Expert Details
Plastic Film, Stretch Film, Cling Film, Plastics Extrusion, Plastics Forming, Polymer Science
ID: 731318
Arkansas, USA
He is an expert in thermoplastic blown and cast film. Expert has designed numerous polyethylene polymers for use in stretch wrap, shrink wrap, food wrap and food packaging, masking films, duct tape, and other film structures. He has expertise in continuous extrusion of thermoplastic pipe made from polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, CPVC, ABS, polyvinyl difluoride (PVDF), and Nylon. He has worked with the entire spectrum of polyethylene and some other polymers, from their fundamental chemistry to their manufacture, and to their sale, conversion, and performance in the final product.
Expert has developed polyethylene products useful in stretch film, shrink film, food wrap and food packaging, masking films, duct tape, and other film packages. He has successfully assisted numerous customers in making useful film products out of polyethylene and other polymers, such as ethylene-methyl acrylate, polypropylene, PET and related polyesters, nylon, ethylene vinyl alcohol, ethylene vinyl acetate, ethylene-propylene copolymers, butadiene-styrene copolymers, and maleic anhydride-grafted copolymers. He completely revamped the antioxidant and neutralizer additives in LLDPE products to achieve better processing, color, and shelf-life performance. He has earned in great detail the blown film and cast film processes used to produce polymer films. Expert is also versed in polymer extrusion coating, molding, thermoforming, and fiber processes. He has solved a long-standing, elusive polyethylene pellet wetness issue. Analytical skills and interest in meteorology combined to lead him to the realization that atmospheric moisture was condensing on cold pellets inside railcars mainly in springtime, causing the wetness.
Expert led a team of four in 2014 and 2015 to identify and discover 12 shortcomings in the heat sealing of polymer bags. This included running experiments to test hypotheses, and ultimately instituting a set of patentable improvements to greatly improve the quality of bag seals made on existing bagging equipment. These improvements come without an increased cost to the manufacturer and without slowing the speed of manufacture. The improvements were arrived at using hard science and mathematics. Any company that is struggling with the quality of polymer bag seals (polyethylene, polypropylene, all polymers, etc.) will benefit from this work. He can provide expertise in the classroom or via direct implementation.
Via phone interview, Expert assisted a client in improving polyethylene cast and blown film cling to various substrates.He has worked on-site for years helping a client manufacture plastic pipe and fittings. This work involved setting the extrusion equipment at optimum conditions for processing the various polymers and converting those polymers into high quality plastic pipe and fittings. Work also involved selection of the polymers themselves and their additive packages that contribute to the highest quality products.He worked with attorneys in a legal matter as an expert witness regarding polyethylene shrink film. Expert bridged gaps in their knowledge of the variables that affect the shrinkage of PE film -- variables such as the root chemistry of the polymer, the extrusion and forming techniques of the polymer film, the shape of the objects being shrink-wrapped, and more. Expert was contacted by, and worked with, the owner of a company that produces bubble wrap. Their polyethylene bubble wrap was of inferior strength. He coached and taught him the PE chemistry changes that must be done to improve the strength of the film. The owner now purchases different PE resins to achieve the needed chemistry and resulting film strength.He worked with defendant attorneys on another legal matter as an expert witness regarding polyethylene stretch film. He helped build a strong case in terms of patent non-infringement and patent invalidity. The plaintiffs dropped the case before the court date. Expert worked closely with an overseas stretch film producer. Via email, phone, and a 5-day on-site visit, he taught the company how to produce first rate stretch film. Through chemistry changes to the polyethylene and through extrusion operation improvements, the company's stretch film quality underwent dramatic improvement.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1985 | Degree: BS | Subject: Chemical Engineeering | Institution: University of Arkansas |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2009 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Owner/Manager | Department: |
Responsibilities:As manager and owner of his eponymous engineering business, Expert performs chemical engineering contract work, primarily in the field of plastic films, plastic pipe, and plastics extrusion. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2012 to 2015 | Employer: Kimberly-Clark Corporation | Title: Senior Process Engineer | Department: Wet Wipes Manufacturing |
Responsibilities:He was a Senior level Process Engineer for the manufacture of sanitary wet wipe products made from nonwoven sheet-form cellulosic/thermoplastic polymer blends. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2007 to 2011 | Employer: George Fischer Sloane, Inc. (subsidiary of Georg Fischer LLC) | Title: Senior Product and Process Engineer | Department: Plastic pipe manufacturing |
Responsibilities:Expert was a Manager/Senior Engineer in the manufacture, R&D, and Engineering of plastic pipe and fittings. This included direct supervision of an engineer and an “A” technician. Focus was on developing the systems, procedures, techniques, and equipment necessary to manufacture quality polymer pipe with minimal off-spec production. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1986 to 2005 | Employer: Eastman Chemical Company/Eastman Kodak | Title: Senior Chemical Engineer | Department: Polyethylene Product Development and Manufacturing |
Responsibilities:He assumed numerous responsibilities over 19 years of employment. All responsibilities involved plastic product development, customer technical service, plastics manufacturing, polymer reactor synthesis, and/or conversion of polymer products into films, extrusion coatings, molded items, and similar final product forms. |
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Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| Expert has worked with attorneys as an expert witness on two separate legal matters. More detail is given in the Consulting Examples section. |
Career Accomplishments
| Licenses / Certifications |
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| Six Sigma Black Belt |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
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| Multiple patents and articles. |
Fields of Expertise
extruded plastic, extruded polyethylene film, pallet wrapping material, plastic bag, plastic film, plastic forming, plastic handling, plastic material, plastic package, plastic packaging material, plastic pipe, plastic product, plastic product development, plastic resin, polyethylene, polyethylene bag, polyethylene film property, polyethylene stretch film, polyethylene yellowing, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene seal, seal testing, heat-sealable polymer, plastic seal, polymer bonding, sealing, thermal bonding, thermal impulse heat sealing, polymer sheet forming, barrier polymer, laminated plastic, shrink wrap, amorphous plastic, elastic plastic, injection molded plastic, extrusion, extrusion equipment, plastic manufacturing, plastic wrap, plastic drying, plastic package testing, plastic creep, plastic surface treatment, molten plastic, thermoform plastic, polymer sheet, extruded product, plastic material property, plastic chemical property, plastic physical property, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin, construction plastic material, polymer stabilization, plastic product behavior, plastic adhesion, plastic container, plastic molding, plastic food package, polymer science, polymer testing, plastic failure, biodegradable plastic film, plastic profile extrusion, agricultural plastic, food packaging plastic, high-temperature plastic, biodegradable plastic, fluoropolymer, crosslinked polyethylene, polypropylene, polymer extrusion, polymer chemistry, plastic injection molding, hydrophilic polymer, heat-shrinkable plastic