AESC Projects – Spring 2025

Alro Steel Corporation, a leader in metal distribution and processing, is preparing for the expansion of its largest facility in Potterville, Michigan. With 81 locations across 16 states and more than 75 years of experience serving U.S. manufacturing, the company remains committed to enhancing operational efficiency. In anticipation of this growth, Alro Steel Corporation is focusing on optimizing its Plate Laser Department to improve productivity and ensure a seamless transition as the facility expands.

The Plate Laser Department is a critical area of operation, housing advanced Trumpf Fiber Lasers, including two integrated with an automated STOPA storage and retrieval system. While these technologies have significantly improved processing capabilities, further enhancements are required to streamline laser cutting, storage, and automation. The primary objective of this project is to refine the efficiency of offloading and packaging laser-cut parts to support continuous machine operation and reduce production delays.

To achieve these goals, the project will involve a comprehensive evaluation of current workflows, floor space utilization, material handling processes, and packaging techniques. One key aspect of the solution will be the use of CAD modeling to redesign the warehouse floor space, layout of cut parts, and box dimensions. To minimize handling, the best approach was to design and implement custom box variations that lay flat on the unloading tray, enabling parts to be stacked directly on top. Once all cutting is complete and stacking has been accomplished within the machine, the box will be folded and taped automatically then taken to its final location. Eliminating the need to hand stack parts into the shipping box will significantly increase workflow and enable the machine to cut continuously without any delay.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Jolo Abordo
Brownstown, Michigan

Sienne Prideaux
Macomb, Michigan

Chloe Casenave
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Cole Scribner
Goodrich, Michigan

Alro Steel Corporation

Project Sponsor

Austin Fandel
St. Johns, Michigan

Joel Major
Lansing, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Grant Freeman

American Axle & Manufacturing is a global leader in driveline and metal forming technologies, with a footprint spanning over 80 locations across North and South America, Asia, and Europe. AAM strives to deliver high-performing technology that helps reduce the cost of vehicle development programs and is fast and efficient.

AAM currently lacks a structured way to track and analyze how spending is allocated across its Outside Service Providers (OSP). This project is intended to provide a solution by developing a heat map on Tableau that creates visualizations of OSP spending distribution, transportation frequency, and utilization. The heat map will provide an insight into where the spend is going, how much is tied to each OSP, and find opportunities for optimization and insourcing.

By using this approach, the project will help identify potential cost-saving opportunities, such as optimizing transportation modes and improving supplier utilization. The end goal is to reduce transportation and purchasing costs, speed up production, and improve financial transparency.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Justin Holtz
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Amy Walqui
Ishpeming, Michigan

Mason Reynolds
Beverly Hills, Michigan

Mahren Faiz
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Nicholas Given
Flat Rock, Michigan

Nick Napolitano
Rochester, Michigan

American Axle & Manufacturing

Project Sponsor

Curtis Crane
Detroit, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Arun Chauhan

BASF is a global innovator in the chemical industry. With sustainability at the forefront, the company is committed to creating chemical solutions that merit economic prosperity, environmental protection, and social responsibility. BASF offers a variety of high-performance materials across multiple industries such as energy, agriculture, automotive, and more.

The Coatings business group is one of eight primary groups, and overlooks material solutions such as surface treatments, OEM coatings, automotive refinish coatings, and decorative paints.

In an ongoing effort to optimize efficiency and manage costs, BASF is exploring alternative solutions for storage of their e-coating inventories. The complexities of the hazardous and temperature-controlled materials have provided challenges in their warehousing facilities. BASF is looking for possible options to avoid increased inventory holding costs at the current facilities. This project evaluates options for optimizing existing storage capacity and assessing new alternative inventory solutions to improve operational efficiency for BASF.

The focus is on assessing the feasibility of expanding and reconfiguring the current warehouse to optimize space utilization and improve operational efficiency. The team is exploring internal and external solutions for the facility, such as prefabricated buildings, implementation of rack storage, mobile shelving, and mezzanine flooring. In addition, the project will explore the possibility of constructing a new sustainable and cost-effective storage facility.

The goal of the project is to find a solution to reduce future inventory costs while maintaining operational efficiency and supporting BASF’s sustainability commitments. Alternatives will be evaluated based on cost-effectiveness, scalability, and alignment with operational needs.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Abigail McGinnis
Lake Tapps, Washington

Laya Tumbalam
Okemos, Michigan

Tristen Lycos
Williamston, Michigan

Kendra Bell
Bedford, Michigan

Jillian Jones
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Alexa Onisko
Novi, Michigan

BASF

Project Sponsor

Denise Fernandez
Southfield, Michigan

Donique Jeffries
Southfield, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Grant Freeman

Sun Chemical, the world’s largest printing inks and coatings producer, manages a complex supply chain with 40,000+ SKUs and diverse customer demands. This project enhances demand forecasting by improving inventory management, product transition accuracy, and SKU classification.

The team is implementing an intermittent demand forecasting model to better predict low-velocity SKUs, replacing monthly averages with an order frequency- based approach. This method aims to reduce excess inventory and improve forecast accuracy. In addition, the team is developing a historical trend-based forecasting model to address product transitions to predict demand shifts when SKUs are phased out. This will help prevent obsolete inventory buildup and stock shortages. For custom product forecasting, a clustering strategy is being introduced to group similar SKUs based on product attributes, improving inventory planning and procurement efficiency.

By integrating data analytics and forecasting techniques into Sun Chemical’s SAP APO system, this project will provide a scalable solution to reduce costs, optimize inventory, and enhance supply chain performance.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Aidan Royce
Worcester, Massachusetts

Ashton Terrick
Canton, Michigan

Ben Prisby
Novi, Michigan

Alex Yoder
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Jake Cardenas
St. Clair Shores, Michigan

Sam Peterson
Canton, Michigan

Sun Chemical

Project Sponsor

Ian Smillie
La Grange, Illinois

Teaching Assistant

Arun Chauhan

Asahi Kasei is a Japanese-based company and a leading manufacturer of high-performance engineering plastics and polymers. The plastics and polymers have diverse applications spanning across many industries, such as automotive, electronics, housing and construction, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. Asahi Kasei has more than 11,000 employees in North America and 46,000 around the world, serving customers in more than 100 countries. Automotive is the primary focus of the Fowlerville, Michigan location. Automotive tier one manufacturers buy products from Asahi Kasei to make various components, and they also have collaborative relationships in place with OEMs.

At the Fowlerville plant they manufacture plastic pellets that are used in the production of many automotive components. To identify and sort plastic pellets based on size and shape, they use classifiers. Discharge chutes at the end of the classifier direct the product into cardboard boxes for shipping. The classifiers are disassembled, cleaned, and inspected during product changeover. At the start of the project, the discharge chutes were aligned and secured to the classifier by standard nuts and bolts. The chutes were a burden to disassemble and reinstall. There was also concern that the fasteners loosen over time due to vibration and could potentially fall into the product, thus providing a serious quality and safety concern.

To help Asahi Kasei eliminate the risk of loose fasteners falling into the product and to streamline the changeover process, our team has been tasked with designing a mechanism to attach and secure the chute to the classifier. A successful design can be handled easily and doesn’t require tools, minimizing downtime and operational delays, but also enhances assurance in product quality. If the model proves effective, Asahi Kasei may opt for widespread implementation of the toolless design across the Fowlerville plant.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Lucas Piermarocchi
East Lansing, Michigan

Alex Dudek
Canton, Michigan

Langston Jackson
Canton, Michigan

Sam Williams
Plymouth, Michigan

Nate Poe
Northville, Michigan

Asahi Kasei Plastics North America

Project Sponsor

David Krueger
Fowlerville, Michigan

Roy Travis
Fowlerville, Michigan

Holly Trpik
Fowlerville, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Pratik Bhattacharjee

The NASA Psyche Mission is a space exploration endeavor led by Arizona State University aimed at studying the metallic asteroid Psyche. On October 13, 2023, the Psyche spacecraft successfully launched and began its voyage to a unique metal-rich asteroid, orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. The mission’s primary objective is to gain insights into the history of our solar system and the formation of terrestrial planets. Unlike typical rocky or icy asteroids, Psyche is composed primarily of metallic elements, similar to Earth’s core. Scientists hope that studying Psyche will provide valuable information about the early solar system and the processes that led to the formation of planets.

The objective of this project is to refine and maximize the efficiency of a 2021 capstone team project. This end-product consisted of a cause-and-effect matrix to help the Psyche Student Collaborations team quantify decision-making about high-impact public engagement efforts in the lead-up to launch.

