Expert Details

Industrial Woodworking Machinery, Saw Safety, Accident Investigation, Expert Witness

ID: 723872 Minnesota, USA

Expert has 33 years of experience in the industrial woodworking machinery arena. His expertise has been in machine design, machine manufacturing and management. He is proficient in each area and demonstrates a wide range of technical knowledge and management skills. Expert has also been involved in machine safety and the legal consequences of machine safety. He has worked on three national safety committees and remains active on two of those committees today.

Array

He developed a two spindle milling machine head to reduce set up time and reduce machining time.
This new higher speed head will reduce the total time to make large parts on a CNC machine by 70%.

Expert provided expert opinions regarding the safety system on an existing Gang Rip Saw. Improperly designed safety systems, of course, will put the machine operators in harms way.He provided advice on the proper design of a pattern to be used to produce a cast iron set up column. This set up column fixture is to be used to improve the productivity of CNC machine tool. Expert developed a method to test the anti-kickback system on a wood working machine. This test procedure is critical to insure that the safety systems will operate properly. Actual Kickbacks were performed to test the systems. These tests can now be used industry wide to test anti-kickbacks. Expert provided engineering support and design expertise on a system used to improve foundry ventilation during the extremely dirty shake-out process for a foundry in South Dakota. The new successful system was designed and purchased by Expert. He also directed the installation to insure good performance.

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Education

Year	Degree	Subject	Institution
Year: 1993	Degree: MBA	Subject: Business Administration	Institution: U of St. Thomas
Year: 1972	Degree: BS	Subject: Mechanical Engineering	Institution: U of Minnesota

Work History

Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2007 to Present	Employer: Undisclosed	Title: consultant	Department:
Responsibilities: He is working as an expert consultant to evaluate woodworking machinery safety design.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1973 to 2006	Employer: Mereen-Johnson Machine Co	Title: VP of Engineering	Department:
Responsibilities: He was the Director of New Product Development from May to November of 2006. Prior to that he was the VP of Engineering from 1987 to 2006. Prior to that position he was the VP of Manufacturing from 1983 to 1987. From 1973 to 1983 he was a project manager. Sales increased to $23 million during his tenure as the VP of engineering.

Government Experience

Years	Agency	Role	Description
Years: 1971 to 1973	Agency: US Bureau of Mines	Role: Engineering Technician	Description: Performed tests for coal research to improve mine safety. Testing an underground mining machine to be used for coal research.

International Experience

Years	Country / Region	Summary
Years: 1984 to 2004	Country / Region: Germany	Summary: He was involved in marketing and selling wookworking machines in Germany and other countries world wide. During the above time frame Expert attended the Hanover Machinery shows, called the Ligna Fairs, held in Germany. His input was used to help plan future sales. He helped set up the booths and display the machines during that time frame. Shows were held every two years.
Years: 1984 to 1984	Country / Region: Mexico	Summary: Expert traveled to Mexico to determine what was causing a plastic laminate machine to cut out of square. His investigation became critical for future designs of plastic laminate cutting machines.
Years: 1986 to 1968	Country / Region: Canada	Summary: Expert traveled to Canada to investigate the conversion of a Double End Tenoner to a new style of feed works. His work there was instrumental in promoting future sales.

Career Accomplishments

Associations / Societies
WMMA, Wood working Machinery Manufacturers of America, ANSI 01.1 Commitee, ASC 01.1-C2 Sub Committee Chairman, SME.

Licenses / Certifications
Registered PE in Minnesota; MBA From the University of St. Thomas

Professional Appointments
VP of Mereen-Johnson Machine Company, A manufacturer of Industrial Woodworking Machinery.

Publications and Patents Summary
He has been directly involved in three patent submissions for woodworking machinery designs. He has written two safety manuals for industrial woodworking machines

Additional Experience

Expert Witness Experience
Expert has a lot of experience with personal injury and other litigation cases involving product malfunctions related to saws, trimmers and other cutting tools. He can provide detailed analysis on the cause of the malfunction and how it was related to the safety of the tool and the user. Detailed litigation experiences are available upon request.

Training / Seminars
Expert’s Training Courses Attended: “Value Stream Management”, 2006, Manufacturers Alliance “Rapid Design for Lean Manufacturing”, 2004, Manufacturers Alliance “Project Management”, 2002, University of St. Thomas “Simplified Strategic Planning”, 2000, Michigan State University “How to Become a Great Communicator”, 1998, Fred Prior “Managing Projects using Microsoft Project”, 1994, University of St. Thomas “Successful Middle Management”, 1990, The Employers Association “How to Work with People”, 1986, Applied Learning Workshops, Kansas

Training / Seminars

Expert’s Training Courses Attended:

“Value Stream Management”, 2006, Manufacturers Alliance

“Rapid Design for Lean Manufacturing”, 2004, Manufacturers Alliance

“Project Management”, 2002, University of St. Thomas

“Simplified Strategic Planning”, 2000, Michigan State University

“How to Become a Great Communicator”, 1998, Fred Prior

“Managing Projects using Microsoft Project”, 1994, University of St. Thomas

“Successful Middle Management”, 1990, The Employers Association

“How to Work with People”, 1986, Applied Learning Workshops, Kansas

Vendor Selection
As a project engineer Expert has had many years of experience selecting sources and qualifying suppliers. Most recently he has had experience buying products from Indonesia and China. This would include issuing first articles of inspection. His product experience includes: Structural steel components, iron forgings, die castings, powdered metal, gray iron parts, ductile iron, polymers, rubber, and sheet steel components. As the VP of manufacturing he also gained experience buying machine tools for production. This would include installation and startup. He has also supervised production personnel. He has also had experience designing and purchasing compressed air systems, heating and cooling systems, ventilation systems and dust collection systems. He has also been involved with floor cleaning equipment and inventory storage systems. Other plant equipment that he has purchased includes forklifts, pay loaders and material handling systems. Included in manual and automatic material handling systems would be scissor lifts, roll conveyors, pallet handling equipment, wrapping equipment and shipping and boxing equipment. As a project engineer he has done plant layout work and the design of manual and automatic material handling systems.

