A Student Project Built to Measure and Designed to Innovate
By Lia Kizilbash Gillet

Joseph Rayner (left) and Scott Crane present their senior design project on May 1, 2026, joined by ATI sponsor Dustin Smith (right). (Photo: NIU Foundation)

Instead of taking on his senior design project elsewhere, recent mechanical engineering graduate Joseph Rayner, ’26, saw an opportunity to build one with the company where he already worked — Assurance Technologies, Inc. 

“I realized I could either partner with another company on the work they were doing, or I could make a stronger impact at ATI,” said Rayner, who completed the project as a senior and now continues his role as an application engineer at the Elgin-based company.

At NIU's College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, senior design projects serve as a culminating, hands-on experience that brings classroom learning into practice. Working alongside industry partners, community organizations and faculty mentors, students take on complex challenges — applying theory and developing solutions that deliver tangible results.

The impact of these projects underscores why FORWARD: The Campaign for NIU is committed to creating more opportunities for hands-on discovery, collaboration and innovation.

When ATI agreed to sponsor the project, it gave Rayner the opportunity to carry an idea from concept to completion within his own workplace. For ATI, it brought fresh thinking to an engineering need while also developing Rayner’s talent as a contributor to their team.

“What initially stood out about Joseph was his initiative,” said Dustin Smith, Training and Applications Manager at ATI. “We hired him knowing the valuable skill sets he was gaining at NIU, and that he was close to finishing his degree. This project was a natural extension of those skills.”

Rayner partnered with classmates Scott Crane, ’26, and Sujit Kirin, to address a real challenge facing ATI — a provider of measurement, calibration and quality assurance solutions that help manufacturers improve accuracy and efficiency. The company relies on precision metrology — the science of accurate measurement — using machines equipped with specialized brackets. But the bracket systems are designed for specific machine models, making them costly and inflexible.

The team set out to design a universal, cost-effective bracket system that could work across multiple machines without sacrificing precision. Working under the guidance of faculty advisor Bo Zhang, Ph.D., the students transformed classroom concepts into practical solutions. With his mentorship, they developed detailed CAD designs, prototypes and tested multiple iterations — gaining a deeper understanding of not just what works, but why.

“This project provided students with valuable hands-on engineering experience on a real industry-supported problem,” said Zhang. “It was rewarding to see them combine technical creativity, teamwork and practical problem-solving in collaboration with ATI.”

The process required more than technical knowledge. The team considered materials, cost, manufacturability and usability — real-world constraints engineers navigate daily. Using aluminum and steel, they produced a modular design that proved both adaptable and cost-efficient, meeting key project goals while offering a scalable, sustainable solution.

“Joseph and the team demonstrated exactly what we look for — technical skill, curiosity and a willingness to take ownership of the challenge,” Smith said. “They worked together, collaborating with ATI when needed, but with the motivation and independence to get the project done.”

The team shared their work at the Senior Design Showcase on May 1, 2026, among nearly 200 other engineering students.

Following the showcase, Rayner continues to refine the design at ATI, preparing it for broader use and future distribution.

“Being able to apply what I’ve learned at NIU in my professional role has taken learning to another level,” Rayner said.

See how NIU advances student success through student, faculty and industry partnerships to inspire discovery and innovation at NIUForward.com.