I worked for Telsa during the summer of 2017 at their main manufacturing plant in Fremont, CA, just as the company launched production of the Model 3. I was part of the Powertrain Manufacturing Operations team overseeing the production of Model S and X battery modules and packs.
My most impactful work came when I noticed inefficiencies in a rework line for non-compliant battery modules when doing work on another project. I brought up the problems with my mentor and took responsibility for redesigning the process. Originally, work was done in a cottage-style system, with technicians fetching single modules from locations on the floor where they had failed tests, diagnosing one of a few common issues back at their individual work station, performing corrective steps based on their diagnosis, and returning them to the same point on the line.
My new system stockpiled the growing backlog of non-compliant modules and gave technicians specialized roles diagnosing or fixing modules with specific problems to increase expertise, reduce downtime, and improve efficiency. Completed modules were tested, categorized, and moved in bulk to the next stage on the line. I worked with the many stakeholders in this change to procure and fabricate new equipment, make personnel changes, and reorganize the factory floor to cut costs on the order of $10,000 per month.
Another project entailed designing and prototyping a device that would fill battery modules with an adhesive to immobilize individual battery cells and cure the adhesive with UV light. The existing automated process to achieve this same result was overly complicated and prone to imperfections and errors. I took an approach to simplify the process as much as possible. My mechanical design made use of pneumatics to handle modules and move them in and out of the station. It was used as a proof-of-concept for changing the existing process and further developed by other engineers after my departure.