Christopher Westra Email & Phone Number

San Mateo, California, Us

Currently managing the design, prototyping, DFM and vendor network to bring Avegant's newest augmented reality light engine to production.

San Mateo, California, Us

-Managerial:• Successfully launched Avegant's first product, Glyph, while building the mechanical team.• Implemented and enforced document releasing process in Arena (PLM) to control engineering drawings and other critical documentation for 1000’s of parts, reference data files, and specification documents.• Aligned key ME team inputs/outputs with EE, ID and Ops teams and facilitate cooperation to resolve conflicts in a timely manner. • Created and implemented ME design process to balance speed and flexibility vs risk to cost and schedules including design reviews, D&R procedures, and engineering diligence requirements.• Developed ME team standard part templates, drawing templates, and notes in SolidWorks to save up to 4hrs per week per engineer during design phases. • Organized and curated mechanical team resource & documentation library including work flow of product development process for employees who may be new to product development. • Empowered ME team members to independently manage their own tasks, priorities, and design decisions.-Technical:• Generated assembly architectures to estimate tolerances, BOM costs, size, weight, and manufacturing requirements to assess product feasibility for five micro light engine designs for AR applications.• Responsible for DFM, specifications, and sourcing dozens of aspheric lens designs across 10+ projects fabricated via precision glass molding, CNC grinding, SPDT, and injection molding.• Designed, and built a high-precision, 2-axis, micro-steering mirror suitable for wearable augmented reality display engines that outperforms the human eye.• Designed the opto-mechanical system for bench-top and wearable, foveal resolution, light engines to project into waveguides for testing and demonstrating steerable transparent displays.• Integrated camera and optical-flow based eye tracking systems into a transparent hybrid system.• Led engineering efforts for 12+ head mounted or bench-top optical systems.

San Mateo, California, Us

Succeeded in delivering Avegant’s first product, Glyph, to market in a fast paced, sometimes chaotic development environment with minimum oversight in 16 months.•Developed Mechanical architecture of the Glyph headset, a wearable personal entertainment system with ground breaking video and audio quality. • Concepted designs for 80% of over 135 custom components and 5 mechanisms in the product and guided the ME Team in the detail engineering of the mechanical aspects of the assembly.• Generated IP for opto-mechanical portion of patent pending collapsing illumination system currently in production.• Strategically hired 10 ME Team Members with core competencies that fill existing knowledge gaps.• Managed on site and off site contractors to supplement team resources as needed to keep project on schedule.• Visited CM in China 12 times to supervise prototype builds, tool trials, testing and product launch activities.• Detailed DFM features of complex, cosmetic molded components with on site visits to mold vendors to review, approve, and kick-off nearly $1MM in prototype and production tooling.• Generated standards for CAD database management, part numbering scheme, design review checklists to ensure consistent process across ME team.• Performed structural FE analyses for critical components and mechanisms ensuring expensive ($70k) tooled components meet design requirements.• Coached junior team members through DFM process, particularly for injection molded components, so they can independently manage design changes post launch.• Audited over a dozen overseas and domestic suppliers to evaluate capabilities and provide feedback to management team that drives sourcing decisions.• Collaborated with Optical Engineers to develop optical system architectures with 10+ elements that are manufacturable and may be packaged in tight, ID driven envelopes.• Supported CM in development of 20 assembly, calibration, and test fixtures.

As the only mechanical engineer, I was responsible for most things related to products and manufacturing. A short term assignment to help the founder move manufacturing operations from Texas to Michigan and revamp the product line.• Responsible for all product design, development, testing, quotes, sourcing, production and quality control activities.• Reduced cost of goods by over 15% per year by redesigning components for improved manufacturing efficiency and throughput along with re-sourcing over priced components.• Hired and managed machine shop and assembly operator staff.• Created and implemented a MRP system to track inventory and costs from purchasing through shipping.• Documented product assembly processes to improve consistency and create training materials.• Assisted with successfully transitioning the company from Houston, TX to Ann Arbor, MI.

Helping entrepreneurs and small businesses bring great ideas from concept to production in my spare time.• See Dynamic Perception, above.

Canton, Michigan, Us

Developed vehicle Instrument Clusters and LCD back lighting for driver information systems.• Led the development of two vehicle instrument clusters to be installed in over 5 million General Motors passenger vehicles through model year 2021.• Provided concept design and component cost models to purchasing in support of quotation efforts to win new business valued at over $20MM per year.• Performed FEA analyses and implemented design changes to ensure instrument cluster designs passed internal validation testing and meet rigorous motor vehicle OEM standards.• Assisted optics specialist with development of LCD display backlight systems which achieve over 85% uniformity, a 20% improvement over the previous generation product.

Designed and developed portable, handheld, and weapon mounted white light and laser aiming devices for commercial and law enforcement customers.• Succeeded as lead engineer on seven programs and as support engineer for seven more by developing concepts into production ready products while meeting commercial and military specifications.• Designed, developed, and launched the industry first AA battery powered weapon mounted tactical light, the WL1-AA, within a BOM cost that permits domestic manufacturing.• Self-taught Photopia ray-trace software in order to develop the company’s first line of TIR (Total Internal Reflection) flashlight lenses, resulting in $250k savings over outsourcing.• Invented a patent pending quick release weapon light attachment system which eliminates the root cause of most common warranty return issue associated with previous products, “poor fit.”• Identified and addressed root causes of quality failures on the commercial laser aiming devices assembly line, reducing the effective scrap rate by 75% in the first three months.• Developed a remote operated, portable, throwable, illumination system that allows soldiers to clear dark rooms without the aid of night vision devices.• Prototyped new housing design for a light amplification tube which will reduce assembly labor costs by approximately 40% per tube once rolled into production.• Evaluated current and potential Chinese suppliers’ manufacturing and quality control capabilities to find the best fit overseas manufacturing partner via international travel.

Plymouth, Mi, Us

Designed and developed instrument panels, glove boxes, and interior trim for passenger vehicles.• Created new glove box down stop design for 2010 Lincoln MKT that eliminates 2 components, and an assembly operation, saving $75k per year.• Utilized CAE to optimize glove box and instrument panel (IP) designs during early development to prevent expensive mold modifications.• Actively sought out training for head impact zone development and Teamcenter software resulting in meeting timing requirements for product launch.• Created static deflection and dynamic impact models during early development of IP’s, consoles, and doors resulting in reduced test failures and warranty claims.• Developed new Ford side impact bolster technology using crash simulation. The resulting product maintains excellent safety ratings and saves approximately $1 million per year.

Van Buren Township, Mi, Us

Maintained and improved current production instrument panel and center console designs.• Proposed and implemented permanent, cost effective solutions to problems with the F150 IP and console resulting in 43% fewer IP warranty claims and 34% fewer console warranty claims over two years.• Implemented changes to the current production IP and console in order to reduce cost or complexity for savings of $373k per year.