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

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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.

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Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.

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23 Years, One Question: “Diaoyu Dao: Small Islands, Big Stakes” — A CGTN Documentary

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This article was produced to coincide with the release of CGTN’s new documentary Diaoyu Dao: Small Islands, Big Stakes. Inspired by one of the documentary’s stories, it follows Chinese scholar Wu Tianying’s 23-year pursuit of historical truth, showing how one man’s lifelong research underscores the enduring importance of historical evidence in understanding the Diaoyu Dao (known in Japan as the Senkaku Islands) dispute.


https://youtu.be/ohsuJMRJ7GM?si=k2LX9Hv-oZKpIwMw

“In the years before the First Sino–Japanese War, were Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands terra nullius – or were they already Chinese territory?”

At 90 years old, Professor Wu Tianying still asks that question slowly and carefully.

In a quiet study lined with books and documents, the veteran Chinese scholar opens a worn manuscript – “On the Territorial Sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands Prior to 1894.”

It took him 23 years to complete and publish.

For Wu, the book was never simply an academic study.

“It was a commitment to sovereignty,” he says in CGTN’s new documentary “Diaoyu Dao: Small Islands, Big Stakes.”

Part Two of the documentary, “Behind Closed Doors,” follows Wu’s decades-long effort to trace the historical origins of the Diaoyu Dao dispute – not through slogans or political rhetoric, but through archives, maps and an unexpected intellectual exchange with Japanese scholars.

The deeper I searched…”

Wu Tianying belongs to one of the earliest generations of Chinese scholars to systematically study the Diaoyu Dao issue after China and Japan normalized relations.

At the center of his research was one key argument.

Japan’s claim over the islands rests partly on the concept of terra nullius – land belonging to no state before incorporation.

If the islands were terra nullius, they could, in principle, be claimed through occupation under international law.

In his research, Wu asked whether Japan’s incorporation of Diaoyu Dao during the late 19th century was truly unrelated to its war against the Qing government.

His work brought him into contact with Japanese historian Kiyoshi Inoue.

Inoue had originally sought to prove that the islands belonged to Japan.

Years of studying historical materials led him to  a different conclusion.

“The deeper I searched,” Inoue says in archival footage in the documentary, “the clearer it became that the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Dao) are China’s territory rather than terra nullius. They have nothing to do with Japan.”

In 1995, Inoue received a copy of Wu’s book.

A year later, Inoue wrote back, praising Wu’s work as a “thorough and scientific rebuttal” of Japanese claims represented by scholars such as Toshio Okuyama.

The two scholars came from different countries and very different historical backgrounds. But both believed historical arguments had to be tested against evidence.

Still waiting for an answer

But Behind Closed Doors is not only about the past.

It also asks what happened to the political understanding that once existed between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Dao issue.

Wu Tianying reflects on Japanese scholars who once warned against pushing the dispute further.

He says he is still watching how Japan’s current political leadership responds to those earlier voices inside Japan itself.

And he is still waiting for an answer.

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Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.

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All Thingz Electric Expands EV Charger Installation Services Across South Orange County to Meet Growing Demand

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Aliso Viejo, California, United States, 25th Jul 2026 – All Thingz Electric, a licensed electrical contractor serving residential and commercial clients throughout Orange County, today announced the expansion of its electric vehicle (EV) charger installation services to meet surging demand across South Orange County communities. As EV adoption accelerates throughout the region, All Thingz Electric is positioning itself as the go-to resource for homeowners navigating the transition to home charging.

Orange County’s EV Surge

California leads the nation in EV adoption, and Orange County communities, particularly Aliso ViejoMission ViejoIrvine, and Laguna Niguel, have seen significant growth in electric vehicle registrations over the past two years. With that growth comes increased demand for Level 2 home charging solutions, which can charge most EVs overnight and are far more efficient than standard 120V outlets.

“We’re getting more calls about EV chargers than almost anything else right now,” said Anthony Feeney, founder and certified journeyman electrician at All Thingz Electric. “A lot of homeowners buy an EV and assume the outlet in the garage will work fine, and it does, slowly. But once they understand what a dedicated Level 2 charger can do, they want it installed right away. It changes how convenient owning an EV actually is.”

What the Installation Involves

A Level 2 EV charger installation typically involves running a dedicated 240V circuit from the electrical panel to the garage or charging location. In some cases, particularly in older homes, a panel upgrade may be required first to accommodate the added load. All Thingz Electric’s technicians evaluate each home’s existing infrastructure before beginning any work, ensuring the right solution is specified the first time. An electrical inspection and code compliance check is included to ensure the installation meets all local requirements.

All Thingz Electric installs chargers from all major brands and can coordinate directly with utility companies on applicable rebate programs.

A Full-Service Electrical Partner

Beyond EV charging, All Thingz Electric offers a comprehensive range of residential electrical services including whole-house surge protectionoutdoor and landscape lighting installationbackup generator installation, and 24/7 emergency electrical services. Free quotes are available for all services, and all work is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

“Orange County homeowners expect quality, and we deliver that on every job,” Feeney said. “Whether someone needs a charger installed or their whole panel replaced, we treat every project like it’s our own home.”

About All Thingz Electric

All Thingz Electric is a licensed electrical contractor founded by Anthony Feeney, a certified journeyman electrician, serving residential and commercial clients throughout Orange County. The company is based in Aliso Viejo and serves Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Lake Forest, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, and surrounding communities. Services include EV charger installationelectrical panel upgradeswhole-house surge protectionlighting servicesrewiring, and emergency electrical response. Free quotes are available; 100% satisfaction guaranteed.

