For my first semester in Generate, I was a Mechanical Hardware Engineer on Hot Date Kitchen. This was a second-iteration date-cutting machine with goals of tripling production speed, improving cleanability, and ensuring food safety. To create functional food safe parts, I collaborated with a university machine shop to operate a CNC router, CNC mill, and waterjet to cut HDPE and stainless steel. For one of the parts I was designing, I analyzed it with ANSYS FEA to predict its deflection under various load conditions. From this information, I could select material thickness. I also designed FDM 3D printed brackets that were mounted to 8020 framing to hold blade tension and allow for quick part removal.