Max Willingham
About Max Willingham
Max Willingham is a Systems Engineer specializing in Vehicle Simulation, currently employed at Harley-Davidson Motor Company. He has extensive experience in evaluating bike components, developing crash models, and improving impact simulations, with a background in mechanical engineering from Marquette University.
Current Role at Harley-Davidson
Max Willingham serves as a Systems Engineer in Vehicle Simulation at Harley-Davidson Motor Company, a position he has held since 2020. In this role, he focuses on evaluating bike components and assessing rider injuries after impact to provide critical feedback to design teams. His work involves developing full vehicle crash models using Altair products and LS-DYNA, contributing to the safety and performance of Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Previous Experience at Harley-Davidson
Prior to his current role, Max worked as an Associate Systems Engineer in Chassis CAE at Harley-Davidson from 2019 to 2020. During this time, he was involved in structural analysis and optimizations of chassis components, aiming to create lightweight, efficient, and cost-effective designs. His contributions supported the development of advanced motorcycle engineering solutions.
Education and Expertise
Max Willingham completed his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering at Marquette University, where he studied from 2012 to 2016. He furthered his education by obtaining a master's degree in mechanical engineering, focusing on discrete element method (DEM) simulations for mechanically stabilized earth walls. This academic background has equipped him with strong analytical and engineering skills applicable to his work in vehicle simulation.
Internship and Teaching Experience
Max gained practical experience through various internships and teaching roles. He worked as a Product Quality Engineer Intern at Kia Motors America for three months in 2016 and served as an Engineering Intern/Inspector for the City of Naperville in 2013. Additionally, he was a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Marquette University from 2016 to 2018, where he supported engineering education while furthering his own studies.
Professional Development and Skills
Throughout his career, Max has developed expertise in impact simulations and test correlation. He has worked on projects that involved evolving methods for impact analysis, enhancing safety standards in motorcycle design. His experience also includes a role as a Structural Analysis Engineer at John Deere and an internship focused on Noise, Vibration, and Harshness at Honda R&D Americas, which contributed to his comprehensive understanding of vehicle dynamics.