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Eric D.

Mechanical engineering professional with SolidWorks experience

San Diego, United States

Global rank:

81,555 / 131,615

Skill pts: 0

Automation Engineering CAD Design Engineering Services Prototyping SolidWorks

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About

Independent contractor offering product design and mechanical engineering services. Creative, self-starting, and driven with 11 years of experience in both industry and research. Strength in product design from concept to production including overseas manufacturing, system modeling and simulation, prototyping, design for manufacturing, and statistical process control. Versed in the product development cycle, machine design, prototyping to bridge to high volume manufacturing, 3D printing, printing, energy harvesting, CAD, 3D scanning, acoustics, mechatronics. Enthusiastic drive for quality, efficiency, and innovation.

Experience

Owner Sundance Product Development · Self-employed Oct 2016 – Present 9 yrs 7 mos San Diego, CA, United States Contract mechanical engineering and design services for product development for the following:
• D&K Engineering: Developed automation & laboratory instruments for Abbott (molecular diagnostics), Illumina (DNA sequencing microfluidics), Advantest (semiconductor test), Stanford (tissue engineering). 2017-20
• Belon Technologies: Redesigned Scientific Games Wave lottery machine for acoustics & repeatability; Designed powder handling system of metal SLS 3D printer for 3D Systems; Designed display for Electron Wheel bicycle for Best Buy. 2017
• Strollo Design: Developed inter-connect system for warehouse & logistics automation; Developed wireless repeater for Hunter Douglas automated blinds. 2017
• FestEvo: Designed multi-use camping, travel & daily-use canteen, cup, & cutlery products for sustainability. 2016-18
Mechanical Design Engineer HP · Full-time Feb 2012 – Oct 2016 4 yrs 8 mos San Diego, CA, United States Developed print mechanisms (media handling, x-y motion, and cutting) for four printers which have sold ~18 million worldwide & won 2016 Red Dot Design Award for Product Design in the Computers & IT category
• Lead technical, multidisciplinary, international team to revamp quality in R&D and manufacturing via design for six-sigma type initiatives to system level performance testing and design verification
• Designed motion control system for 3D printer, designed injection molded plastics, sheet metal parts, gears, springs, clutches, PCBs, FFCs, & elastomers
• Worked with JDM, ODM, ID, EE, User Experience, Operations, Manufacturing, Packaging, Customer Sat, Firmware, Quality, and Safety teams both domestic and overseas in China, Thailand, Singapore, India, & Taiwan
Research Assistant Manufacturing & Design Lab - University of Texas · Contract Jan 2010 – Aug 2011 1 yrs 7 mos Austin, TX, United States Developed energy harvesting power supply which successfully powered a wireless sensor node solely from vibrations of highway bridges for the purpose of structural health monitoring of remote infrastructure • Managed project from through final presentation to NIST & Office of Secretary of Defense & team at National Instruments • Published research papers, thesis, presented to international conference, & mentored senior design course
Engineering Science Associate Institute for Advanced Technology - University of Texas · Full-time Jan 2009 – Jan 2010 1 yrs Austin, TX, United States Developed lithium-ion battery-inductor pulsed-power supply for electromagnetic launch “rail-guns”
• Provided multi-domain system modeling & simulation, scaling and comparison studies, & destructive testing leading to advances in use of high-power, low duty-cycle lithium-ion batteries and high power semiconductor switches, which were published by IEEE and presented to the Dept. of Defense
Automation Engineer Southwest Research Institute · Internship May 2008 – Aug 2008 3 mos San Antonio, TX, United States Developed proposal, secured funding & designed project using laser scanning, motion path planning, and industrial robots to autonomously paint items in assembly. Used by Boeing & Mack Trucks • Designed optical inspection system for Lays potato chip slicing machine • Investigated adaptive 3D scanners for robotic welding and non-contact inspection of oil well drill bits • Built large assemblies SolidWorks models from old, printed drawings of large aircraft paint-stripping robots
Design Engineer Institute for Advanced Technology - University of Texas · Internship May 2006 – Aug 2006 3 mos Austin, TX, United States Developed a probe to evaluate damage & straightness of rail gun bores via laser & DVRT sensors

Education

University of Texas at Austin Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering, 3.88 2009 – 2011 Activities and Societies: Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society Research Assistant - Manufacturing and Design Lab Research Assistant - US Air Force Academy Senior Design Course American Society of Mechanical Engineers Concentration: Product Design

Thesis: Design of an Electromagnetic Vibration Energy Harvester for Structural Health Monitoring of Bridges Employing Wireless Sensor Networks

Courses: Advanced Product Design, Additive Manufacturing, Acoustics & Transducers, Modeling & Simulation, Optimization, Electromagnetics, Measurements; Projects: Design of hand-powered phone charger, acoustic simulation
University of Texas at Austin Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, 3.90 2004 – 2008 Activities and Societies: Sigma Gamma Tau Honor Society in Aerospace Engineering American Society of Mechanical Engineers Robotics and Automation Club Relevant Courses: Product Design, Machine Design, Manufacturing, Mechatronics, System Dynamics Simulation & Fault Detection, Controls, Machining GD&T & CNC programming

Projects: Developed fail-safe, extreme environment sensor for Schlumberger down well evaluation tool; fault-detection via dynamic system modeling & simulation; designed automated jar opener, machine vice from scratch & metal casting

Other experience

Conferences and paper publications Master Thesis: The University of Texas Aug 2011
• Thesis: Design of an Electromagnetic Vibration Energy Harvester for Structural Health Monitoring of Bridges Employing Wireless Sensor Networks ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conference Aug 2011
• Paper: Developing Innovative Energy Harvesting Approaches for Infrastructure Health Monitoring Systems American Society of Engineering Educators Conference Jun 2011 • Paper: Energy Harvesting for Engineering Educators • Presentation: Energy Harvesting for Engineering Educators IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science Jan 2011
• Paper: Battery-Inductor Parametric System Analysis for Electromagnetic Guns
• Paper: Operational Limits of a Commercial Gate Turn-Off Thyristor for Inductive-Store Systems International Battery, Hybrid & Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Symposium May 2009
• Paper: Modern High Power Li+ Batteries for Efficient Load Leveling in Combat Vehicles

Licenses & Certifications

CSWA Dassault Systemes Apr 2020 – Present See credential
Engineer in Training (EIT) Texas Board of Professional Engineers Jul 2009 – Jul 2017 See credential