What percentage of the engineering and CAD work was your responsibility?
Did the product reach prototype, production, or commercialization?
Describe one engineering decision that significantly improved manufacturability.
Describe one design issue discovered during prototype fabrication and how it was resolved.
Manufacturing Experience
Have you produced complete fabrication drawing packages that were successfully built?
Have you worked directly with fabrication shops, machine shops, or contract manufacturers?
Which manufacturing processes have you designed for?
CNC machining
Sheet metal
Weldments
Injection molding
Castings
Extrusions
Composite fabrication
Additive manufacturing
Mechanical Design
Describe your experience designing systems containing:
Electric motors
Bearings
Shafts
Cable systems
Pulleys
Linear guides
Gearboxes
Structural frames
What CAD platform do you use professionally?
How many years have you used it professionally?
Engineering Judgment
If another engineer owns the product architecture, what is your process for validating it before beginning detailed CAD?
How do you balance performance, manufacturability, cost, and serviceability?
Describe your approach to tolerance stack-up and assembly validation.
What additional information would you require before preparing an accurate proposal?
Project Planning
Approximately how many engineering hours do you believe a project of this complexity would require?
What assumptions are you making when preparing that estimate?
What do you believe is the greatest technical risk in converting an existing engineering architecture into a prototype-ready CAD package?
Portfolio
Please include:
Three complete mechanical assemblies that you personally designed.
One fabrication drawing package.
One exploded assembly.
One example of a product that was actually manufactured.
One project you are most proud of and explain why.
IMPORTANT
To confirm that you have read the complete project description, begin your proposal with the words:
ENGINEERING FIRST
Proposals that do not include these words or fail to answer the screening questions will not be reviewed.
Selection Process
We are looking for a long-term engineering partner, not simply someone to produce CAD.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to review a portion of the engineering package and participate in a technical discussion covering:
How they would approach the CAD development.
Questions they would ask before beginning.
Manufacturing concerns they immediately identify.
Their proposed development strategy.
Estimated engineering effort.
Areas of technical risk.
Opportunities to improve manufacturability and serviceability without changing the underlying architecture.
This discussion is intended to evaluate engineering judgment, communication, and problem-solving ability.
Long-Term Opportunity
The selected engineer may continue supporting:
Alpha prototype revisions
Beta development
Manufacturing optimization
Cost reduction
Production CAD
Future product family development