Expert Details
Mechanical Engineering and Machinery Expert
ID: 740313
Utah, USA
Expert founded a consultancy where he provides mechanical engineering and expert witness services. Previously, he worked for Alpine Engineering & Design, Inc., contributing to a wide array of projects such as aerial lift truck design, hazardous material tanker trailer compliance, and LNG tank testing. His work also extends to custom equipment design, including innovative hydraulic systems, automated refuse truck mechanisms, and consumer product prototypes.
As an expert witness, he has been involved in over 70 cases, including personal injury and intellectual property disputes, where he has provided inspections, testing, detailed reporting, and courtroom testimony. His investigations have addressed equipment failures, patent disputes, and safety system deficiencies across various industries.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 2007 | Degree: BS | Subject: Mechanical Engineering | Institution: Brigham Young University, Idaho |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2024 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Owner | Department: |
Responsibilities:Providing mechanical engineering consulting services and expert witness testimony. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2008 to 2024 | Employer: Alpine Engineering & Design, Inc. | Title: Mechanical Engineer | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Designed two prototypes of a system for moving, cleaning, and inspecting drill pipe of lengths up to 40-feet and diameters up to 6-inches. Assisted with the design of the process and order of operations, designing the structure of the equipment, and the design of the hydraulic circuits and hydraulic component selection.• Worked extensively in aerial lift truck design and designing aerial lifts from the ground up. including designing and sizing components, running stress analyses, laying out the hydraulic circuit, specifying hydraulic motors and actuators, creating detailed drawings, and testing and troubleshooting prototype units. • Worked extensively with the hazardous material tanker trailer industry as a Design Certifying Engineer (DCE), including verifying compliance to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and Department of Transportation (DOT), and performing detailed analyses of full trailer designs to verify the strength of the trailer in various loading situations. • Completed testing of liquid natural gas tanks to verify compliance with Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards, including managing and performing the safe operation of drop tests and flame tests. • Designed one-of-a-kind systems including a hydraulically operated lift for moving an 8x15 foot LED video wall and speakers from the basement, through the floor, to the main living room of a large residence. This project included designing the telescoping lift mechanism, designing the hydraulic system, fabricating the lift components, and assembling, testing, and installing the lift. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2007 to 2008 | Employer: Sentient Corporation | Title: Mechanical Engineer | Department: |
Responsibilities:Sentient Corporation specialized in small business government contracts involving the analysis, diagnostics, and prognostics of mechanical bearings, such as ball bearings, roller bearings, and the like. Responsible for:• Bearing test monitoring • Preparing test fixtures for operation • Test fixture design and fabrication • Safety shield design and fabrication • Equipment selection and purchasing • Inspection and documentation of tested bearings and grease using a microscope and camera • Writing reports |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2006 to 2006 | Employer: BE Aerospace | Title: Mechanical Engineer | Department: |
Responsibilities:Worked with a team of engineers converting old passenger airplanes into cargo airplanes. Responsible for using 3D CAD systems to model complicated key frame structures of the airplane and incorporating them into the overall model assembly. Also provided support in reviewing, converting and updating legacy 2D drawings. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2000 to 2003 | Employer: Skinner Construction | Title: Engineer Assistant | Department: |
Responsibilities:Concrete contractor specializing in pouring concrete foundations for homes, banks, and potato cellars. Responsible for laying out footing forms according to the building plan, determining the appropriate aluminum form sizes to use for constructing the walls, constructing the forms, pouring the concrete, and inserting anchor bolts into the wet concrete at the designated intervals. |
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Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| • Mechanical Professional Engineer (P.E.) licensed in Utah • Certified Safety Professional (CSP) from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals • Certified Fluid Power Hydraulic Specialist (CFPHS) from the International Fluid Power Society (IFPS) • IVES Training Group Certified Forklift Operator Trainer for counterbalance forklifts, rough terrain forklifts, and MEWPs • Certified Rigger – Level 1 from American Crane & Safety • Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) – Class C with HAZMAT endorsement • Amusement Ride Inspector – Level 1 by the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials (NAARSO) (Expired) |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
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| Expert published a white paper on trailer safety chains. |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| Served as an expert witness in 70+ cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, and intellectual property (patent) cases for both Plaintiff and Defendants. He has has performed inspections, tests, and written detailed reports, and has testified in deposition and at trial. |
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| Expert taught a class titled “Hydraulics Safety on the Job Site” for the Utah Safety Conference & Expo. |
Fields of Expertise
forklift truck, aerial lift, automotive lift, forklift, lifting equipment, lifting device, lifting device accident, machinery include forklift, baler, shredder, shears, melting, flatbed trailer, lowboy trailer, mechanical trailer, crane design, gantry crane, crane (device), tower crane, traveling gantry crane, locomotive crane, excavation safety, excavator, skid, loader, construction accident, construction equipment, construction injury, construction safety