#024 – Automation Engineer at Apple – Umakaran Nemallan
Umakaran Nemallan is an automation engineer at Apple. Uma has a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and a master’s of mechatronics, both from the University of Waterloo.
Connect with Uma Nemallan via Linkedin.
Listen to the episode on iTunes.
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Discussion timestamps:
00:14 – A passion for robots and automation.
03:11 – Choosing universities. The co-op system at the University of Waterloo.
07:29 – Building a wide range of experiences to gain a broader understanding of the sector.
09:04 – A lifelong volunteer – mentoring the next generation.
05:37 – What is mechatronics engineering?
12:54 – Building an ocean laser scanner.
16:08 – Job hunting after graduation. Filling experience gaps.
18:37 – Becoming a CNC software master.
19:38 – Designing and building his own CNC lathes.
20:52 – Find your interest and dive in.
21:45 – Developing programming skills. Learning from existing code.
24:17 – Learning resources for programming.
25:00 – Transitioning to Bombardier.
31:18 – The interview process at Apple.
33:43 – The feel around the Apple campus.
34:43 – Taking products from the imaginary world to physical reality.
37:47 – Projects that Uma worked on at Apple.
38:24 – Roles of an automation engineer: removing the human from the process.
39:21 – The future of manufacturing: lights out.
41:04 – Questions to ask before tackling a problem.
41:41 – Remaining calm, collected, without emotional attachments.
43:06 – Technology advances that have impressed Uma.
44:22 – Technologies that Uma looks forward to.
A look into the manufacturing of the Mac Pro:
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Stream the episode here:
