Expert Details

Metal Stamping & Die Manufacturing; Manufacturing Engineering; New Product Introduction; Sheet Metal Forming; Expert Witness — Metal Fabrication & Stamping Litigation

ID: 739119 Texas, USA

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Expert is a director-level manufacturing engineering leader and journeyman die engineer with more than two decades of experience in metal stamping and die manufacturing across the automotive, home appliance, and information technology industries. Expert has held critical process/chief engineer roles at major multi-billion-dollar manufacturers, most recently leading global execution of server, storage, and rack product lines with a $25M annual tooling spend and over 13,000 stamping dies in service. Expert's career achievements include developing master cost modeling systems, negotiating substantial supplier cost savings, establishing global supplier qualification standards, and leading manufacturing sustainability and business continuity initiatives, including a pandemic-era production relocation strategy.

Since 2000, Expert has concurrently operated an independent consulting practice serving premium industrial and consumer brands, providing product feasibility and forensic expertise for complex metal forming challenges. Expert is a court-recognized testifying expert witness in metal fabrication and stamping litigation, and has authored 88 technical articles for leading industry trade publications. Expert's technical expertise spans progressive, transfer, and tandem stamping die design for Class A surfaces across a wide range of sheet steel and aluminum materials.

Expert holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management (Magna Cum Laude) from Lawrence Technological University and an Associate of Applied Science in Manufacturing Technology from Macomb College, and completed a Journeyman Die Engineer apprenticeship through the U.S. Department of Labor's UAW/GM Die Engineering Apprenticeship Program. Expert has also completed executive education programs at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and coursework toward a law degree.

Education

Year Degree Subject Institution
Year: 1992 Degree: BS Subject: Industrial Management Institution: Lawrence Technological University

Work History

Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2000 to Present Employer: Undisclosed Title: Industry Expert Consultant Department:
Responsibilities:
• Operates a boutique consulting firm serving premium brands (e.g., GE Appliances, General Motors, SharkNinja, Suncast) providing product feasibility craftsmanship and forensics expertise to solve complex metal forming problems, and serving as an advocate for skilled trades
• Serves as a court-recognized testifying expert witness for metal fabrication and stamping litigation
• Has published 88 technical articles in leading trade magazines
• Provides direct, hands-on cradle-to-grave experience with progressive, transfer, and tandem stamping dies for Class A surfaces, spanning automotive body-in-white, closures, structures, and seating; major appliances; computer rail, rack, storage, and server chassis; and a variety of consumer products
• Sheet metal materials expertise spans aluminum, low-carbon, advanced high-strength low-carbon, dual-phase, and stainless steels, with sheet thicknesses ranging from 0.02 to 12 mm
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2015 to Present Employer: Undisclosed Title: Distinguished Technologist, Critical Process Leader for Metals Department: Metals
Responsibilities:
• Director-level chief engineer responsible for global execution of server, storage, rail kit, and rack product lines across 4 operating segments, with $25M annual tooling spend and over 13,000 stamping dies in service
• Led transition from conventional steel mill sourcing to more efficient sourcing methods, reducing carbon emissions by 50% and increasing recycled content to 50% for a key steel specification family used across all product lines
• Developed a master cost model for metal fabrication and stamping piece price/tool cost, and integrated it into third-party cost estimating software to standardize outcomes across regional engineering teams
• Negotiated with component stamping and tool build suppliers, achieving average savings of 15% on piece price, 25% on tools, and 50% on engineering changes
• Created die shop, metal fabrication, and stamping plant qualification benchmark standards; evaluated new supplier candidates in the United States, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom
• Authored Design for Manufacturability standards, Process Capability Tolerancing procedures, cosmetic evaluation criteria, and RoHS-compliant material qualification requirements for North America, Europe, and Asia
• Oversaw supplier automation deployment and implemented supplier KPI scorecards to improve throughput and yield
• Roadmapped a transition plan shifting server chassis production from China to North America during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect customer deliveries against supply chain disruption
• Led research to identify and test high-strength low-alloy structural sheet steels for increased-stiffness rail kit applications
• Provided weekly leadership coaching and manufacturing knowledge mentoring to engineering colleagues across multiple global sites; developed and led technical training seminars
• Received 23 internal awards for problem-solving action and execution
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2013 to 2015 Employer: General Electric Appliances Title: Critical Process Leader for Metals Department: Metals
Responsibilities:
• Director-level chief engineer role with final approval/veto authority on $300K+ tooling expenditures and $1M+ capital equipment investments; served on the Business Leadership Council and founded the company's Metal Stamping Center of Excellence
• Led modernization of stamping operations, instituting forming simulation technology and deploying a $25M servo transfer press line with wrenchless die changeover and real-time inspection cameras
• Collaborated with Laundry, Dishwasher, Cooking, and Refrigeration product development teams on forming-limit discovery to drive process-capable production designs
• Drove process improvement initiatives, including GD&T implementation, raising first-article inspection pass rate to 99%, reducing manufactured scrap loss to 1%, and compressing die changeover time to 15 minutes
• Standardized supply chain workflow processes from design freeze through production part approval, and developed supplier qualification criteria for forming simulation and die design/build
• Provided coaching and mentoring for engineering interns and co-ops; developed and led technical training seminars
• Received 2 internal awards fise and critical thinking during a high-risk new product introduction program
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2012 to 2013 Employer: Johnson Controls Title: Advanced Manufacturing Engineer Department: Automotive Seating COE
Responsibilities:
Expert managed die processing and forming simulation engineering to protect assembly operations against defective safety-critical stampings for North American automotive seating programs. He held a technical lead role for an advanced manufacturing engineering team to drive zero potential product safety concerns.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2010 to 2012 Employer: Tower International Title: Senior Die Engineer, Processing, Simulation, and Estimating Department: Die Engineering
Responsibilities:
Expert performed process-driven cost estimating to protect sales team against capture losses for new sheet metal stamping business in automotive, solar, wind, and gasoline pump markets as individual contributor on die and stamping quoting team.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1986 to 1999 Employer: General Motors Title: Die Engineer, Program Manager Department: Metal Fabricating Division, Die Engineering
Responsibilities:
Expert engineered Body-In-White processes and dies, authored die design and build standards, lead apprentice instructor, technology development management.