With the now-successful launch, the Psyche Mission has requested our team to revisit, revise, update, and extend the cause-and-effect matrix to make it relevant for this next phase of the mission: the 5.5-year cruise to the Psyche asteroid. This refined version will take into consideration what activities and opportunities would be appropriate to pursue now that the spacecraft is on its voyage. Additionally, our team will be revisiting the cause-and-effect matrix rating scheme, as well as identifying modern blueprints for increased digital, educational, communal, and limited-edition strategies. We will deliver a final report of our findings with updated criteria definitions, SWOT analyses, and rating systems, among others.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Molly Hemgesberg
Freeland, Michigan

Sydney Herring
Freeland, Michigan

Brooke Jedlick
Novi, Michigan

Eleanor Deprez
Bloomfield, Michigan

Cheri Papsun
Northville, Michigan

Asahi Kasei Plastics North America

Project Sponsor

Roy Travis
Fowlerville, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Pratik Bhattacharjee

Applied Materials is a leading company in the semiconductor industry that specializes in materials engineering solutions that enable the production of advanced chips and electronic devices. The company develops cutting-edge technologies in semiconductor manufacturing, display production, and related industries. By providing innovative equipment, software, and services, Applied Materials helps drive advancements in computing.

The company has tasked our team with researching global supply chain and manufacturing options within the semiconductor industry. Applied Materials currently has supply chains in regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia but is looking to expand into new territories. The objective is to identify regions best suited for a new Build- To-Print (BTP) semiconductor supply chain while also determining regions that should be avoided. Expanding into new regions will enable Applied Materials to increase market share, reduce risks such as trade disruptions and natural disasters, and strengthen its leadership in the semiconductor industry.

To achieve this, our team has evaluated and recommended potential and non-potential regions for the supply chain ecosystem. We have developed a balanced scorecard with key metrics to objectively assess each region’s advantages and challenges. Using the scorecard, we have quantified and compared different locations, scored them accordingly, and justified our recommendations. Through this analysis, we will provide a strategic recommendation that supports Applied Materials’ long-term supply chain stability and growth.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Trevor Tognetti
Lake Zurich, Illinois

Sydney Tomlinson
East Lansing, Michigan

Diego Rivera
Grand Ledge, Michigan

Amber Kovalcik
Macomb, Michigan

Morgan Cummings
Plymouth, Michigan

Stephanie Korkmaz
Beirut, Lebanon

Applied Materials

Project Sponsor

Aaron Fong
Santa Clara, California

Teaching Assistant

Pratik Bhattacharjee

Flint Fresh is an organization in Flint, Michigan, dedicated to increasing access to fresh, organically grown produce for residents of Flint and Genesee County. Established in 2016, Flint Fresh works closely with local farmers and stakeholders to create equitable and sustainable food systems. By providing fresh fruits and vegetables directly to residents, the organization strives to combat food insecurity and promote healthier eating habits across the region.

Currently, Flint Fresh distributes its products through two primary methods: the first is their Veggie Box Program, a subscription-based service that delivers boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables directly to residents’ doorsteps; the second is their presence at local farmers’ markets, where they offer fresh, locally sourced fruits and vegetables directly to residents in convenient community locations, providing residents with the flexibility to shop for fresh produce at accessible locations. While these distribution methods have significantly improved food access, they also present environmental considerations. The impact of Flint Fresh’s operations varies based on two key factors: how products are sourced (locally in-state vs. out-of-state), and the method of distribution (home delivery vs. to farmers’ markets).

To assess these impacts, the team’s goal is to use a life cycle analysis to evaluate the environmental footprint of delivering a box of fruit and vegetables, while also assessing the four potential operational strategies to determine which one has the lowest environmental impact. This approach will ensure that Flint Fresh’s mission aligns with environmentally responsible practices, while maintaining an efficient and equitable food distribution system.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Matthew Nguyen
Dimondale, Michigan

Tanvi Gadamsetti
San Antonio, Texas

Dalety Aveiro
Jundiaí, Brazil

Deisi Bartolon
Detroit, Michigan

Madhav Aggarwal
New Delhi, India

MSU College of Engineering

Project Sponsor

Mahdi Zareei
East Lansing, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Nthanda Manduwi

Gerdau Special Steel is the largest producer of Special Bar Quality (SBQ) steel in North America, with operations across the country. Serving primarily the automotive industry, Gerdau specializes in manufacturing safety-critical, high-wear components using an energy-efficient and environmentally responsible approach. Water plays a crucial role in their operations, supporting fire suppression, equipment cooling, quenching, and advanced closed-loop systems designed to minimize waste. To strengthen their sustainability efforts, Gerdau has implemented sophisticated treatment and reuse systems, cascading water strategies, and integrated water management practices. However, as the company pursues more ambitious conservation goals, identifying inefficiencies and optimizing water use has become a top priority.

