Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineer · Ph.D. · 20+ Years of Global Experience · AI/ML in Manufacturing

Santa Clara, California · LinkedIn · Engineering Blog · Email

Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineer with more than 20 years of experience spanning high-volume EV production at Tesla, precision-instrument manufacturing at Thermo Fisher Scientific, industrial product development at Mezewir Industrial Solutions, and advanced-materials research at IIT Delhi. Currently pursuing an M.Sc. in Applied Data Science (AI & ML) and building at the intersection of physical manufacturing, quality engineering, and intelligent software.

• 🔧 Improved Body Fitting throughput from approximately 40 to 48–50 JPH and reduced loose-object defects by 95% on Model 3 and Model Y production lines.
• 🏭 Experienced in manufacturing launch, DFM, PFMEA, Lean/Six Sigma, OEE, process capability, quality improvement, tooling, and end-of-line process development.
• 📋 Standardized 200+ work instructions and contributed to a 15% scrap reduction in precision-instrument manufacturing.
• 🤖 Develops Python and AI-assisted tools for PFMEA, failure analysis, process capability, manufacturing intelligence, and retrieval of engineering lessons.
• 📄 Published researcher with 7+ international publications and experience as a peer reviewer for engineering journals.

OE Process Engineer — Thermo Fisher Scientific, Fremont, California 2024–2026

• Developed 200+ visual SOPs and work instructions, Power BI manufacturing dashboards, and AI/ML-supported workflows for semiconductor-instrument production; contributed to a 15% scrap reduction.

Manufacturing Process Engineer – Lead, End of Line & GA3 — Tesla, Fremont, California 2018–2024

• Led Model 3 and Model Y process optimization: Body Fitting throughput approximately 40 → 48–50 JPH, 95% loose-object defect reduction, and 40% scrap reduction through an MRB improvement project.
• Designed mechanical joining solutions, tools, jigs, fixtures, and error-proofing devices; supported fabrication, installation, commissioning, and launch readiness.
• Executed 80+ cost-minimization and continuous-improvement projects.
• Rock Star Certificate · Continuous Improvement Center Memento · 5-Year Silver Memento

Co-Founder & R&D Engineering Head — Mezewir Industrial Solutions PLC 2022–2025

• Built and led a 16-person R&D organization for agricultural and industrial machinery, from concept and design through manufacturing and production launch.

Research Scholar – Advanced Forming Techniques — IIT Delhi, India 2012–2018

• Conducted research in cryogenic rolling, sheet hydroforming, constrained groove pressing, and ultra-fine-grain aluminium alloys.
• Outstanding Researcher Contributions Award · Distinguished Achievement in Innovation

Lecturer — Adama Science and Technology University, Ethiopia 2005–2012

• Founded and equipped a dedicated sheet-metal forming and CAD/CAM laboratory.

• 📚 M.Sc. Applied Data Science (AI & ML) (in progress) — University of Bay Area, California · 2025–2027
• 🎖️ Level II Generative AI – Technology and Tools — Thermo Fisher Scientific University · 2026
• 🎖️ Leading in the AI-Powered Future — MIT Professional Education · 2025
• 🎓 Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering — IIT Delhi, India · 2012–2018
• 🎓 M.Sc. Manufacturing Engineering — Addis Ababa University / IIT Delhi · 2008–2010
• 🎓 B.Sc. Manufacturing Technology — Adama Science and Technology University · 2004–2008
• 🎓 Associate's Degree, Advanced Metal Technology — MfM Agro-Technical Training College, Harar, Ethiopia · 2000–2003

Integrated Python portfolio connecting process capability, PFMEA, OEE, Gauge R&R, SPC, yield, process data, engineering-lessons retrieval, and professional reporting. The repository preserves three complementary applications:

• 🚀 V1 Classic — Statistical Engineering Toolkit — original Cp/Cpk, PFMEA, OEE, Gauge R&R, SPC, and process-data demonstrations.
• 📈 V1 Interactive — Process Capability — CSV upload, pasted measurements, Cp/Cpk scenario analysis, visualizations, out-of-specification review, and downloadable Word reports.
• 🧠 V2 — Manufacturing Intelligence — session production records, FPY/RTY/OEE, BM25 engineering-lessons retrieval, evidence-grounded investigation briefs, and integrated reporting.

Uses synthetic educational datasets and generalized manufacturing cases; it contains no proprietary or confidential company data.

Try the live application. Indexes generalized design-review and failure records, retrieves similar problems with root causes and resolutions, and compares a transparent TF-IDF baseline with a hybrid BM25 and semantic retrieval approach.

Try the live application. Python package and web application that generate professional, color-coded PFMEA and 8D-style Failure Analysis reports as Word documents from structured engineering inputs.

Led manufacturing-process development and continuous improvement across General Assembly and End-of-Line operations. Developed and launched the first standardized Body Fitting SOP for Model 3 and Model Y, increasing throughput from approximately 40 to 48–50 JPH through process redesign, line balancing, Lean methods, and Six Sigma Design of Experiments.

• Reduced loose-object quality defects by 95% through source control, standardized work, layered verification, and cross-functional corrective action.
• Led root-cause investigation of 12 V battery-drain failures and implemented countermeasures delivering up to $250,000 per month in cost avoidance.
• Reduced scrap by 40% through a focused MRB improvement project using defect stratification, containment, root-cause analysis, and corrective-action verification.
• Championed safety, ergonomics, innovation, and Practical Process Improvement/continuous-improvement initiatives, earning champion recognition three times.
• Designed production tools, jigs, fixtures, error-proofing devices, and mechanical joining solutions; supported fabrication, installation, validation, commissioning, launch readiness, and production handoff.
• Applied PFMEA, control plans, standardized work, capability analysis, Pareto analysis, 5-Why, fishbone analysis, Lean/Six Sigma, and cross-functional problem solving to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost.

Designed and deployed Power BI visual-management systems at Thermo Fisher Scientific and Mezewir Industrial Solutions for non-conformance, MRB, scrap, downtime, maintenance, and operational-performance monitoring. Transformed fragmented production data into actionable KPI trends, Pareto views, drill-down analysis, and management dashboards.

Skills demonstrated: data preparation and validation · KPI definition · DAX and data modeling · Pareto and trend analysis · OEE and loss analysis · visual management · stakeholder requirements · continuous-improvement tracking

Conducted doctoral research at IIT Delhi on cryogenic rolling, constrained groove pressing, sheet hydroforming, and microstructure–property relationships for lightweight, high-strength aluminium alloys. Published peer-reviewed research and developed expertise in experimental design, materials characterization, forming-process optimization, mechanical testing, statistical analysis, and technical communication.

Research capabilities: Design of Experiments · metallography and microstructural analysis · tensile and hardness testing · sheet-metal formability · CAD/CAE · data interpretation · scientific writing · peer review

• ASME · ISME · ESME · MS&T · TMS (former)
• Peer Reviewer: Recent Patents on Engineering · Journal of Management Science and Engineering Research · Advanced Intelligent Manufacturing Technology
• Community Leadership: Board Director, ECS (Ethiopian Community Services)
• Languages: English (Fluent) · Amharic (Fluent) · Afaan Oromo (Intermediate) · Hindi and German (Fair)

• 💼 LinkedIn — Dr. Fitsum Taye Feyissa
• ✍️ Engineering & Innovation Blog
• 📧 fitsum.tf@gmail.com
• 📍 Santa Clara, California, USA

Building practical systems at the intersection of manufacturing engineering, quality, data, and AI—turning operational knowledge into measurable improvement and reusable engineering assets.