
This week focused on finalizing the heating solution and advancing the mechanical design toward manufacturing. The team refined the aluminum top plate design into a longer single-row configuration and completed the CAD model in preparation for CNC machining. Updates included improved insulation materials, mounting strategies, cable gland integration, and heater fit verification. Thermal FEA results showed safe operating temperatures for the wind tunnel interface. We also reviewed thermocouple setup plans and discussed scaling approaches for higher-temperature applications, ensuring both experimental readiness and alignment with full-scale modeling goals.