The proposed project enhances water system efficiency at the Huntington plant through advanced monitoring, data collection, and optimization. A key initiative is the installation of RFID water meters to precisely track water usage and provide real-time data on circulation patterns, enabling the identification of inefficiencies and areas for improvement. By analyzing this data, the project will uncover opportunities to enhance water reuse, particularly in optimizing blowdown water recirculation. Additionally, evaluating water demand patterns will help reduce excess consumption and improve overall system performance. These data-driven insights will support the development of best management practices, lower operational costs, and advance Gerdau’s long-term sustainability objectives, reinforcing their commitment to environmental responsibility and resource efficiency.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Evan Berry
Livonia, Michigan

Ella Kovach
Clarkston, Michigan

Audrey Wu
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Allison Hauck
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Ben Busch
Ada, Michigan

Gerdau Special Steel North America

Project Sponsor

Christopher Hessler
Monroe, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Grant Freeman

The objective of this project is to modernize Gerdau Special Steel’s regulatory inspection process by replacing its outdated pen-and-paper system with a centralized digital solution using PowerApps. This transition will enhance communication, streamline workflows, and improve the accuracy and efficiency of inspections. By digitizing inspection forms, automating supervisor notifications, and integrating real-time data access, the new system will significantly reduce inspection errors, minimize delays, and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. This project also supports Gerdau Special Steel’s mission to deliver dependable Special Bar Quality (SBQ) steel in North America while fostering a risk-free work environment and sustainable practices.

Measurable Objectives:

• Reduce “pencil-whipping” incidents by at least 50%.
• Decrease inspection errors by 30%.
• Cut paper and printing resource usage by 75%.
• Improve inspection process efficiency by at least 5% through automated workflows and enhanced oversight mechanisms.

Project Value to Gerdau Special Steel, North America:

• Boosts efficiency and cuts costs by enabling faster compliance tracking, instant data access, and reducing paper/printing expenses while minimizing permit violations and penalties.
• Improves data accuracy and reproducibility through enhanced data integrity and scalable digital workflows for all inspection types.
• Reduces legal risks and supports sustainability, aligning with Gerdau’s commitment to delivering high-quality SBQ steel.
• Ensures compliance with safety regulations.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Rylan McPhee
South Lyon, Michigan

Aris Guliana
White Lake, Michigan

Sayeda Tasnim
Dhaka, Bangladesh

Kwaku Baffour-Awuah
Kumasi, Ghana

Matias Rojas-Mendoza
Monterrey, Mexico

Gerdau Special Steel North America

Project Sponsor

Christopher Hessler
Monroe, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Nthanda Manduwi

Gerdau Special Steel’s Monroe Mill Project aims to optimize the plant’s water filtration system to enhance efficiency and reduce waste, supporting corporate sustainability goals. Water is essential in the steel industry for cooling, safety, and processing. This project focuses on conservation and efficiency as part of a broader initiative by Gerdau Special Steel NA. A dedicated team is assessing inefficiencies to develop recommendations for transitioning from single-use to multi-use water systems, minimizing city water intake, and reducing wastewater discharge in the Electric Arc Furnace process. The initiative aligns with Gerdau’s net-zero emissions goal by 2030 and ISO 14001 standards, with plans to cut at least 130,000 gallons of water daily.

Project Objectives

• Identify inefficiencies in the filtration system.
• Develop strategies for water conservation and reuse.
• Implement real-time monitoring for diagnostics.
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from water treatment.

Following an on-site visit to the Monroe, Michigan facility, the team will leverage firsthand insights to provide targeted recommendations.

Implementation Approach

The team is conducting a detailed analysis of Monroe Mill’s water system, ensuring sustainability improvements without disrupting operations. This includes:

• Evaluating water use in key areas like cooling and rolling mills.
• Optimizing the filtration process.
• Exploring real-time monitoring tools.

As water conservation becomes a growing industry priority, this project aims to develop a scalable model for other Gerdau plants, strengthening the company’s environmental commitment.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Samir Bhatia
Troy, Michigan

Andre Feng
Northville, Michigan

Nathan Dornala
San Ramon, California

Shaun Pereira
Northville, Michigan

Ateendra Ghosh
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Denver Zhang
Canton, Michigan

Gerdau Special Steel North America

Project Sponsor

Christopher Hessler
Monroe, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Grant Freeman

Illinois Tool Works (ITW), a Fortune 200 multi-industry manufacturing leader with annual revenue of $16 billion, operates across seven business units: Automotive OEM, Construction Products, Food Equipment, Polymers & Fluids, Specialty Products, Test & Measurement and Electronics, and Welding. Founded in 1912 by a small group of tool inventors, ITW has grown to over 45,000 employees.

ITW’s global logistics branch manages an annual spend exceeding $500 million across all business units, with a significant portion allocated to ocean freight and air cargo. However, the company’s current reliance on manual, Excel-based analysis limits its ability to make timely, cost-optimized shipping decisions.

