Failure Investigations Expert Witness

Expert Witness No.2050

Education

Mechanical Engineering, Cleveland State University
Tool Design, Max Hayes Trade School

Additional Courses

Ernst & Young’s Total Quality Management Development
Interactive Management ®
Numerous Professional Seminars

Professional Experience

2001 - Present A Private Fastener Consulting Firm, Cleveland, Ohio

President

Services include litigation support, failure investigations / analysis / solutions, application engineering, import source development, conflict resolution, manufacturing engineering, and market research.

1998 – 2001 SPS Technologies, Unbrako Ò NA, Cleveland, Ohio

Director of Engineering

Responsible for all technical and quality activities for Unbrako Ò standard products, as well as the Engineered Fasteners Group, This multi-national organization, one of the largest fastener companies in the world, is the accepted leader in precision fasteners with 2000 annual sales of $872,752,000.

Led teams that produced annualized cost savings in excess of $1,000,000 through innovation.
Directed the implementation of state-of-the-art laser product measuring machines with SPC.
Created “The Nine Advantages of Unbrako” printed literature and PowerPoint ® presentation.
Personal engineered fastener sales were more than $1,000,000 the first half of 2000.

1997 – 1998 A Private Fastener Consulting Firm, Cleveland, Ohio

President

Overall responsibility for this consulting firm serving manufacturers, distributors, and end-users

Developed “Basic Training”, a PowerPoint ® presentation, and also made-to-order seminars.
Began a marketing and sales program for Tamper Resistant Lab Report Paper Ô.
Developed the self-auditing system, Fastener Quality Act Preparation AuditÔ.

1996 – 1997 Fastener Corporation of America, Cleveland, Ohio,

General Manager

Daily operations responsibility for this 21 year-old distributor primarily serving OEM assembly lines

Modified and documented work procedures to enhance employee productivity.
Conducted in-depth fastener training classes for all employees.

1995 – 1996 SKN Manufacturing, Cleveland, Ohio,

President

Turn-around responsibility for this 18-employee company, nine-year-old manufacturer, specializing in difficult, cold formed fasteners.  SKN serves the automotive after-market and industrial marketplace.

More than doubled company sales in less than one year with personal sales/marketing efforts.
Developed an entirely new company image, including literature, letterhead, trade show booth, etc.
Built the staff to run two production shifts in order to accommodate the increased sales.
Improved the tool design, tool manufacturing and process engineering functions.

1981 – 1995 Bowman Distribution, Cleveland, Ohio

Manager, Quality and Engineering

Directed a team of 12 to provide engineering services and product quality assessments for this, the world’s largest direct-to-user distributor of maintenance and repair products.  A customer base of over 60,000, and with 1994 sales of more than $215,000,000, Fasteners were 50% of the business.

Created a state-of-the-art Product Technical Help Center for customers.
Designed the high-strength Bowmalloy ® Fastener System.
Achieved ISO 9003 Quality System Registration.
Created two in-house test labs for product assessments and fastener failure analysis.
Was granted four United States patents through inventing a fastener system for railroad tracks.
(These are the only patents in Bowman’s history – since 1927).
Used engineering and sales skills to open or grow the following accounts: CSX Transportation, Allied Signal Aerospace, Altec Industries, C&NW Railroad, Exxon, Goodyear, United Airlines, Walt Disney World, General Electric, Kenetech / Windpower, Six Flags Amusements, Pratt & Whitney, Sandia National Laboratories, and several others.
Wrote and produced videos, brochures, catalogs, and other aids to benefit the sales department.
Trained thousands of people throughout the country in fastener technology and application skills
Started a joint venture trading company in Osaka, Japan, Archer Company, and while doing so, evaluated over 100 fastener manufacturers in Taiwan and Japan for their capabilities.

1972 –1981 LAMSON AND SESSIONS, Cleveland, Ohio

Manager, Manufacturing Engineering

Directed all engineering functions including Product Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Tool Design, Process Engineering, Cost Estimating and Pricing - a staff of 20.  Specified the operations for all fasteners manufactured at this plant, the largest in the world, and one of nine in the Lamson group.  Led staff members to trouble-shoot plant production problems, with 486 production machines within a 1,000,000 sq. ft. facility.

Directed the design and manufacturing development of many different specialty fasteners.
Extensive experience with critical engine, suspension, safety, and aircraft fasteners
Team member who perfected the L9 ® Fastening System and the Unidrive ® fastening method.
Coordinated becoming an applicator of Loctite Dri-loc ® Thread Locking Adhesive
Developed methods to implement automotive OEM Safety Critical Programs for fasteners.

Publications and Presentations

Available upon request

Patents

Granted four United States fastener patents with a total of 56 claims.

Noteworthy Cases

Available upon request

Professional Affiliations

American Society for Quality

American Society for Testing and Materials, F16 Fasteners, F24 Amusement Rides & Devises, and E30 Forensic Sciences

American Society of Mechanical Engineers, B18 Fastener Standards Committee

ASM International

Bolting Technology Council, (ASTM F16.96)

National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officers

National Association of Corrosion Engineers