Alex Jennings
Kelvedon, Colchester,Essex
Summary
Mechanical Engineering Degree Apprentice with over four years of industrial experience in automotive product development, specialising in the design and packaging of interior systems for carbon fibre composite applications. Skilled in transforming customer surface data into fully manufacturable assemblies through the design of injection moulded components, composite structures, fixing strategies and production tooling. Experienced in leading tooling design projects, supporting composite manufacturing processes and applying engineering principles to deliver practical, manufacturable solutions. Proficient in CATIA V5/V6, with additional experience in SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Finite Element Analysis and industrial additive manufacturing. Currently progressing towards a Level 6 Mechanical Engineering Degree while continuing to develop expertise in automotive design and manufacturing.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
9
9
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Mechanical Engineering Degree Apprentice
TECNIQ
Witham, Essex
2021.09 - Current
Working within the Engineering Design department, designing automotive interior systems and supporting projects from concept through to production for premium vehicle manufacturers.
Product Design & Development
- Design and package automotive interior systems using CATIA V5 from customer reference surface data.
- Develop design concepts into fully manufacturable products while considering packaging, assembly, manufacturing and cost.
- Design injection moulded plastic components, carbon fibre composite parts and associated assemblies.
- Develop fixing strategies including clips, fasteners, bonded interfaces, brackets and inserts.
- Produce detailed CAD models, engineering drawings and technical documentation.
- Work closely with manufacturing, quality, purchasing and project teams throughout the development process.
- Apply Design for Manufacture (DFM) principles to improve manufacturability, assembly efficiency and product quality.
Composites & Tooling
- Lead designer for large aluminium hot form composite tooling used to manufacture automotive interior carbon fibre components.
- Design production tooling, bonding jigs, trimming fixtures and manufacturing aids for composite production.
- Design bonding fixtures used to accurately locate and bond injection moulded components and brackets onto carbon fibre assemblies.
- Design tooling for complex carbon fibre components manufactured by external suppliers.
- Support tooling from concept through manufacture, validation and production.
- Practical experience manufacturing carbon fibre composite components including laminate preparation, lay-up, bagging and finishing.
- Design composite components with consideration for manufacturing methods, tooling requirements and production constraints.
- Develop engineering solutions that balance weight, strength, aesthetics and manufacturability.
Additive Manufacturing
- Extensive experience operating and maintaining industrial 3D printers including Stratasys and Bambu Lab systems.
- Produce prototypes, tooling, jigs and production support components using additive manufacturing.
- Optimise print settings and troubleshoot equipment to maximise reliability and print quality.
Engineering Analysis
- Apply engineering calculations and design principles throughout product development.
- Support engineering decisions using analytical and problem-solving techniques.
Education
GCSEs -
Honywood Community Science School
Coggeshall, Essex 2016.09 - 2021.05
NVQ Level 3 - Engineering Technician (Product Design & Development): Level 3
Colchester Institute
Colchester 2021.09 - 2025.09
Technical Skills
CAD
- CATIA V5/V6
- SolidWorks
- AutoCAD
Engineering Design
- Automotive Interior Systems
- Product Development
- Vehicle Packaging
- Injection Moulding Design
- Carbon Fibre Composite Design
- Bonding Fixture Design
- Production Tooling Design
- Design for Manufacture (DFM)
- Engineering Drawings (BS/ISO)
Manufacturing
- Carbon Fibre Lamination
- Composite Manufacturing
- Hot Form Composite Tooling
- Additive Manufacturing
- Industrial 3D Printing
- CNC Tooling Design
Analysis
- Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
- Structural Analysis
- Engineering Calculations
- Shear Force & Bending Moment Analysis
- Problem Solving
Timeline
Mechanical Engineering Degree Apprentice
TECNIQ
2021.09 - Current
NVQ Level 3 - Engineering Technician (Product Design & Development): Level 3
Colchester Institute
2021.09 - 2025.09
GCSEs -
Honywood Community Science School
2016.09 - 2021.05