To address this challenge, ITW has requested the development of a Global Logistics Supply Chain Dashboard to provide a data-driven visualization of key logistics metrics. The project aims to improve cost efficiency and operational decision-making by:

• Defining key performance metrics for air and ocean freight, including cost, shipment volume, origin/destination, and regional spend distribution.
• Building a dynamic Power BI dashboard that aggregates and presents logistics data in an intuitive, actionable format.
• Exploring AI-driven automation to integrate and analyze data, reducing manual efforts.

This solution will equip ITW’s logistics team with real-time insights, enhancing decision-making and improving overall efficiency. By automating data visualization and eliminating manual Excel reports, the dashboard will streamline ITW’s logistics strategy and drive significant cost savings.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Nicholas Terenzi
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Nathan Vogel
Shelby Township, Michigan

Samuel Fandino
Bogotá, Colombia

Katy Majick
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Isabel Acosta
Novi, Michigan

Alena Hano
Shelby Township, Michigan

Illinois Tool Works

Project Sponsor

Ryan Gilfillan
Glenview, Illinois

Brandon Keith
Dusseldorf, Germany

Farzad Khaledan
Glenview, Illinois

Roger Salzman
Glenview, Illinois

Peter Sommer
Dusseldorf, Germany

Teaching Assistant

Pratik Bhattacharjee

KLA Corporation is headquartered in Milpitas, California and conducts business all over the world. Since the formation of KLA in 1997, they are known as leaders in supplying technology equipment in the semiconductor industry, the nanoelectronics industry, and the integrated circuits industry. KLA’s mission is to advance humanity by creating ideas and devices that guide and transform the future of technology.

KLA knows that the semiconductor, nanoelectronics and integrated circuits industries have grown and changed since the formation of the company and will continue to grow into the future. For KLA to continue to be leaders in these industries, they know they must differentiate themselves in all aspects of their business, including purchasing and supplier negotiations. Supplier cost increases are prevalent in the industries KLA operates in, and KLA often has no way of challenging the legitimacy of these price increases.

Due to the large amount of cost increases KLA has recently seen in their negotiations with suppliers for many of their major commodity areas, KLA’s procurement team has asked us to help them challenge the legitimacy of cost increases that their suppliers propose. To do this, we will create an easy-to-use cost legitimacy model using publicly sourced information on past and current prices on three of KLA’s major raw material commodities as well as union labor and non-union labor.

The objective of this project is to make a model that is easy to use for all buyers at KLA so that when they encounter a price increase from a supplier, they can use our model to challenge the price change. This model will positively impact KLA’s margins through cost mitigation using fact- based negotiation techniques.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Jack Mayne
Troy, Michigan

Collin Albain
Canton, Michigan

Will Donahue
Westford, Massachusetts

Kelin Chen
Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Minghong Ma
Nantong, Jiangsu, China

KLA

Project Sponsor

John Kalvelage
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Athina Res
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Benjamin Vanacker
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Nthanda Manduwi

La-Z-Boy, Inc., founded in 1927 by Edward N. Knabusch and Edwin J. Shoemaker in Monroe, Michigan, is one of the world’s leaders in furniture manufacturing. Famously known as the inventor of the reclining chair in 1928, La-Z-Boy has notably become a staple throughout the furniture industry with the manufacturing of state-of-the-art sofas, recliners, futons, and more.

Succeeding in becoming a global powerhouse throughout the industry, La-Z-Boy has since set its sights on a new mission to achieve net zero emissions. While always striving to maintain environmental stability throughout all supply chain practices, La-Z-Boy is looking for a tool that can measure and assure global GHG emissions.

To accomplish this mission, La-Z-Boy has instilled confidence in a group of Michigan State University Supply Chain Management and Applied Engineering Science students to create a custom Life Cycle Assessment tool that can be used throughout the company.

As a team, we plan on breaking down this project piece- by-piece to maximize potential and ensure overall team success. We will start by breaking down a single product, overseeing what materials get inputted, and what emissions come out. Once we have this process mastered, our goal is to then incorporate our tool over the rest of La-Z-Boy’s inventory.

The comprehensive goal of this project is to create a fully sustainable LCA tool that spans over the entirety of the company’s Tier 1 supply chain process. This includes both procurement from suppliers and transportation services so we can reduce emissions and achieve stable improvements to our environmental footprint.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Sanjana Mallavaram
Novi, Michigan

Grace McDermott
Rochester, Michigan

Griffin Catallo
Rochester, Michigan

Ellen Schenden
Rochester, Michigan

Nick Germuend
St. Charles, Illinois

Mark Panella
Troy, Michigan

La-Z-Boy, Inc.

