Rod Alire Email & Phone Number

New Richmond, Wi 54017

Chemical and process engineering polymer science and consulting. Process development, scale-up and new product development. CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A PERMANENT FULL TIME POITIONExperience in polymer processing:- Compounding, twin screw composites and dispersions- twin screw extruder screw design- extrusion die design- develop interfacial surface compatible additives for dispersion- filament extrusion for 3-D printing - single screw- single screw extruder screw design- blown film- foamed profiles & sheet- tubing- multilayer cast film sheet extrusion- products and composites developed using : PEI, PSU, PEEK, PEKK, PA, PET, PS, PE, PETG, PLA, carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes, wood flour, glass fiber, chopped cellulose, CaO2, etc..

River Falls, Wi

Advanced raw materials development for fixed deposition modeling, 3D printing, additive manufacturingContract research and development, new product and process development from early phase ideation to later phase commercialization.Polymer compounding and reactive polymer extrusion and toll melt processing, incompatible materials processing, materials science.Primary and secondary equipment design and process optimization.

San Francisco Bay Area

Chemical and Process Engineering Consulting Services•Polymer Processing•Process Analysis and Stabilization•Process Monitoring and Control Design•Novel Equipment Designs•DOE and Statistical Analysis•New Product Development•Biodegradable Polymers•Polyolefins, Polyesters, Styrenics•Hydrogels/Xerogels

Fremont, California

• Lead Corporate R&D efforts in polyolefin polymer blends and blown film process for production of inflatable packaging materials. • Translated qualitative marketing attribute requests into quantifiable polymer film properties and reformulated for sustainability and improved performance, including light weighting, recycled content, puncture resistance and seal integrity. The resulting process decreased product costs and improved manufacturing consistency.• Developed a portfolio of scientific support documentation supporting the use of a biodegradable stimulant additive to conventional polymers. The compilation of third party testing data, white paper and scientific literature research aided sales and marketing efforts. Additional direct consultation with customer resulted in wide acceptance of the technology.• Reviewed basic research into fundamental microbial behavior and metabolic processes. Collaborated with scientists in the biodegradable plastics subcommittee of ASTM to develop a Standard Specification and predictive test method for landfill biodegradation based on a first order kinetic model.• Earned strong credibility and team relationships with major customers and industry principles to secure new business in products that eventually became more than 50% of sales.

Redwood City, Ca

• Directed a team of process engineers engaged in process automation, new product innovation, new process design, process optimization and implementation of best practices across manufacturing facilities. • Developed a polyolefin-polystyrene colloidal alloy to enhance the physical properties and resilience of recycled polystyrene in the production of foamed packaging products.• Designed a breaker plate style polyethylene foam sheet extrusion dies for various thickness finished product. Physical dimensions, pressure drops and attack angles were calculated based on theoretical behavior and molten polymer and foaming agent rheology. • Developed the formulation of the thermoplastic starch hydrogel composition, extruder screw and extrusion die design for a packaging material made from a renewable resource, on lab and pilot scale twin screw equipment. Scaled up to full production at three facilities in the U.S. and Europe • Commissioned a new polymer film manufacturing process requiring electrical control design, electro-mechanical design of heat sealing, embossing equipment, polymer formulation, process development and finished product design. Versions of this product are now preferred for most applications.

Redwood City, Ca

• Managed the Process Engineering function including process equipment design, new process design and implementation, process capability analysis and efficiency improvements. • Developed a polymer composition and method for the production of polyethylene foam with reduced volatile organic compound emissions, facilitating expansion of production facilities into geographic locations with restricted emission rules.• Created a new process for expandable polystyrene pellets with an integral blowing agent. Designed mechanical apparatus, quenching fluid handling and control system and downstream pellet drying and handling equipment. The new product facilitated product expansion to small satellite operations. • Designed software and man-machine interface for a process monitoring system and installed hardware on two polyethylene foam lines to aid in remote process trouble shooting.

Redwood City, Ca

• Designed and installed a tank farm, delivery system P&IDs, electrical control and safety systems for flammable liquid/gas propellants along with steam delivery and control system for new plant construction.• Redesigned and optimized high compresison ratio polymer extrusion screws and tubing extrusion dies to maximize production rates and stability. • Designed and built a melt heat exchanger, increased single screw foam extrusion rates by an additional 30%.