About
Bio:
I'm a confident and personable ‘Mechie’ with an eye for detail and a well-rounded appreciation for the complete design and manufacturing process, and all the inputs required. Experience of designing products from concept to full production release, from bespoke CNC machined one-offs through to multi-cavity injection mould tools for production runs in the millions.
Every scale of company and production volume brings its own challenges, considering level of process control, the best manufacturing technique and sourcing/supply chain.
Please check my Engineering Services page for more information on what
services I can provide.
Stemming from a passion for being hands-on and 'actually making stuff' my hobby has now turned into a supplementary income - designing and making bespoke woodwork projects following a brief from the client. Please check my Bespoke Projects page for examples of my work.
Work History:
Surface Technology International
Working with the R&D team in the Healthcare and Life Sciences sector on a Medical device. Consulting remotely to design the mechanics for a prototype device, working closely with Mechanical and Hardware team, to spec. components and develop the best product, considering DFA issues. Alongside Mechanical design support, we also provided Industrial Design models and assembly instructions, along with product architecture concepts.
Shark Ninja
Working on the Vacuum side of the business, based in London, using ProE Creo and SolidWorks CAD software. Consultancy engineering services provided, working on;
- 3D CAD design of Test Rig, BOM generation from 2D assembly drawing for quotation from multiple suppliers, using standard OTS Assembly/Production technology.
- CAD modeling of alternative design solutions, 3D printed, assembled in Workshop and tested in the Lab, before presenting findings to management team.
- FEA analysis (in SolidWorks) of one aspect of the design, suimulating multiple design variations to lead decisions on which versions to prototype for further reliability testing.
A Start-up developing the 3rd generation of their High-end (Industrial) Augmented Reality Glasses. A real technical challenge, developing the mechanical design of a wearable electro-mechanical device in a team of 4 mechanical engineers, considering the requirements from Hardware, Software, Optics, Compliance and Industrial Design.
Furthering understanding of; diffractive wave-guide optics, heatsinks & thermal management of complex electronics, complicated over-mouldings, setting up new supply-chains, certification requirements, materials & coatings, sealed acoustic chambers, DFM and DFA of IP54 rated hinged glasses incorporating flexible & rigid PCBs.
3D & 2D Mechanical design specification of a new hybrid
vaping device ('glo'), including, but not limited to;
- Development work on (sealed) liquid cartomizer & device case-work injection mouldings.
- Tolerance analysis relevant for a consumable product produced in it's millions.
- Collaborative working with Far-Eastern manufacturing partner.
- FEA analysis of clip design, design development of light guide.
Imperial College London
Design consultancy service, and delivery of prototype devices to be used in the lab to get comprehensive test data to validate research work. Working closely with students and professors alike to understand the requirements and make recommendations on the best manufacturing/prototyping process to use to get reliable test results. Design of an initial one-off design for the college to assess before producing multiple prototypes for further vindication of results.
Working in the Bespoke department primarily focused on interior one-off and limited edition features (<30 cars). Following this, I was the lead engineer, managing the engineering of aftersales accessories and retro-fit features with larger take-rates.
Using Catia v5 surface & solid modelling for feasibility package studies as well as released 2D and 3D manufacturing data. A different challenge in terms of the level of process requirements for test and homologation. BOM creation, development timing plans, product design specifications, DFMEAs... This role provided a great insight into the world of wood-shop and leather-shop of a luxury automotive manufacturer, ...a real area of interest considering the Bespoke furniture arm of the business.
Consultancy work for a start-up company's InflowSense pressure monitoring device, contacted by a former colleague and using previously gained experience to review their; mechanical design (using SolidWorks), DFA, tool & part design, tolerance analysis, sealing to IP68.
A unique opportunity providing a great experience of electro-mechanical product development. As lead engineer it was important to manage the inputs and incorporate design feedback from all areas of the; industrial design, acoustic engineers, antenna engineers, hardware & software engineers (and development partners), production engineers, quality engineers , reliability engineers and type approval specialists to name a few...
As a luxury mobile phone manufacturer Vertu provided a great opportunity for further understanding on a vast range of production techniques, materials and finishes, some examples of which are listed below:
- Production techniques; Injection moulding/over-moulding/insert-moulding, MIM,
Sintered ceramic parts,
Cold & Hot forging, die-casting, extrusions, thixo-molding, compression moulding, IML...
- Materials; platinum, gold, titaniums, stainless steels, magnesium, ceramics, rubbers (natural rubbers as well as TPEs as silicones), leathers and other natural skins, carbon fibre, ...as well as a large range of thermoplastics and rapid-prototype materials.
- Finishes; Various polishing techniques, lapping, sand blasting, brushing, mechanical engraving, brushing, chrome plating, conductive coating, PVD coatings, DLC coating...
Working primarily on the digital mixer valve controllers and wired/wireless remote controls, as well as improvements on existing product range. A great hands-on job, with their own in-house mould-shop, and workshop to make your own prototype parts on the lathe/mill, and them test them using R&D's own test facility for IP testing design solutions, (IPX4 - IPX8).
Gaining good experience on static and dynamic seal designs, using a wide range of off-the-shelf seals as well as bespoke solutions. Aqualisa also provided a great opportunity to work on a product throughout the whole development cycle (working on the CAD from the early industrial design block models through to sitting on the assembly line for pre-production builds, building the product yourself). A small R&D team with in-house expertise in hardware, software, reliability and certification all provided excellent experience in a variety of key issues with any electro-mechanical consumer product, e.g.; EMC & ESD testing, ROHS/WRAS material requirements, BEAB/CE safety certification etc.