Project Sponsor

Sonali Singh
Jersey City, New Jersey

Amy Vernon
Napoleon, Ohio

Teaching Assistant

Nthanda Manduwi

Michigan State University is known for its efforts in sustainability and environmental impact. With a rise in abandoned bikes around campus, a new problem has emerged. MSU Bikes has been accumulating old and unusable bike tires which MSU Recycling once claimed at a reasonable price. However, MSU Recycling recently informed the MSU Bikes that it would have to drastically increase the fee to recycle the tires due to previously unmentioned wear on machines and labor hassles. The main issue is the inner metal wire bead that is found in many of the tires which MSU Recycling must remove before recycling. The new fees of $1.00 per tire are unfeasible for MSU Bikes due to the sheer volume of tires. Our project aims to address and overcome the challenges associated with recycling bicycle tires that are no longer usable or repairable. Specifically, we will design a device using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) to efficiently extract the metal bead wire from these tires. This initiative seeks to alleviate the burden on MSU Recycling. By developing this device, we intend to reduce recycling costs and enhance the efficiency of tire processing. Additionally, we will assess the expenses involved in creating the device and estimate the potential revenue from selling the extracted metal, thereby contributing to the sustainability efforts of MSU Recycling. We are also seeking funding from the school to help reduce the overall costs of both MSU Bikes and MSU Recycling. This funding may be used to provide materials for the building of this device and hire a laborer for MSU Bikes to run the device. Ultimately, our innovative CAD solution will streamline tire recycling, reduce costs, and reinforce MSU’s commitment to sustainability.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Adam Dunning
Farmington Hills, Michigan

Griffin Kish
Flint, Michigan

Michael Mackenzie
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Ashton McCulloch
Kingston, ON, Canada

Zane Horrocks
Cowley, Wyoming

MSU Bikes

Project Sponsor

William McConnell
East Lansing, Michigan

Tim Potter
East Lansing, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Grant Freeman

The MSU College of Nursing Scheduling Assistant wants to streamline the process of scheduling equipment and rooms for class, lab, and personal sessions. The College of Nursing has 14 separate rooms that can be booked by both students and faculty, and over 600 pieces of large equipment that can be moved in and throughout certain rooms. Our team’s task is to compile this information into a database, and make sure that all members of the college can intuitively get the room access and equipment they need. Faculty can schedule lab sessions so students can either fulfill requirements for a class or get the extra practice they need. Administrators will be able to look at real-time data about class and equipment usage, so they can properly report these numbers at the end of each year. Built using Python Flask for backend, MySQL for database management, and JavaScript for frontend interaction, the scheduling assistant will deliver on project objectives. Replacing the current manual processing system, some critical goals include a user-friendly interface, improved efficiency, and scalable design. Key features include real-time availability display, automated recommendations, and administrative oversight of the system. This will reduce scheduling conflicts, create greater user satisfaction, and increase faculty efficiency by knowing where equipment is and where it needs to go. Students and faculty will be able to view their reservations within the application, keeping all of the information users will need inside of their account. Select administrators will have access to view and manage all reservations, monitor and report on usage trends, and have access to update lab room and equipment inventories with the application’s scalability. The end result will be complete system integration.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Josh Sullivan
Canton, Michigan

Cassandra Telly
Romeo, Michigan

Cate Kovacic
Romeo, Michigan

Collin Reardon
Port Washington, New York

Lilly Kuberski
Traverse City, Michigan

MSU College of Nursing

Project Sponsor

Smrithi Ajit
East Lansing, Michigan

Lucas VanEtten
East Lansing, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Arun Chauhan

Founded in 1966, Hanson International has decades of experience working with the biggest American automotive companies to create world- class precision molds. Hanson specializes in designing, building, sampling, and inspecting aluminum die casting molds. Located in St. Joseph, Michigan, Hanson International operates a 42,000 sq ft. manufacturing and tooling facility as well as a specialized 10,000 sq ft. die casting facility designed specifically for testing and inspecting mold quality.

A major strategic goal for Hanson International is to leverage their decades of expertise in creating high- pressure die-cast tooling for the automotive industry to increase sales by diversifying into other industries. Hanson International boasts state-of-the-art precision machining equipment and is also seeking to find new ways to utilize their capabilities and competence.