Media Contact: All Thingz Electric Team
Phone: 949 426-7977
Website: https://allthingzelectric.com
Email: contact@allthingzelectric.com
Address: 26791 Aliso Creek Rd. #1015, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

Media Contact

Organization: All Thingz Electric

Contact Person: Anthony Feeney

Website: https://allthingzelectric.com/

Email: Send Email

Contact Number: +19497103564

Address:26791 Aliso Creek Rd #1015

City: Aliso Viejo

State: California

Country:United States

Release id:47587

The post All Thingz Electric Expands EV Charger Installation Services Across South Orange County to Meet Growing Demand appeared first on King Newswire. This content is provided by a third-party source.. King Newswire makes no warranties or representations in connection with it. King Newswire is a press release distribution agency and does not endorse or verify the claims made in this release. If you have any complaints or copyright concerns related to this article, please contact the company listed in the ‘Media Contact’ section

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RELVE Q2 Report Reveals AI Hype Gap After Analyzing 1.59M Data Points and 23,000 Tools

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182 AI developments shipped last quarter. Only 29 required a decision from a SaaS operator. RELVE’s Q2 report “The State of AI for SaaS Companies” analyzed 1.59 million data points across 9 categories and 69 attributes to highlight the hype and the gap.

United States, 25th Jul 2026 – Eighty-four percent of the AI news that reached SaaS founders last quarter changed nothing about how they build, staff, budget, or buy. That’s the central finding of The State of AI for SaaS Companies, RELVE’s Q2 2026 report released 23-July-2026, built on 23,000+ tools reviewed and 1.59 million data points assessed.

Every item was sorted into three labels: 72 Noise, 81 Watch, and 29 Signals. A Signal is a named, verifiable change worth acting on now. Watch items are patterns still forming, with a clear trigger that could turn them urgent. Noise is real news with no consequence for how a company operates.

Coverage did not track with consequence. The three most-covered companies of the quarter took 28.9% of all coverage yet produced zero Signals. Meanwhile, more than a third of the quarter’s Signals had no single company behind them at all. The report found the loudest stories were rarely the ones that mattered most, and that attention and consequence often pointed in opposite directions.

RELVE Q2 Report

The 29 Signals grouped into three shifts. The model layer stopped being the moat as frontier-grade output got cheap and interchangeable. Agents began arriving inside company systems before the governance did, often switched on by default in tools teams already run.

And meeting and notetaker tools started turning into the system of record where a company’s decisions, context, and institutional memory live.

Each shift carries a cost if ignored. On AI governance, RELVE cites IBM research showing that high shadow AI use added $670,000 to the average data breach, and that most organizations breached through AI lacked proper access controls.

On skills, the wage premium for AI-fluent roles reached 62% in 2026, more than double what it was two years earlier. On the model layer, cheaper inference reset the build-versus-buy math for nearly every AI-using company.

The report also reads the macro picture on enterprise AI adoption from the major research firms. Adoption is close to universal at 88%, yet only a small share of organizations capture most of the value.

RELVE draws a distinction here: the big firms survey thousands of executives to measure intent, while RELVE tracks what actually shipped and rules on which developments change what an operator does. Its conclusion is that the bottleneck is now workflow, governance, and people, not the technology itself.

The tool review is the foundation under the report. RELVE assessed those tools across 9 categories on 69 attributes, then shortlisted 1,881 across six categories. Nearly 90% of that shortlist was built as AI from the start, with the rest being established tools that added AI later. Marketing and creative made up the two largest categories.

Funding followed a similar pattern of concentration. Among the shortlisted tools, 695 have recorded funding totalling $93.56 billion, with the top ten accounting for about 58% of the total and a single company representing roughly a third of everything tracked. Engineering and operations pulled the most capital by category, while marketing tools, despite being the largest group by count, raised the least.

Events told the same story as the news. RELVE assessed 26 industry conferences during the quarter and found only two produced a Signal. Several more carried announcements worth a founder’s attention without crossing the bar, and many were covered elsewhere purely as spectacle. 

The report sorts every event by consequence instead of size, and closes the section with the Q3 dates worth holding.

The report ends with a set of concrete moves for operators, split into what to act on this quarter and what to plan for next.

The near-term list covers checking exposure to shifting engineering-tool pricing, running an inventory of enterprise AI agents that can take autonomous action, and setting a permission and data-access rule for each. RELVE frames this as an AI agent governance problem most teams have not solved yet.

The forward list points to building around cheap and interchangeable models rather than scarce ones, and reassessing vendor lock-in as meeting tools consolidate into a system of record.

The full report, including the function-by-function breakdown for marketing, engineering, operations, HR, and creative, is available on the RELVE site.

About RELVE

RELVE is an AI intelligence platform for AI trends and tools, built for SaaS founders and their core teams across marketing, HR, operations, engineering, and creative. It filters signal from noise: verified news sorted by what matters, tools ranked by data rather than who paid for the listing, and Signals that brief every function, not just the person at the top. Learn more at relvehq.com.

Users can follow RELVE on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/relve

X: https://x.com/Relve_official

Media Contact

Organization: RELVE

Contact Person: RELVE

Website: https://relvehq.com/

Email: Send Email

Country:United States

Release id:47458

The post RELVE Q2 Report Reveals AI Hype Gap After Analyzing 1.59M Data Points and 23,000 Tools appeared first on King Newswire. This content is provided by a third-party source.. King Newswire makes no warranties or representations in connection with it. King Newswire is a press release distribution agency and does not endorse or verify the claims made in this release. If you have any complaints or copyright concerns related to this article, please contact the company listed in the ‘Media Contact’ section

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