D’Addario & Company is the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of musical instrument accessories, trusted by musicians globally. As a U.S.-based manufacturing company, we take pride in our commitment to cutting-edge automation, sustainable practices, and giving back through the D’Addario Foundation—providing music education access to underserved communities. Most importantly, we pride ourselves on our diverse team of individuals where our success is built on a culture of curiosity, passion, candor, family, and responsibility.

We’re looking for a motivated and detail-oriented RD Intern to support our Product Development team in their labatory. The Product Testing Laboratory supports product and process qualification, quality control, and research and development by generating reliable, datadriven evidence that materials, designs, and manufacturing processes meet internal and customer requirements. The R&D Intern, will support handson testing and stepbystep qualification of novel products, analyze test data using statistical methods, and gain experience with laboratory equipment while contributing technical insights to engineering and R&D teams. 

Possible Projects: 

Orchestral Flat wire Data 

• Assess wire flattening capabilities of current manufacturing process.
• Collect and analyze wire ribbon width data in-line during each setup/run for consistency spool to spool and intra-spool 
• Collect and anlyze dimensional and tensile data from incoming and finished spools in the lab for comparison 

Fretted Strings – Tensile 

• Collect and analyze tensile strength of cores and strings for D'Addario's vast library of string sets to create a database 
• Set safety limits for string tension pro calculations 

Key Responsibilities 

Product & Process Qualification 

• Assist with stepbystep qualification of new products, including development, execution, and documentation of test plans/design of experiment 
• Support testing of novel materials and products from prototypes 
• Conduct comparative testing against legacy, benchmark, or competitor products to identify performance gaps, strengths, and opportunities for differentiation 

Laboratory Testing & Equipment 

• Learn and operate laboratory test equipment such as:  
• Mechanical and tensile testing systems 
• SEM/EDS and DSC Materials setup and analysis 
• Various dimensional and mass measurement tools 
• Material corrosion resistance or durability test setups 
• Follow established test procedures and safety protocols 
• Assist with calibration checks and basic lab organization 

Data Analysis & Reporting 

• Collect, organize, and analyze test data 
• Perform statistical analysis from design of experiment or production test data over time 
• Support preparation of test summaries, plots, and technical reports/presentations to support product development and R&D decisionmaking. 
• Maintain accurate test records and traceable documentation 

CrossFunctional Support 

• Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams 
• Support failure analysis and root cause investigations 
• Participate in design brainstorms or test result discussions as appropriate 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:  

• Has multiple years of experience in materials engineering or similar field such as materials testing, mechanical testing, statistics, manufacturing. 
• Is dedicated to pursuing an undergraduate Engineering degree or similar field of technical study.  

Minimum Qualifications:  

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Materials, Mechanical, Chemical, or related discipline preferred) 
• Basic understanding of engineering measurements and data analysis 
• Strong attention to detail and documentation 
• Eager to learn and do hands-on work in both laboratory and manufacturing environments. 
• Proficient in MS Office, particularly Excel. Familiarity with Minitab is a plus.  

The hourly rate for this position will be $20.00 per hour.

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