Franklin N.

Franklin Ndubueze-Nduka - Mechanical Design Engineer

I am Franklin Ndubueze-Nduka, a Mechanical Design Engineer with a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University. I turn ideas, sketches, legacy drawings and rough concepts into accurate 3D CAD models and manufacturing-ready drawings. My work rests on a simple belief: a good design is more than a model that looks right on screen. It brings together engineering principles, material behaviour, manufacturing processes, tolerancing and clear technical communication.

Every project I take on reflects this. The parts and assemblies I design are meant to look right, fit right, work right and be built without costly surprises on the shop floor.

What sets my work apart is that I am an engineer, not only a drafter. I don't just trace what I'm given. I check that a design can actually be made: clearances, wall thicknesses, tolerance stack-ups, bend radii, fastener access, material choice and loads. When something doesn't add up, I flag it and propose a fix before it becomes an expensive problem.

My working range covers concept development, 3D part and assembly modeling, engineering drawings with GD&T, sheet metal and weldment design, design for manufacturing, basic structural analysis, 2D drafting and drawing conversion, and Revit-based building services modeling. A client who hires me for a single deliverable still benefits from someone who understands how that deliverable fits into the whole product or project.


Concept Development and Mechanical Design

Every product starts as a problem to solve. Before I model anything, I work to understand what the design must do: its function, operating conditions, loads, size limits, budget, production quantity and how it will be made.

From there I develop concept layouts, compare design alternatives and choose the approach that best balances performance, cost and manufacturability. I size critical components from first principles (shafts, drives, fasteners, flow rates, capacities) so that the CAD model is backed by real engineering numbers rather than guesswork.

My final-year project is an example of this process. My team and I designed and fabricated a screw-feeder fuel delivery system for a 10 kW laboratory swirl burner. We sized the fuel and air flow rates, designed the hopper, screw and V-belt drive, sized the shaft to the ASME code for combined bending and torsion, and modeled the complete assembly for fabrication.


3D Part and Assembly Modeling

I build clean, fully parametric 3D models in SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor. My models use proper design intent, logical feature trees, sensible sketch relations and accurate real-world dimensions. When your requirements change, the model updates cleanly instead of breaking.

I model individual machined, cast, molded and fabricated parts as well as complete multi-part assemblies with correct mates, motion checks and interference detection. Where it adds value, I prepare exploded views, motion studies and configurations for product families and size variants.

Deliverables are provided in native formats as well as neutral formats such as STEP, IGES and STL, so your files work with your manufacturer, your 3D printer or your own team.


Engineering Drawings and Technical Documentation

A model is only as useful as the drawings that communicate it. I produce complete drawing packages that a machinist, fabricator or supplier can quote and build from with confidence.

This includes general assembly drawings with balloons and bills of materials, detailed part drawings with full dimensioning, sections and detail views, and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) to ASME Y14.5 or ISO standards. I add fits and tolerances on critical features, surface finish requirements, material and treatment notes, and properly completed title blocks.

Clear drawings reduce supplier questions, prevent manufacturing errors and protect your budget. I treat documentation as an engineering task, not an afterthought.


Sheet Metal, Weldments and Fabrication Design

Much real-world hardware is fabricated rather than machined, and I design with that in mind. In SolidWorks I model sheet metal enclosures, brackets, covers, hoppers and housings with correct bend allowances, reliefs and K-factors, and I deliver accurate flat patterns ready for laser cutting and press braking.

For frames, stands, skids and structural supports, I use weldment modeling with standard structural profiles. This produces automatic cut lists, weld callouts and fabrication drawings that a workshop can use directly.


Design for Manufacturing (DFM)

I design parts with their manufacturing process in mind from the start, whether that is CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, welding, casting, injection molding or 3D printing. That means appropriate wall thicknesses and draft angles, avoiding features that cannot be tooled, reducing part count where possible, using standard fasteners and stock sizes, and specifying tolerances only as tight as function requires.

The result is a design that is cheaper to quote, faster to produce and less likely to come back with problems.


Engineering Analysis and Design Checks

My engineering education lets me back up design decisions with calculations. I carry out hand calculations for shafts, belt and gear drives, fasteners, bearings and simple structures. Where appropriate, I use finite element analysis (FEA) to check stresses, deflections and factors of safety, then refine the geometry to remove weak points or excess material.

Formal stamped calculations and safety-critical certification must be done by a licensed professional engineer where local regulations require it. My role is to make sure your design is checked, sensible and ready for that review.


2D Drafting, Drawing Conversion and Reverse Engineering

Many clients have valuable designs trapped in old paper drawings, scanned PDFs, hand sketches or physical parts with no documentation. I convert these into clean, accurate AutoCAD (DWG/DXF) drawings and 3D CAD models, redraw and standardize legacy drawings, and turn 2D drawings into full 3D models.

Working from photos, measurements or sample parts, I can reverse-engineer components into editable CAD models and drawings for replacement, modification or new production.


Revit and Building Services (BIM) Modeling

My mechanical engineering background carries over naturally into building services. In Autodesk Revit I model building elements and mechanical systems, create custom Revit families, and convert 2D CAD drawings into coordinated BIM models. I understand how equipment, ductwork, pipework and services must fit within a building, which helps produce models that coordinate properly with architectural and structural work.


Software and Technical Proficiency

My core toolkit covers the industry-standard platforms clients use most:

- SolidWorks: parts, assemblies, sheet metal, weldments, drawings, motion and simulation
- Autodesk Inventor: parametric part and assembly modeling and drawings
- AutoCAD: 2D drafting, detailing, drawing conversion and DWG/DXF deliverables
- Autodesk Revit: BIM modeling, families and CAD-to-Revit conversion

I deliver in native formats (SLDPRT, SLDASM, SLDDRW, IPT, IAM, DWG, DXF, RVT) and neutral formats (STEP, IGES, STL, PDF). I adapt to your drawing standards, templates and title blocks.


Areas of Focus

- Machine and equipment design: conveyors, feeders, drives, frames and mechanisms
- Product design: enclosures, housings, consumer and industrial products
- Manufacturing drawings: complete drawing packages with GD&T and BOMs
- Fabrication design: sheet metal parts, weldment frames and cut lists
- Drawing conversion: PDF, paper and sketch to CAD, and 2D to 3D
- Reverse engineering: physical parts to editable CAD models
- Building services: Revit modeling and CAD-to-BIM conversion


How I Work

I communicate clearly and promptly, confirm requirements before I start, and give milestone-based updates so you always know where your project stands. I welcome feedback, revise until the files are right, and deliver organized, clearly named files you can use immediately.

Some clients need a complete design from concept to drawings. Others need one specific deliverable: a model, a drawing set, a conversion or a design check. Either way, every deliverable benefits from an engineer who understands how it fits into the bigger picture. A drawing made by someone who understands manufacturing is easier to build. A model made by someone who understands loads and tolerances is more reliable.

I don't claim to do everything. Specialist certification, stamped structural calculations and regulated sign-offs belong to the appropriately licensed professionals. What I do is make sure the mechanical design at the centre of your project is accurate, manufacturable and clearly documented.

Send me your sketch, drawing, part or idea, and I will tell you exactly how I would approach it.

I am Franklin Ndubueze-Nduka, Mechanical Design Engineer. I bring engineering thinking to every model and drawing I deliver.