At Apple, I was more than just an intern; I started, executed, and completed long-term projects over the course of my employment in the Manufacturing and Design Engineering (MDE) department, driving the full arc of project lifecycles. I am proud to have influenced battery manufacture across multiple Apple products, including the Watch and Pencil, and it was an honor to work with and learn from some of the brightest engineers I have ever met.

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    My work at Apple primarily revolved around battery formation, where the Li-ion battery is charged for the first time. For pouch cells, the charge profile must be tightly controlled and conducted at both high temperature and pressure. Pressure in particular is difficult to sense, and uncontrolled changes in pressure distribution due to non-uniform geometry can result in defects.

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    I drove research and development into improving the pressure distribution in formation, which included but was not limited to extensive simulation via ANSYS Structural, machine design, collaboration with suppliers overseas, and materials characterization. I developed a laboratory-scale formation press that has been delivered to Apple offices, and combined with my other projects, these efforts are set to reduce jelly roll distortion defects in pouch cells that, in total, cost the company around $2.3 million per year.

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    This internship has proven foundational for my professional development, allowing me to employ previous knowledge from other internships while also growing immensely as an engineer. Through many trials, I significantly expanded my technical capabilities, particularly in mechanical engineering, and the skills I learned provided insights into my low-pressure solid battery research with the Braun Research Group.