The main objectives of this project were to collaborate with the Hanson sales team to identify potential customers they can reach out to in order to generate increased sales, as well as to conceptualize new and creative uses of Hanson’s existing machining capabilities to diversify their product mix, take advantage of any unutilized capacity, and generate revenue growth. To do so, the team analyzed Hanson’s existing capabilities and manufacturing capacity, conducted competitive analysis on Hanson’s main competitors, and researched potential new partners and products that aligned with Hanson’s capabilities who showed strong growth potential.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Owen Cleary
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Ben Corrion
Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan

Mila Straskraba
Makakilo, Hawaii

Katherine Musil
Scottsdale, Arizona

Aidan Tafelski
Plymouth, Michigan

Hanson International

Project Sponsor

Chayse Magrane
St. Joseph, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Pratik Bhattacharjee

The MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities (IPF) Building Performance Services Department is responsible for overseeing the maintenance, operations, and overall performance of all buildings on MSU campus. This includes a multitude of variables to monitor closely to ensure a building is running at the best performance possible. This is no easy task as MSU is one of the largest campuses in the United States, with over 560 buildings. With such a large number of buildings, energy use is a key point for IPF to monitor and maintain to ensure all energy is being used as efficiently as possible. To do this, having up-to-date energy models of all buildings is imperative. For this project, providing that was exactly the goal. Physics- based energy modeling tools that require input of actual building asset information and other building attributes were utilized to help determine limits for utility consumption of specific facilities. This also enabled improved foundational basis for previous models to be compared. Ideally, the project called for five energy models to be created for five distinct building types: general classroom/office, residence hall, laboratory/research, athletics, and auxiliary. Based on the amount of time provided for this project, as many models as possible were completed. These models will have multiple applications for IPF to utilize, including providing a standardized visual display for tracking current utility consumption/spend, comparison of energy performance over time, enable the forecasting of energy project performance based on different investment scenarios, and current state predictive load forecasting as well. Hopefully, these models will be useful for MSU IPF to utilize for years to come.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Lucas Quinn
Novi, Michigan

Jack Torrance
Dearborn, Michigan

Peter Szachta
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Tan He
Wuhan, China

Xinyuan Yan
Beijing, China

MSU IPF: Building Performance Services

Project Sponsor

Abdul Haleem
East Lansing, Michigan

Jason Vallance
East Lansing, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Arun Chauhan

Hauschild SpeedMixer, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of high-performance mixing technology, serving a wide range of industries. Since its inception in 1974, the company has pioneered cutting-edge centrifugal mixing technology, ensuring precise and consistent material distribution with every use.

With a strong reputation for innovation and customer satisfaction, Hauschild aims to strengthen its market position by enhancing product usability and simplifying the purchasing process. This project focuses on improving current product documentation and optimizing accessory designs to improve customer satisfaction and achieve greater operational excellence.

As Hauschild expands its product offerings, addressing gaps in the accessory line and optimizing customer engagement becomes increasingly critical. To support this initiative, our team has been tasked with developing user-friendly specification sheets for accessories, refining accessory designs, optimizing designs based on customer use cases, and updating user manuals to enhance product usability and functionality.

Our team, composed of Supply Chain Management and Applied Engineering Sciences students, developed solutions across these key focus areas to bridge the gap between the technical functionality of the machines and customer needs. The primary objective was to ensure all documentation is clear, concise, and easy to understand.

By implementing these comprehensive solutions, our team will support Hauschild in enhancing customer engagement and market penetration by streamlining the purchasing process, increasing customer satisfaction, and expanding market reach.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Evan Reigler
DeWitt. Michigan

Ashley Stanley
Allen Park, Michigan

Ava Oprisiu
Canton, Michigan

Rami Aldrich
Merrimack, New Hampshire

Joey Flynn
Brighton, Michigan

Matt Michael
Brighton, Michigan

Hauschild SpeedMixer, Inc.

Project Sponsor

Ian LaRose
Farmington Hills, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Nthanda Manduwi

Hauschild SpeedMixer, Inc. is a global company that is the industry leader when it comes to bladeless centrifugal mixing technology. Based in Germany, they have offices worldwide that service cliental in many sectors, from the cosmetic industry to the paint industry.

This project aims to enhance Hauschild SpeedMixer’s preventative maintenance services by designing a strategic and data-driven approach to optimize scheduling, reduce travel expenses, and improve resource allocation. Currently, maintenance services require significant travel and logistical coordination, which can be inefficient and costly. By analyzing machine location data and developing an optimized scheduling system, this project will streamline maintenance operations and ensure a more proactive service approach.

Beyond optimizing scheduling, the project will also focus on customer engagement strategies to target clients who have yet to utilize Hauschild SpeedMixer’s maintenance program. By identifying and reaching these customers, the team aims to increase participation in preventative maintenance services, ultimately improving equipment longevity and reducing unexpected downtime for clients.

