While earning an associate degree in mechanical engineering technology/engineering sciences from the State University of New York at Morrisville, Kyle Karasek participated in the local Society of Manufacturing Engineers association.
"One of the local manufacturers that we visited was Tessy. I was blown away by the high-tech capabilities and talented and approachable workforce within the business. I applied for an internship as soon as I could and was offered a job working in the quality department [as a quality engineering technician] in 2013," he said.
At Tessy Plastics Corp., Karasek worked on writing inspection programs and data analysis using industrial computed tomography scanning machines, then he transitioned to a quality engineer role during the pandemic lockdowns, after creating automated inspection routines for COVID-19-related manufactured products.
"As a quality engineer, I worked on developing a first-of-its-kind fully automated CT inspection system with the ability to 100 percent inspect a minimally invasive surgical device by utilizing advanced methods of machine learning," he said.
"Tessy greatly contributed to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and was tasked with getting a new diagnostic product into production within a rigorous 16-week timeline. This program required an extraordinary effort from all employees to get into production efficiently and safely. Not only was I challenged with developing and implementing a first-of-its-kind technology in the U.S. but also had to overcome the government regulatory hurdles that accompanied it," he added.
Karasek validated a minimally invasive surgical device for a Fortune 500 medical company and moved into new product development, where he implements new technologies and processes.
Karasek's current challenges include managing a large workload and maintaining validation timelines while also ensuring that the highest-quality standards are met. "Most projects have several moving pieces, and when you're responsible for implementing new processes and next-generation technology, it is reassuring to know that I have a motivated and effective team to rely on for support through the challenges," he said.
Karasek is the former chairman of the Syracuse section of the American Society of Quality organization and is still an active member of its leadership committee. He previously was the president of his college's SME organization and is still a member as well.
"Outside of work," he said, "I'm always working with ASQ to set up tours of different local manufacturers, training seminars and meet-and-greets for local manufacturing professionals. I've also participated in local high school programs by mentoring students interested in careers in STEM."
He continues to learn as much as possible in his field of expertise in X-ray microscopy and industrial computed tomography to become a regional subject-matter expert. It has allowed him to take a leadership role in mentoring newer engineers, grow a solid team of experts in the industry and transition to other positions to explore new fields in which he is interested.