About Me

Experience

3 years
Internship Experience

Education

B.S. Aerospace Engineering
LEAN Six-Sigma Green Belt

I’ve always been fascinated by how things work, and more importantly how they can work better. As an Aerospace Engineering student with experience in industrial automation and mechanical design, I develop solutions that make engineering processes smarter, faster, and more efficient. Whether I am bringing ideas to life in SolidWorks or automating processes and optimizing systems through code, I enjoy turning engineering challenges into practical, convienient solutions that make a measurable impact.

Engineering Toolbox

Software Skills

Solidworks

Experienced

MATLAB

Experienced

Siemens NX

Intermediate

Linux

Beginner

Power BI

Intermediate

Prusa Slicer

Experienced

Arduino

Intermediate

VBA/Macros

Intermediate

Technical Skills

Process Optimization

Experienced

LEAN Manufacturing

Intermediate

Standardized Work

Intermediate

3D Printing

Experienced

Digital Twin Development

Experienced

Design for Manufacturing

Experienced

Featured Projects

Work Blocks and Standard Work

Industrial Engineering Intern @ General Dynamics Land Systems

Skills Applied

Manpower Assignments
LEAN Manufacturing
Process Optimization

Inspiration and Objective:

At General Dynamics, I observed that cycle times for certain stations were extremely long—ranging from 50 to 100 hours—which made it difficult to track progress and hold workers accountable. To address this, stations were broken into smaller sections called manpower assignments, each representing the amount of work that should be completed in a standard eight-hour shift to maintain production rate. These manpower assignments were carefully designed after conducting a full-cycle time study and analyzing line balancing charts to ensure workload was evenly distributed across shifts. Each assignment included images and visual guides showing exactly what needed to be completed, and tasks were further broken down into operations and individual steps for clarity and consistency. This approach allowed for precise tracking of vehicle progress, improved accountability for workers, and ensured that production rates could be met while making long, complex cycle times more manageable and transparent.

Process and Results:

Complied and filtered time study data to determine how long specific process took
Created line balancing charts in order to compare cycle times for different operations within a station
Adjusted the operations and collaborated with tool engineering to balance OPs
Split all of the OPs and steps into achievable shift long manpower assignments to increase accountability and repeatability
Collaborated with production to ensure that each workblock was feasible and efficient

(The images shown are stock images that share the essence
since I cannot share GDLS proprietary information.)

Digital Twin Project

Manufacturing Engineering Intern @ Acutec Precision Aerospace

Skills Applied

Solidworks/CAD
Workflow Optimization
LEAN Manufacturing

Inspiration and Objective:

After lunch one day, my boss stepped out and left me with a task: explore software options for building digital twins. Instead of waiting for instructions, I took initiative and turned to the familiar software of Solidworks and began experimenting with modeling, simulating, and linking components to approximate a digital twin. By the end of the day, I had a working prototype that demonstrated the concept, showing that familiar tools could be adapted to new challenges. This experience reinforced my belief in proactive problem-solving and using what you know to push projects forward.

Process and Results:

Designed and created four fully scaled digital twins from scratch for all Actuec’s facilities
Ensured accuracy and usability of each digital twin to support planning, visualization, and process optimization.
Demonstrated ability to adapt familiar tools to new challenges and deliver tangible results independently.
Experimented with modeling, simulation, and component linking to replicate facility behavior in a virtual environment.

Bonsai Care Project

Personal Project

Skills Applied

Arduino sensor IO
3D Printing & Prusa Slicer
Solidworks

Inspiration and Objective:

It all started when I came across a small bonsai tree at Trader Joe’s. I bought it on impulse, drawn to its miniature beauty and sense of calm, but within the first week, its leaves began to wilt. Watching it decline sparked a mix of frustration and curiosity, and I realized I could approach this not just as a plant owner, but as an engineer. What began as an aesthetic purchase quickly evolved into an engineering challenge: how could I design a controlled environment to monitor and optimize the health of a living system?

Process and Results:

Researched ideal growing conditions for ficus Bonsai and purchased desired sensors.
Integrated sensor-based soil moisture, light, humidity, and temperature monitoring with Arduino
Created custom Arduino script to give alerts when optimal criteria are not met
Used Solidworks and Prusa Slicer to design and 3D print a custom shelf to house the grow light
Documented growth progression through detailed photography and care notes.

View more of my Work

Acutec Projects GDLS Projects

Get in Touch

Contact Me

coledesi@buffalo.edu

Cole DeSimone

About Me

Experience

Education

Engineering Toolbox

Software Skills

Solidworks

MATLAB

Siemens NX

Linux

Power BI

Prusa Slicer

Arduino

VBA/Macros

Technical Skills

Process Optimization

LEAN Manufacturing

Standardized Work

3D Printing

Digital Twin Development

Design for Manufacturing

Featured Projects

Work Blocks and Standard Work

Skills Applied

Inspiration and Objective:

Process and Results:

Digital Twin Project

Skills Applied

Inspiration and Objective:

Process and Results:

Bonsai Care Project

Skills Applied

Inspiration and Objective:

Process and Results:

View more of my Work

Contact Me