The team will apply principles of logistics, data analysis, and strategic planning to develop a comprehensive solution that enhances service efficiency and customer satisfaction. The outcome of this project will provide Hauschild SpeedMixer with actionable recommendations and a scalable framework to improve operational effectiveness while reducing overall service costs.

This initiative not only offers students hands-on experience in supply chain optimization and customer engagement strategies but also contributes to the long-term success of Hauschild SpeedMixer’s national maintenance operations.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Donavan Hills
Sterling Heights, Michigan

Tim Kruse
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Evan Keller
Hazel Park, Michigan

Josh Tommy
Washington, Michigan

Ethan Nussbaum
South Lyon, Michigan

Hauschild SpeedMixer, Inc.

Project Sponsor

Kyle VanSpronsen
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Arun Chauhan

Founded in Germany in 1974, Hauschild SpeedMixer, Inc. is a global leader specializing in mixing technologies, offering an array of products, including bladeless laboratory and industrial mixers. The company decided to expand in 2020 by opening locations across the United States.

The mixers use closed containers of different sizes and designs to mix products more efficiently. The company offers high precision devices that enable the mixing of many different substances including fluids, powders, and pastes. The mixers serve a valuable purpose in a variety of industries such as electronics, cosmetics, aerospace, and manufacturing.

With a diverse portfolio and a global customer base, an efficient supply chain is crucial to the success of Hauschild SpeedMixer’s operations. Our project focuses on the design of a comprehensive supply chain system that optimizes inventory levels and implements effective replenishment strategies. By analyzing historical sales data, our team will determine appropriate stock quantities needed to ensure the company has consistent inventory availability while minimizing costs.

In addition to inventory management and planning, our project addresses logistics optimization by evaluating container versus pallet shipping and the trade-offs between sea and air freight. All of these strategic decisions play an important role in balancing cost efficiency and delivery speed, ensuring Hauschild SpeedMixer, Inc. can meet the demands of customers across the globe.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Evan Frank
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Sophie Wang
Harbin, China

Maggie Stoving
Oak Creek, Wisconsin

Kelsey McLean
Washington, Michigan

Jade Nguyen
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Adam Treder
Milford, Michigan

Hauschild SpeedMixer, Inc.

Project Sponsor

Davide Davi
Farmington Hills, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Arun Chauhan

Hauschild SpeedMixer, Inc. is a German Company that produces centrifugal mixers for fast, precise, and bubble- free mixing of liquids, pastes, and powders. These mixers are used in countless industries ranging from cosmetics, electronics, aviation and more. In the Farmington Hills location they distribute these machines, mixing cups, and attachments across the United States.

The Optimizing Warehouse Layout and Storage Efficiency project, sponsored by Hauschild SpeedMixer, Inc., focuses on enhancing warehouse organization, safety, and efficiency through a structured labeling and storage system. The project seeks to improve inventory management by designing an optimized layout for machines, pallets, cups, and lids, ensuring maximum space utilization while streamlining workflows. A key focus is implementing a more effective sorting system, potentially incorporating QR codes or barcode scanning to enable quick and accurate inventory tracking, reducing retrieval times and minimizing inefficiencies. By enhancing organization and accessibility, the project aims to boost order fulfillment speed, decrease operational costs, and improve overall warehouse productivity.

Additionally, the team will develop standardized operating procedures (SOPs) and conduct employee training to facilitate a smooth transition and ensure long-term adherence to the new system. Establishing clear protocols will not only improve efficiency but also contribute to workplace safety by reducing clutter and creating well-defined pathways. The project’s impact will be assessed through measurable key performance indicators (KPIs), such as space utilization, retrieval efficiency, and inventory accuracy, allowing the team to quantify improvements and identify areas for further optimization.

Beyond immediate operational enhancements, the project is designed with scalability in mind, ensuring that the warehouse system can support future growth without causing major disruptions to the supply chain. By reducing inefficiencies and standardizing processes, the team aims to create a sustainable model that can be adopted across similar warehouse environments.

Michigan State University

Team Members (left to right)

Bennett Meyers
Edwardsburg, Michigan

Rohan Patel
Great Falls, Virginia

Kyle Zavinsky
Commerce Twp, Michigan

William Pizzuti
Petoskey, Michigan

Tyler Aldrich
Allegan, Michigan

Hauschild SpeedMixer, Inc.

Project Sponsor

Davide Davi
Farmington Hills, Michigan

Teaching Assistant

Grant Freeman