July Aye: “There Is A Lower Chance Of Intimidation Or Feeling Like You Do Not Belong”

July Aye was born in Yangon, Myanmar and immigrated to Los Angeles when she was just four years old.

She later graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a B.S. in Civil Engineering (Structures Specialization) and a minor in Materials Science Engineering. She has always been inspired by product design, both in the aesthetic and structural point of view. She learned a lot through her experiences with UCI FSAE, working at Siemens PLM, Faraday Future, and now Divergent.

July, could you let us know about your background and what brought you into 3D printing in the first place?

At UCI I studied Civil Engineering with a Structures specialization and had a minor in Materials Science. From there, I learned how 3d printing could benefit different engineering fields…

Nora Toure: What was your very first experience with 3D Printing?

July Aye: During my first job at Faraday Future, I sent some of our prototype and marketing parts to be 3d printed and got some exposure there about the capabilities. Most of my parts were supposed to be injection molded for production, so 3d printing was a great way to prove out the initial designs.

Nora Toure: Could you explain furthermore what Divergent 3D is and your role as Body Systems Engineer?

July Aye: Divergent Technologies is a licensing and technology company that focuses on using efficient manufacturing methods to achieve building products in microfactories.

As a Body Systems Engineer, I am responsible for the design and integration of exterior components such as body panels, closures components, lighting, seals, and anything else related.

Nora Toure: Do you have any (fun or not) story about the company or your career to share with us?

July Aye: I’ve had the chance to work on different kinds of projects, one of which was the Hyperloop and our technology demonstrator, the Blade. The path I took to get here is so unique because I did not start out as a mechanical engineer.

I did a lot of self-teaching, picked up skills in different CAD systems and learned about composites and 3d printing on the job. I let myself be flexible and do whatever the company needed me to do, including working on Closures and lighting.

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