2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Several capstone mechanical engineering projects use composites as a structural material. A few examples are student competitions such as AIAA Design- Build -Fly (DBF), Formula SAE (FSAE), Shell Eco-Marathon, etc. However, students participating in these projects often have limited background in composite fabrication techniques, leading to a trial-and-error approach during manufacturing and design integration. With the extensive use of composites in student design competitions, a framework for composites fabrication will be beneficial. Supported by the funding from Indiana Space Grant Consortium (INSGC), two junior mechanical engineering undergraduate students were hired to explore composites fabrication by ‘Resin Infusion’ with the intention of creating a checklist for fabricating high-quality aircraft components for the AIAA DBF competition. This project spanning the 2025-26 academic year involves (a) PI/advisor-led training on basic composites fabrication, (c) working with the capstone team to learn aircraft design and fabrication for the AIAA DBF competition, and (b) students-led exploration of the resin infusion method to generate the wings, fuselage and other critical components of the RC aircraft for the competition. While basic composites fabrication method of wet layup and vacuum bagging have been traditionally used to fabricate RC aircraft components for the AIAA DBF competition, there are significant drawbacks with this method with respect to quality and consistency of parts. With resin infusion (or vacuum infusion) being the best alternative to overcome these drawbacks, this project will enhance the understanding of this method for future implementation. By the end of this project, students will produce a checklist in the form of a booklet that will include (a) layup schedule, (b) sketch/image of the molds, (c) infusion equipment checklist, (d) infusion process checklist, and (e), infusion postprocessing checklist. This checklist can serve as a practical guide for fabricating critical aircraft components—such as the wing and fuselage—for future AIAA Design–Build–Fly (DBF) competitions. In addition, it can be used as a reference resource for other capstone design projects and student competitions that incorporate composites as primary structural material. This paper will outline the process of mentoring undergraduate researchers in advanced composites fabrication, present lessons learned from implementing resin infusion in student-built aircraft components and highlight how this experience informs future capstone design and manufacturing courses. The project demonstrates how targeted undergraduate research can be linked with capstone design projects.