Additional Experience

Expert Witness Experience
Expert is a court-recognized testifying expert witness in metal fabrication and stamping litigation matters, including class action lawsuits regarding use of aftermarket vs OEM crash body stampings, various patent infringement matters, and one prior art case.

Career Accomplishments

Licenses / Certifications
• Journeyman Die Engineer — U.S. Department of Labor, UAW/GM Die Engineering Apprenticeship Program
• Carbon Footprinting Certificate Program — University of New Hampshire (UNH Development and Training)
• Negotiation Strategies for Managers Seminar — Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management
• Art of Venturing Entrepreneurship Seminar — Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management
Awards / Recognition
• 23 internal recognition awards, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, for problem-solving action and execution
• 2 internal recognition awards, General Electric Appliances, fise and critical thinking during a new product introduction program
• Magna Cum Laude Honors (Bachelor's degree)
• Dean's List Recognition Award (Bachelor's degree)
• Lambda Iota Tau (L.I.T.) Honor Society inductee
• Inducted into a university entrepreneurial graduate recognition program (Bachelor's degree institution)
Publications and Patents Summary
Published 88 technical articles in Stamping Journal, The Fabricator, and Metalforming magazines.

Fields of Expertise

metal forming analysis, automotive stamping, household appliance new product development, simulation software, computer manufacturing engineering, aluminum drawing, advanced high strength steel, Expert Witness Services, Expert Witness Testimony, new product development, risk management, high tolerance sheet metal fabrication, metal fabrication, aluminum deep drawing, deep drawing, sheet metal forming, metal forming, formability training, cost estimation, aluminum forming limit diagram, forming limit curve, aluminum forming process design, forming limit diagram, aluminum forming troubleshooting, steel forming, stainless steel forming, China contract manufacturing, carbon footprint, carbon emissions accounting, carbon emissions, reduction implementation, value-added processing

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