I have spent most of the last two decades designing products. I have a vast understanding of DFMA (design for manufacturing and assembly) principles for many manufacturing processes. I've designed many products that have complex/organic shaping that required extensive surface modeling as well as products that were simpler geometrically but more complex mechanically or electronically. While not all consulting projects led to products getting released to market, I have had the great pleasure of seeing products I've designed on store shelves or out in the world, and I find that particularly rewarding.
I am comfortable designing in teams that may include Industrial Designers, Electrical Engineers, Software Engineers, Controls Engineers, Human Factors Engineers, or Product Managers. I have done so successfully in the past, often in a technical lead or project management role myself.
In addition to being an individual contributor for most of my career, over the years my role has grown to include providing more technical guidance and oversight to engineers at all levels. I regularly participated in brainstorms and design reviews to help keep a variety of projects on track and ensure quality output for clients.
Design for machining
Design for sheet metal
Design for plastic injection molding
Design for metal casting
Design for polymer casting
Design for extrusions
Design for additive manufacture (3D printing)
Design for assembly
Injection molding mold design
Design for soft goods/textiles
Fastening methodologies
PEMs
Machine screws
Thread-forming screws
Threaded inserts
Thread locking
Engineering plastics
Engineering metals
Elastomers
Hands-on prototyping
Wiring and cabling
Electronic component selection
Cabling
Sewing
Linkage design
Gear design and analysis
Sealing and gasketing
Complex surfacing
Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T)
Complex tolerance analysis
Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
Ingress Protection
Data analysis
Design inputs development
Patent research and analysis
SolidWorks 3D CAD and 2D drawings
SolidWorks sheet metal
SolidWorks surfacing
SolidWorks PDM
SolidWorks Simulation
PTC Creo
Creo Surfacing
Autodesk Inventor
Microsoft Office
Power Query
Power BI
SharePoint
Asana
Copilot Studio
Photoshop
Arduino
C++
Java
CAD Modeling
Drawing and manufacturing packages
Prototyping
Testing
Vendor/supplier selection and coordination
Brainstorming
Technical reviews
Proof of concept
Manufacturing coordination
FAI (first article inspection)
Tooling review
Analysis
Cost optimization
Product design and development
Consumer goods
Industrial automation
3D printing
Robotics
Sporting goods
Laboratory equipment
Helmets and head-mounted devices
Medical devices
Wearables
Safety
Automotive
Fenestration and architectural
Military and government
Consulting
Software development
Professional Communication and Presentations
Effective Management
Project Management
GD&T
SolidWorks PDM Administration
Harassment Awareness and Prevention
CAD Best Practices
Tolerance Analysis
Presentation Templates and Delivery
"Bill's expertise in DFM has brought valuable insight into design discussions and project reviews, allowing potential concerns to be early within design cycles shortening overall development time. Bill's insight and creativity in brainstorming sessions has helped to foster an open and supportive environment where ideas flow freely and solutions take shape quickly. His ability to balance technical depth with practical problem-solving has made a huge difference in our team’s success." – Senior Mechanical Engineer, Goddard
"Project teams always benefitted from his attention to detail and his wealth of mechanical design experience." – Senior Mechanical Engineer, Goddard