Announcement
Chandigarh University announced that its six‑member Mechanical Engineering team, named Mech Minds United, secured second‑place finishes in two contests—Brain Bolt – The Engineer's Sprint 2026 and MechanIQ – The Engineers' Quiz—at the second edition of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (ASME IMECE) India 2026 held in Chennai. The combined prize money for the two awards totals Rs 2.5 lakh (Rs 2 lakh for Brain Bolt and Rs 50,000 for MechanIQ).
Competition Details
The competition attracted over 400 teams in the initial round. From these, 60 teams representing four regions across India were shortlisted for the subsequent three‑round, 24‑hour marathon, which featured 15 industry‑relevant problem statements. The contests evaluated participants on creativity, technical knowledge, design capability, analytical thinking, teamwork, and rapid problem‑solving under the theme “Think Fast, Build Faster, Solve What Matters.”
Technical Achievement in Brain Bolt
In the Brain Bolt – The Engineer's Sprint, the challenge was posed by Siemens Technology and Services Pvt. Ltd and required a topology‑optimized, lattice‑based redesign of an industrial hexacopter landing structure suitable for metal additive manufacturing. The university team delivered a solution that reduced the landing structure’s mass from 6.26 kg to 0.785 kg, achieving an 87.5 % reduction—well above the stipulated target of a 50 % reduction—while maintaining required load‑carrying capacity, stiffness, and overall structural integrity. The design employed topology optimisation, lattice architecture, finite‑element analysis validation, and design‑for‑additive‑manufacturing (DfAM) principles.
Performance in MechanIQ Quiz
In the MechanIQ – The Engineers' Quiz, which tested technical knowledge and engineering aptitude, Mech Minds United leveraged strong fundamentals, quick reasoning, and effective teamwork to secure the second prize of Rs 50,000.
University Profile and Facilities
Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+‑graded and QS World‑ranked autonomous institution approved by the UGC, located near Chandigarh in Punjab. It offers more than 109 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and other fields. The university has been recognized as The University with Best Placements by WCRC. It operates 30 industry‑sponsored high‑tech R&D labs and 16 Centres of Excellence established by leading multinational corporations, underscoring its research‑intensive and innovation‑driven ethos.
Quote from Senior Managing Director
Deepinder Singh Sandhu, Senior Managing Director of Chandigarh University, expressed pride in the team’s “remarkable double podium finish,” noting that the consecutive success reflects the university’s emphasis on experiential learning, industry collaborations, and real‑world project exposure. He highlighted that the achievement not only showcases technical prowess but also reinforces the institution’s commitment to preparing future engineers for global challenges.
Additional Context
The press release emphasizes that the competition experience fostered learning, experimentation, failure, improvement, and collaboration, reinforcing discipline and teamwork among the students. It also reiterates the university’s strategy of integrating hands‑on workshops, industry collaborations, and real‑world projects to bridge theory and practice.