Vendor Selection

As a project engineer Expert has had many years of experience selecting sources and qualifying suppliers. Most recently he has had experience buying products from Indonesia and China. This would include issuing first articles of inspection. His product experience includes: Structural steel components, iron forgings, die castings, powdered metal, gray iron parts, ductile iron, polymers, rubber, and sheet steel components.
As the VP of manufacturing he also gained experience buying machine tools for production. This would include installation and startup. He has also supervised production personnel. He has also had experience designing and purchasing compressed air systems, heating and cooling systems, ventilation systems and dust collection systems. He has also been involved with floor cleaning equipment and inventory storage systems. Other plant equipment that he has purchased includes forklifts, pay loaders and material handling systems. Included in manual and automatic material handling systems would be scissor lifts, roll conveyors, pallet handling equipment, wrapping equipment and shipping and boxing equipment. As a project engineer he has done plant layout work and the design of manual and automatic material handling systems.

Marketing Experience
Marketing Experience: Expert has been included in countless sales meetings and has sold many machines as a project engineer. As an engineering department leader in the parts department at Mereen-Johnson he has sold over 250 anti-kickback safety conversions for Ripsaws. Those conversions resulted in sales of over $260,000. His supervisor did not believe anti-kick back systems such as those could be sold successfully. His efforts marketing those systems helped insure that no more operators have been badly injured or killed on Mereen-Johnson Ripsaws since 1993. He has also been instrumental in developing new products as the Product Development Manager at Mereen-Johnson. This would include doing product and marketing presentations to sales managers and upper management. International travel has brought him to Hanover, Germany to support the sales and marketing efforts at the world’s largest industrial woodworking show. His planning and sales efforts there has helped support international sales of woodworking machines. He has attended nearly all of the shows at Hanover since 1984. During his employment sales hit $23 million dollars. He is currently working part time as a sale representative for a Grey Iron Foundry in South Dakota. The foundry is experiencing record sales and Expert is working to increase their sales to full foundry capacity.

Marketing Experience

Marketing Experience:

Expert has been included in countless sales meetings and has sold many machines as a project engineer. As an engineering department leader in the parts department at Mereen-Johnson he has sold over 250 anti-kickback safety conversions for Ripsaws. Those conversions resulted in sales of over $260,000. His supervisor did not believe anti-kick back systems such as those could be sold successfully. His efforts marketing those systems helped insure that no more operators have been badly injured or killed on Mereen-Johnson Ripsaws since 1993.
He has also been instrumental in developing new products as the Product Development Manager at Mereen-Johnson. This would include doing product and marketing presentations to sales managers and upper management.
International travel has brought him to Hanover, Germany to support the sales and marketing efforts at the world’s largest industrial woodworking show. His planning and sales efforts there has helped support international sales of woodworking machines. He has attended nearly all of the shows at Hanover since 1984. During his employment sales hit $23 million dollars.
He is currently working part time as a sale representative for a Grey Iron Foundry in South Dakota. The foundry is experiencing record sales and Expert is working to increase their sales to full foundry capacity.

Other Relevant Experience
Expert has had other experience in the following areas: Worker and Facility Safety Foundry and Plant Ventilation Design, Manufacture and Safety of Industrial Saws and Sanders Design, Manufacture and Safety of Material Handling Systems Design, Manufacture and Safety of Double End Tenoners Design, Manufacture and Safety of Flying, Traveling and Carriage Saws Supervision of Plant Managers Industrial Plant Safety Warnings and Instructions for Industrial Equipment Industrial Machinery Testing and Safety Electrical Equipment Safety Accident Reenactment Patent Development and Defense Project Management

Other Relevant Experience

Expert has had other experience in the following areas:

Worker and Facility Safety
Foundry and Plant Ventilation
Design, Manufacture and Safety of Industrial Saws and Sanders
Design, Manufacture and Safety of Material Handling Systems
Design, Manufacture and Safety of Double End Tenoners
Design, Manufacture and Safety of Flying, Traveling and Carriage Saws
Supervision of Plant Managers
Industrial Plant Safety
Warnings and Instructions for Industrial Equipment
Industrial Machinery Testing and Safety
Electrical Equipment Safety
Accident Reenactment
Patent Development and Defense
Project Management

Fields of Expertise

assembly machine design, automated machine design, consensus standard, conveyor design, design for manufacture and assembly, electric motor design, electrical standard, engineering standard, export packaging requirement, industrial machine design, industrial safety, industry standard, lock out tag procedure, machine design, machine design review, machine safety, maintenance safety, plant safety, precision machine design, safety standard, special machine design, expert witness, saw safety, industrial woodworking machinery, large machinery, industrial accident investigation, industrial testing, tool safety, ISO 14000 Environmental Management Standard, eye safety, noise standard, ISO 9000-3, building safety, electrical wiring standard, benchmark, crane design, qualification test standard, stainless steel safety, agricultural safety, European labeling requirement, laboratory safety, electric stepper motor design, process-engineering safety, hazardous material packing requirement, electrical safety code, quality standard, safety, computer workstation design, screw thread standard, safety management, process safety, Federal Safety Standard, process safety management, equipment standard, pollution control equipment standard, standard, occupational safety, software safety, safety engineering, safety code, rapid prototyping, product safety, noise level safety code, international standard, international packaging requirement, electrical safety, administrative control