# Tom L. > Mechanical Engineer at Apple⏐ I help turn complex mechanical systems into compact, manufacturable designs where engineering precision meets elegance. Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/toml I am a Mechanical Design Engineer with 10+ years of experience in product design, systems engineering, and manufacturing, specializing in camera and hardware systems at Apple and beyond. Skilled in CAD, analysis, and prototyping, I bridge design precision with manufacturability to deliver elegant, reliable products from concept to production. Some of my major accomplishments include: • Owned mechanical architecture for iPhone 17 Center Stage Autofocus camera module, leading optical, sensor, and substrate integration to shape compact, manufacturable actuator designs. • Developed iPhone 14 Adaptive True Tone Flash and optical sub-systems enabling new user-facing experiences and multi-generation platform. • Delivered mechanical designs across medical, field X-ray, and water filtration systems, integrating ergonomic design, FEA optimization, and rapid prototyping to balance usability and manufacturability. I’m motivated by opportunities to design products that genuinely make life easier - helping people access what they couldn’t before while building responsibly for lasting impact. I love connecting with new people, you can reach me at tomlingogo@gmail.com. ## Work Experience ### Camera Mechanical Design Engineer @ Apple Jan 2017 – Present | Cupertino • Led cross-functional DFM reviews, completing 100+ substrate layout and tolerance analyses to improve manufacturability and yield. • Engineered precision-molded components with optimized gating and bonding strategies, improving consistency while maintaining optical and tooling performance. • Co-developed MATLAB automation to streamline vendor data plotting, cutting time from 60 to 1 minute. • Engineered dual-shot molded optical component tooling with optimized slider and gate design, improving flow behavior and overall cosmetic quality. • Developed ultra-wide fixed-focus camera, enabling iPad Pro Center Stage automatic framing on FaceTime calls. • Engineered the thinnest MacBook Pro camera system using a refined lens and bracket design, enabling a slimmer and more durable display border architecture. ### Senior Design Engineer @ Driven Innovation LRV, Inc. Jan 2014 – Jan 2017 | Fremont • Designed 10-part spring-loaded latch system for marine-mammal X-ray device, balancing secure hold with quick field release. • Productized bench top cryotherapy tech into a portable medical device, integrating ergonomic housing for manufacturable assembly. • Engineered injection-molded filter clips with optimized geometry via FEA, maintaining spacing under heat, pressure, and drop impact. • Translated BackShield concept sketch to production geometry, owning surface modeling and structural integration of multi-material parts. ### Product Designer @ RoboTerra, Inc. Jan 2014 – Jan 2017 | Mountain View, CA • Delivered the first consumer electronic product from concept generation to design and engineering. Adopted bottom-up approach by working closely with board designer on component layout. • Designed Origin™ Kit package which contains the building block for middle schooler to make their own robot. http://www.roboterra.com/productlist/roboterra-origin-kit ### Design Engineer @ Actigift Development Jan 2013 – Jan 2017 | Taiwan Design innovative wine and champagne stopper products. ### Research assistant @ Academia Sinica Jan 2012 – Jan 2012 Densification of Porous Carbon Materials by Pulse Chemical Vapor Infiltration (PCVI) – Designed and implemented a system to densify graphite. The system consisted of a furnace, quartz tube, vacuum system, a pulse control, gas flow meters, and a controlling computer. – Carried out infiltration cycle and monitored the pressurized environment and temperature ## Education ### Master of Science (MS) in Engineering and Technology Innovation Management Carnegie Mellon University Jan 2012 – Jan 2014 ### Master of Science (MS) in Materials Science Carnegie Mellon University Jan 2012 – Jan 2014 ### Bachelor of Science (BS) in Materials Science National Tsing Hua University Jan 2006 – Jan 2010 ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/tomlingogo - Portfolio: https://linktr.ee/tomlingogo --- Source: https://flows.cv/toml JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/toml/resume.json Last updated: 2026-03-25