Manufacturing big dreams
Hello! I am Juan Banchs, and I'm very thankful you stopped by!
I'm a UCLA student who loves hands-on crafting and extensive problem-solving. I have thorough experience in designing and materializing inspiring constructions through the different opportunities I've had. All the way from elementary school to now. I also have a as strong expertise in leading and coordinating a group to work efficiently, I believe that a team is successful because of it's people
"Leadership is about recognizing that there's a greatness in everyone, and your job is to create an environment where that greatness can emerge." - Bill Campbell
Where did this start?
I’ve always enjoyed tinkering with origami and cardboard, but I was never satisfied with creating mere toys and crafts. It wasn’t until in Singapore I joined Physics Club in 2013 that I found my calling as a mechanical engineer. Working with resources like 3D printing, computer design, wood, and circuits, I developed skills to create impossible reality from simple ideas. The highlight of my freshman year was when my school needed a charity fundraiser. After 120+ hours, my team and I revealed an incredible 5x5 meter two-floor wooden obstacle course for robots.
Likewise, the highlight of my freshman year at UCLA, was when Bruin Racing's Super Mileage Vehicle required a thermoforming rig (A structure to melt plastic and shape it onto a mold using a vacuum seal) to make the windshields of our car. I was granted a lead position (with my co-lead Allison Chen) to construct a 4x4x4 ft thermoforming rig. Under this rigorous supervision, our team produced a reusable thermoforming rig over 100 times cheaper than industry standard, drawing remarks of admiration from Bruin Racing alumni.
The more projects I do, the more clear it becomes that my passion lies in Product Design. The simple motivation of seeing a product go from an idea to full product gives me the energy, perseverance, and commitment to produce it, to never give up, and to constantly reiterate until success. This means that in designing products, I work from the will in my heart, and produce the most amazing work I can produce.
What's next?
I'm always working on some project, and I'm always looking at how to become a stronger mechanical engineer, and a more impactful team leader. With the extra time due to COVID 19, I've continued with my extracurricular projects to keep getting hands-on experience. I'm currently continuing work on an IoT flowrate sensor, leading the design team of a dynamometer, and investing more time into Ansys for FEA analysis. And of course, reading a book here and there to improve!
At the moment I'm looking for a summer internship for 2021, so we'll see where I end up!