Timothy Monzello: Build Systems That Work by Teaching the People Who Will Make Them

Timothy Monzello, an adjunct professor at El Camino College in Torrance, CA, uses his NASA and shop floor experience to close the gap between design and production.

The Problem Most Engineering Students Don’t See Until It’s Too Late

Saratoga Springs, UT, Jun 05, 2026, ZEX PR WIRE — A recent engineering graduate walked into a machine shop with a design that looked perfect on paper. Tight tolerances across every dimension. Smooth curves. Precise fits. The shop foreman held it up and asked one question: “How do you expect us to machine this?”

The graduate had no answer. The drawing called for internal features that no tool could reach. The tolerances demanded precision that would triple production time and cost. The design had to be scrapped and redrawn. Three weeks of work lost because no one had taught the designer to think about how things get built.

Timothy Monzello has watched this scenario play out dozens of times. He spent 19 years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, first as a Master Production Scheduler and later as a Manufacturing Engineering Group Lead. Before that, he worked as a machinist, programmer, foreman, shift supervisor, plant manager, and business owner. Now, for the past 11 years, he has taught machine tool technology at El Camino College.

“If it can’t be built, it’s not a finished idea,” Monzello says. “You have to think about the process from the start.”

Why Design and Build Must Share the Same Room

Monzello started his career as an auto mechanic while earning his first two associate degrees. He moved into machine shops, working as an OD/ID grinder, honer, and CNC programmer. He ran his own manufacturing business for nearly three years before selling it. Each step taught him the same lesson: understanding the system matters more than knowing one piece of it.

“I’ve been on both sides,” he says. “I’ve done the hands-on work, and I’ve managed teams doing it.”

At JPL, he planned production schedules for spacecraft components and oversaw manufacturing engineering projects. He earned multiple NASA honor awards, team awards, and a leadership award. But after 19 years, he was subject to a reduction in force. By then, he was already teaching part-time in the evenings. When the layoff came, he shifted to online courses and kept going.

“You learn pretty quickly that you have to be accountable,” Monzello says. “No one is going to carry you.”

His students learn manufacturing from someone who has seen what happens when designs ignore production realities. He shows them that good engineering means understanding the whole system, not just the blueprint.

“Not everything needs tight tolerances,” Monzello explains. “I’ve seen designs where everything was over-specified. That slows production and adds cost. Precision matters, but only where it’s needed.”

The Five-Phase Framework: Copy This to Build Smarter

Monzello’s approach to design for manufacturability follows a clear structure. Anyone working in engineering, manufacturing, or operations can apply this framework to reduce errors, cut costs, and speed up production.

Phase 1:Include the Build Process in the Design Before you finalize a design, talk to the people who will make it. Ask what tools they have. Ask what materials are easiest to work with. Ask where delays and errors tend to happen. This step prevents most of the problems that show up later.

Phase 2: Specify Precision Only Where It’s Needed Tight tolerances slow down production and drive up cost. Look at every dimension and ask whether it actually needs to be precise. If a feature doesn’t affect fit or function, loosen the tolerance. Save precision for the places that matter.

Phase 3: Design for Accessibility If a machinist can’t reach a feature with a tool, the part can’t be made. If an inspector can’t measure a dimension, the part can’t be verified. Where possible, design every feature so it can be accessed, machined, and checked without special fixtures or workarounds.

Phase 4: Document Decisions and Learn from Mistakes Keep notes on what works and what doesn’t. When a design causes a problem, write down why. When a change saves time, record it. Over time, you build a personal reference that helps you avoid repeating mistakes.

“Writing things down,” Monzello says. “I keep notes on what works and what doesn’t. Over time, that builds a personal reference. It helps me avoid repeating mistakes.”

Phase 5: Test the System Before Full Production Run a pilot build. Make a small batch. Find the problems before you commit to hundreds or thousands of units. Testing the process reveals gaps that no one sees on a drawing.

Quick Wins You Can Apply This Week

These small changes deliver immediate improvements:

• Walk through the shop floor and ask machinists what design features cause the most trouble.

• Review one recent drawing and identify any tolerances that could be loosened without affecting function.

• Schedule a 15-minute conversation between a designer and a machinist before finalizing the next project.

• Add a manufacturability checklist to your design review process.

• Document one lesson learned from a recent production issue and share it with the team.

Red Flags That Signal a Design Problem

Watch for these warning signs:

• Designers who have never visited the production floor.

• Drawings that specify tight tolerances on every dimension.

• Features that require custom tooling or special fixtures.

• Internal geometries that can’t be reached with standard tools.

• No conversation between design and manufacturing until after the drawing is released.

What Happens When the Gap Stays Open

Monzello has seen companies waste months and thousands of dollars because designers and builders never talked. Parts get rejected. Production stops. Engineers scramble to redraw components. Deadlines slip. Costs climb.

The fix is simple but not automatic. It requires intentional collaboration. It requires designers who understand manufacturing constraints. It requires manufacturers who speak up before problems reach the shop floor.

“At JPL, you plan for everything,” Monzello says. “You don’t leave gaps.”

He teaches his students to close the gap early. He shows them how to think like both a designer and a builder. He walks them through real examples from his years in machine shops, management roles, and NASA projects.

His work has appeared in outlets including BM Magazine, Brainz Magazine, Barchart, IdeaMensch, Business ABC, and IntelligentHQ. He holds a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification and has completed advanced training in GD&T, supply chain management, and Oracle systems. He earned two associate degrees from Citrus College, a bachelor’s in business administration from Ashford University, and an MBA from Arizona State University. He also completed project management training at Pepperdine University.

Outside of work, he volunteers at an assisted living facility. He grew up in Southern California in the 1960s and 1970s, losing his mother at age 10 and being raised by his father, a mail carrier. He spent his teenage years studying piano and martial arts, both of which taught him discipline that carried into his career.

“I learned early that you have to keep moving forward,” Monzello says. “No one is going to do the work for you.”

Apply This Framework to Your Next Project

Pick one project you’re working on right now. Walk through the five phases. Start a conversation with someone on the production side. Ask what they need from you to make the build smoother. Document what you learn. Test the system before you scale.

The gap between design and production closes one conversation at a time. This week, start closing it.

About Timothy Monzello

Timothy Monzello is an adjunct professor at El Camino College in Torrance, CA, where he teaches machine tool technology and business operations management. He spent 19 years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a Master Production Scheduler and Manufacturing Engineering Group Lead. He has worked as a machinist, CNC programmer, plant manager, and business owner. He holds an MBA from Arizona State University, a bachelor’s in business administration from Ashford University, and two associate degrees from Citrus College. He is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and has received multiple NASA honor awards, team awards, and a leadership award.