Mechanical Engineer Consultant: Design of Grippers, Tooling, Robots and Material Handling Systems (1440)
Expertise
Design and build grippers, tooling and support equipment for material handling, robots, assembly machines, assembly lines and pick-and-pack.
Development, design, testing, and operation of medical devices, hand and power tools, major electrical appliances, diamond wire dies and cutting tools.
Material handling equipment systems for manufacturing, including robotics equipment, industrial control systems, heating and cooling systems, watercraft, safety interlocks and automation equipment.
Synthetic diamond production, COMPAX monitoring and control systems and related application developments.
Self locking cylinders, dressing tools, acceleration actuated striking mechanisms.
Idea generation, creativity and group interaction to maximize creative idea generation.
Expert in mechanical design engineering skilled in patent litigation and service as a mechanical engineer expert witness.
Intellectual property, patent claim construction, infringement, and litigation support.
Expert in claim writing and defense before U.S. patent examiners.
Rapid prototyping of preproduction parts and prototypes, including testing and debugging prototype product.
Energy Management: Utility bill auditing, reduced utility consumption methods, energy purchasing strategies, on-peak reduction, utility backup strategies, energy efficient lighting and process and equipment efficiency.
Experience
Undisclosed University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2004 - Present
Established a senior design program that links industrial needs with student projects.
Developed and teach the course "Introduction to Robotics," emphasizing systems integration.
Developed and teach the course "Mechanical Innovations." Skilled with techniques for idea generation.
Robo-Tech Systems, Inc., Gastonia, NC, 1982 - 2004
Developed and built grippers, tooling, and support equipment for robots, material handling equipment, assembly machines, assembly lines and pick-and-place.
Responsible for sales and marketing, product development, production and finance. Products were sold to U.S. auto manufacturers and other industries.
Reduced corporate operating cost by installing a Computer Program Integration Management system (CPIM).
General Electric Company, Development Engineer for Specialty Materials Department, Worthington, OH, 1975 - 1982
Replaced mined natural diamond with diamond made from graphite on mechanical presses.
Coordinated man-made diamond product development, fabrication, testing, marketing and sales.
Responsible for two "COMPAX" product lines. Developed and patented three new diamond products.
Justified and introduced thermally stable "COMPAX" blanks with proprietary diamond crystal structures.
Whirlpool Corporation, Project Engineer, Benton Harbor, MI, 1968 - 1975
Invented improved appliance products for Whirlpool Corporation. Designed glass impregnated propylene appliance foot, water warning valve, washing machine suspension system, and conveyor transfer apparatus.
Developed a vertical axis balance mechanism for the full line of automatic washers.
Designed and built a conveyor transfer apparatus.
Typical Consulting Assignments
Low cost cylinder for tool part.
Hydraulic clamps.
Designed a custom venturi vacuum gripper.
Invented a 3 axis, force feedback electric end effector.
Designed a self-locking tank clamp.
Designed a constant force wrist.
Research and development of custom wrists.
Designed a 3 jaw custom stroke gripper.
Designed and built water cooled gripper.
Designed and built pivot wrist tooling system.
Designed aerospace end effector.
Designed a packaging robot system.
Honors & Publications
12 Patents
Education
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA