Mechanical Engineering Design Consultant (SolidWorks and Inventor) Clients include:
Xyratex (Storage Infrastructure Division) designs and manufactures Capital Equipment for the Hard Disc Drive (HDD) Industry. Over 50% of all HDDs in the world are produced using equipment designed and built by Xyratex. Xyratex purchased Oliver Design in 2005.
Technologies Employed: Servo Motors, Stepper Motors, Pneumatics (air cylinders and valves), PLCs, SCARA Robots, Mechanisms, Linear Actuators, Ball Screws, Belt Drives, Vacuum Chucks, CNC Machining, Welded Frames, Hydraulics, Lasers, Injection Molding and Sheet Metal.
As Mechanical Engineering Manager:
Managed a team of 15 Mechanical Engineers on a $30 M project - an automated disc drive test system for fully assembled hard disc drives. This included travelling to Malaysia to lead the transition from prototype to production. Led team of 8 Mechanical Engineers on a $10M project - automated optical disc inspection system for glass substrates including travel to the Philippines to support prototype systems in a production environment. Ensured project timeline was met by hiring 5 contractors in 5 days. Managed teams and projects on time and within budget. Established and implemented new PO process to achieve $200K in open POs to vendors in 2 months.
As Senior Systems Engineer:
1. MDWA: Automated Disc Stack/Unstack and Delivery to/from Servo Writers:
a) Spacer Selector module - concept and design
b) Pneumatic to Servo conversion on Stack Delivery System - design
2. Titan: Automated Disc Inspection System for glass or aluminum substrates:
www.xyratex.com/products/titan
3. Optimus 3500: Automated Disc Drive Test System for finished drives:
Oliver Design was the World Leader in Disc Cleaning Technology (Capital Equipment) for the Hard Disc Drive (HDD) Industry. They also designed and manufactured custom automation equipment for various customers in the HDD Industry. At one point, 75% of all HDDs manufactured in the world were processed with Oliver Design equipment. Oliver Design was purchased by Xyratex in 2005 (www.xyratex.com)
Technologies Employed: Ultrasonics, Megasonics, Servo Motors, Stepper Motors, Pneumatics (air cylinders and valves), PLCs, Heated and Filtered N2 Gas, Heated and Filtered DI Water, Mag-Lev Pumps, Mechanisms, Linear Actuators, Ball Screws, Belt Drives, Variable Speed Pumps, Welded Frames, CNC Machining and Sheet Metal.
At various positions (Senior Mechanical Engineer, Mechanical Engineering Manager, Director of Engineering, Director of R&D):
1. O2K: Automated Disc Cleaning System with a throughput of 2,000+ discs per hour (SEE PHOTO in slideshow above)
a) Systems Engineering support
2. Drum Dryer: Custom automation solution for loading/unloading Cassettes (SEE VIDEO in slideshow above)
a) Concept, Design and Detail
3. O1K: Automated Disc Cleaning System with a throughput of 1,000+ discs per hour (SEE PHOTO in slideshow above)
a) System concept and design - unique ULPA air management methodology
4. Stand-Alone Dryer: Hot DI Dryer for a HDD Company
a) System concept and design - proprietary gas delivery apparatus
5. Spiral Scrubber: Internal development project
a) System concept, design, detail, prototype
6. Phoenix: A complete re-design and upgrade to the O2K Disc Cleaning System
a) Change to all Servo Control
b) PLC in each Module
c) Dryer Module - complete re-design (see details below)
d) Scrubber Module - major re-engineering job
e) Sonics Modules - updated
f) Infeed Module - all new
g) Cassette Cleaner Module - updated
h) Conveyors - upgraded
7. Phoenix System Dryer Module:
Concept work and mechanical design of the Upper Chamber Assy (using SolidWorks)
The Upper Chamber Assy is a highly complex electro-mechanical system integrating high temperature process gas and DI water flow in an absolutely clean environment. The system includes these features:
1. Uniform, high temperature side-wall gas flow (concept - patent pending)
2. Dual Hand-Off mechanism for transfer of discs from wet nest (attached to the primary servo lifter) to dry fingers (attached to a synchronized pair of servo motors) with zero particle generation. This level of cleanliness is achieved with the use of metal pivot flexures (instead of particle generating ball bearings or bushings) and SS Bellows (used as air cylinders) inside the process area. This entire gripper mechanism is capable of being installed/removed automatically (with the aid of a fixture and the main lifter) and a quick disconnect N2 line).
3. Sliding quartz window/cover driven by a stepper motor.
4. "Six O'clock Drip" removal utilizing a wicking mechanism based on semi-submerged floating features that are part of the wet nest assy (concept - patent pending).
The Dryer Module also includes the following:
1. N2 Plumbing Tray - heated (120 C), filtered (0.003 micron) and regulated (mass flow controllers) the N2 gas that was used in the drying process.
2. DI Water Tray - heated (90 C), filtered (0.02 micron), and controlled re-circulation, fill and drain functions that was used prior to the drying process.
3. Horizontal Transfer - servo driven mechanism for transporting 100 discs into and out of the Dryer Module.
4. Disc Lift Assy - pneumatic driven assy to transfer discs from Horizontal Transfer to cassettes on the Elevator.
4. Elevator Assy with Conveyor - servo driven vertical assy and horizontal stepper driven assy for transporting cassettes up and down in the Module.
5. Conveyors - various conveyors including a turntable for moving cassettes into and out of the Dryer Module.
6. Control Panel – PLC, temp controllers, VFDs, pneumatic valves, etc.
PowerFile was a start-up formed to create a 200 Disc, Dual Drive CD/CD-ROM/DVD Changer for consumer and business applications.
Technologies Employed: DC Motors, Timing Belts, Stepper Motors, Sensors, Gearboxes, SLA Rapid Prototyping, Sheet Metal Stamping, Screw Machine and Injection Molding.
As Founder and Director:
Mechanical Engineering Consulting (sole proprietorship)
Mechanical Engineer
Novellus designs and manufactures Capital Equipment for the Semiconductor Industry.
Technologies Employed: High Vacuum, Turbo Pumps, Cryo Pumps, Ion Pumps, Ferro-Fluidic Feedthroughs, DC Motors, Pneumatics, Gas Panels, MFCs, Water Cooling, Magnets, Welded Frames, Sheet Metal, and Servo Motors.
As Senior Mechanical Engineer:
Grenex was a start-up founded to develop the Hard Disc Drive (HDD) Industry's first automated disc sputtering system. The success of the project was established by the purchase of the Company by Seagate.
Technologies Employed: High Vacuum, Turbo Pumps, Ferro-Fluidic Feedthroughs, DC Motors, Pneumatics, Gas Panels, MFCs, Water Cooling, Magnets, Welded Frames, Vacuum Forming, Sheet Metal, and Servo Motors.
As Senior Mechanical Engineer:
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilogy_Systems
Trilogy was a start-up founded by Gene Ahmdal and turned out to be one of Silicon Valley's biggest VC flops, having raised and blown about $230 Million based on "back-of-a-napkin" business plans.
Technologies Employed: Computervision PCB CAD Software
As Mechanical Engineer:
Adcotech was a small, privately held company that built back-end automation for the semiconductor industry. Products included Lead Straighteners, DIP Markers, Orienters, Lead Trimmers, and custom automation solutions for the industry.
Technologies Employed: Pneumatics, Sensors, Vibratory Bowl Feeders, Mechanisms, Laser Marking and Pad Printing
As Project Engineer:
Sipos Engineering was a two-to-three man consulting company servicing the semiconductor industry in Silicon Valley. The business was located in the owner's home in Saratoga with a machine shop in the basement. Clients included Intel, Applied Materials, Genus, Peak Systems and other local high tech companies.
Technologies Employed: Manual Machining, High Vacuum, Pick and Place Mechanisms, Electronics, Vacuum Chucks
As Mechanical Engineer:
Nuclear Semiconductor was a small company that designed and manufactured X-Ray Spectrometers. Mentored by the Chief Engineer - an 80 year old Swiss guy named Jaque DuBois.
Half time during Jr. College, full time in summers.
Technologies Employed: Liquid Nitrogen, Braided Aluminum, Low Vacuum, Aluminum Casting, Machining and Sheet Metal.
As Drafter:
Los Altos High School is located in Los Altos, California, had a student body of around 2,000 pupils and an excellent professor of Technical/Architectural Drawing - Mr Mendoza.
Technologies Employed: Drafting Board, Pencil, T Square, Triangles (45 and 60 degree!), Circle Templates, Compass and Eraser.
As Student:
Model RailRoad is located in Los Altos, California and was the foundation for a solid career in Engineering do to the many similarities in the concept, design, build, test and enjoy process of product development.
Technologies Employed: Model Making, Plastics, Wood, Adhesives, Paint, Electronics, Soldering, Plaster, Wire Mesh, Motors, Gears, Wheels, and various tools.
As a Builder: