I work as a mechanical engineer supporting the production floor. This involves designing and running tests to validate design changes and alternate materials, creating new fixtures for testing and assembling product, and working with suppliers to improve their yield or address process issues. I work with the Quality, Manufacturing, and Operations departments to facilitate design changes 
to key products, and then create/update drawings to present at design reviews.

I was responsible for overseeing the continuous improvement activities for 50% of the production floor and the engineering, quality and supply chain organizations. I led Kaizen events to address production problems, manage demand and flow through the factory, and smooth out administrative processes.

I was the primary point of contact for SRIs, technical questions raised by suppliers. For each request I performed the initial engineering evaluation to vet the validity of the requests and recommend solutions. I analyzed trends in supplier requests to identify overarching problems and address their root causes. Finally, I created a created a tool to manage the supplier requests, and wrote VBA code to automate the SRI process.

For my master’s thesis at the University of Vermont, I designed, machined, and tested a 7-axis CNC system to create raised line graphics for blind/low-vision individuals. This involved designing in SolidWorks and iterating the design as we progressed toward manufacture. I also validated key components of the design through FEA stress modeling and failure analysis.

I designed, built, and tested a system to make Braille annotations on tactile drawing film, and I wrote Python script to convert English text to Braille and generate machine code to drive the Braille system. I also coordinated with other engineers to integrate Braille system with other mechanical systems.

I generated estimates for piping support jobs, and wrote to code to help automate the pricing of standard supports. I also wrote Visual Basic code in Inventor to allow a user to design a typical pipe support consistent with company sizing standards.

I optimized the production process for assembling tactile graphic sketchpads and eraser units. I also programmed and maintained a 3D printer.