David Kolšek
Mechanical engineer · Digital fabrication & composite additive manufacturing
Profile
Doctoral researcher working on long discontinuous fiber (LDF) composites for fused filament fabrication — bringing continuous-fiber-grade performance to standard, affordable FFF hardware. Combines mechanical engineering with hands-on manufacturing: hundreds of functional parts repaired and remanufactured using CNC milling, manual milling, turning, FDM and resin printing, and CO2 laser cutting, alongside clay extrusion and PCB design. Strong software skills across Python, TypeScript and embedded systems; ships real, deployed projects end to end — eight live websites, hardware, firmware, and automation.
Education
PhD candidate, Mechanical Engineering2025 – 2028 (expected)
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana
- Research: long discontinuous fiber (CF/PLA) composites for FFF 3D printing — fiber preparation, filament compounding, large-nozzle extrusion (ø1.0–1.5 mm), critical fiber length modelling, mechanical characterisation.
- Focus on process economics: LDF feedstock at 15–25× lower cost than commercial composite filament.
MSc & BSc, Mechanical Engineering⟨fill in years⟩
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana ⟨confirm / add thesis title⟩
Selected projects
Clay Studio — parametric G-code generator for clay 3D printinggithub.com/DavidKolsek/clayGcodeGenerator
- Browser-based direct G-code generation for the Delta WASP 40100: cross-section vessel design, surface textures (weave, twist, corrugation), live toolpath preview. Vanilla JS, zero dependencies, plus a Python/Jupyter engine and validated slicer profiles.
TileGroove — camera-tracked tangible loop instrumenttilegroove.pages.dev
- Open-source Mash Machine alternative: ArUco marker detection in a web worker tracks 3D-printed tiles on a transparent surface; Tone.js plays beat-synced loops. Includes printed calibration system and original CC0 sample sets.
Marine Aid — vision-based obstacle alarm for a sailboatRaspberry Pi · Python
- Low-cost daytime safety aid for an 11 m cruiser: single-camera maritime segmentation, obstacle blob tracking, image-plane threat scoring, alarm and event logging on embedded hardware.
XIANO — stylophone synthesizerhardware · firmware
- Custom capacitive-keyboard PCB around the Seeed XIAO with firmware, tests, and fabricated enclosure — full electro-mechanical product development in miniature.
DK Board Game Rules — bilingual QR-linked rules archivegithub.com/DavidKolsek/boardgames
- 24 board games remade or documented; handmade copies (3D printing, laser cutting, CNC) each carry a permanent QR code to a static, bilingual rules page with original SVG diagrams.
Ljubljana Tourist Bulletin — automated daily publicationljubljana.pages.dev
- Fully automated Python pipeline: scrapes events and weather, composes visitor notices, publishes a static bilingual bulletin daily with zero manual steps.
Skills
Engineering: CAD, FEM analysis, mechanics of materials, technical writing (LaTeX)
Additive manufacturing: FFF, LDF composites, clay/paste extrusion, direct G-code, slicer profiling
Subtractive & fabrication: CNC milling, manual milling, lathe, CO2 laser cutting, PCB design
Programming: Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, embedded C++, G-code
Web & graphics: vanilla JS, Three.js, Astro, WebXR, WebRTC, Canvas
Vision & embedded: OpenCV, ArUco, segmentation, Raspberry Pi, Seeed XIAO
Languages
Slovenian: native
English: professional working proficiency