JOSH MURZELLO

Experience

Tesla

Manufacturing Engineering Intern | Reno, NV | May 2025 - Present

I focused on automation for production ramp and optimization, developing and testing jigs and fixtures across multiple stations, and increasing or maintaining yield during a record-volume production period.

What I Did

At Tesla, I designed and deployed production-ready hardware and measurement systems that improved quality, throughput, and first-pass yield on battery manufacturing equipment. I built a 4-sensor laser displacement fixture in SolidWorks and integrated the measurement + feedback loop into a Siemens PLC to automate terminal-seat height verification to ±0.10 mm. This reduced manual height checks by 34% and is projected to cut rework by 16% for out-of-threshold seats.
I also led root-cause analysis and validation work on the wire bonding station supporting Model 3/Y modifications, identifying the failure modes behind inconsistent bonding. I executed DOE, cycle-time investigations, and validation studies to isolate contributors including bond tool misalignment, GBS sequences, and wire draw rates. After calibration and corrective actions, the station was brought back within ±0.05 mm alignment tolerance and first-pass yield reached 100% within three weeks of SOP.
In parallel, I released GD&T-controlled drawings for a HiPot manual station and partnered with vendors to machine precision extrusions and sensor rail components. I drove DFM reviews and tolerance stack-ups to achieve ≤0.10 mm repeatability in sensor placement, reducing fixture rework lead time by roughly 30% and improving line readiness. I also owned the hardware test plan for a new BMB installation fixture, defining acceptance criteria, running gage R&R and MSA, iterating prototypes, and validating performance through first-principles analysis (thermal expansion, vibration, and sensor linearity) under real production conditions to ensure the design could transition from prototype to deployment without sacrificing cycle time or yield.

Skills & Tools

SolidWorks Siemens PLC GD&T DFM Tolerance Stack-up DOE Validation Gage R&R MSA First Principles Thermal Expansion Vibration Sensors/Metrology

Proof Artifacts

Artifact

Fixture architecture

Confidentiality-safe diagrams can show measurement flow, sensor positions, tolerance goals, and PLC feedback without exposing proprietary station detail.

Artifact

Validation matrix

A sanitized test-plan table can show acceptance criteria, gage R&R thinking, MSA coverage, and production-readiness gates.

Artifact

Outcome summary

The strongest public evidence is a before/after metric snapshot tied to manual-check reduction, rework risk, alignment tolerance, and first-pass yield.

Process

Step 1

Discover

I identified ramp constraints, station-level loss points, and yield risks during high-volume production periods.

Step 2

Design

I built automation solutions and developed jigs and fixtures for seat-height verification, installation, and station readiness.

Step 3

Validate

I executed DOE, cycle-time investigations, gage R&R, MSA, and first-principles checks under real production conditions.

Step 4

Deploy

I deployed production-ready hardware and process updates to support ramp optimization while protecting yield at scale.

Key Takeaways