2014 - 2017

Motovated Design & Analysis, Christchurh

Mechanical Project Engineer


Motovated is a consultancy specializing in Mechanical Design and Analysis, Seismic restraints, Safety compliance, Product Design and Secondments.

In this role I:

  • Design machinery for the vegetable and meat processing industries.
  • Design machinery for the sheet metal, and cement processing industries.
  • Ensure designs were compliant with applicable standards (safety, structural etc)
  • Perform stress analysis of various components and structures using software tools (FEA) and engineering calculations.


Much of my work at Motovated is undertaken on secondment. These secondments are primarily for Wyma, Scott Technology and Engineering & Plant Services (a trading brand of Sime Darby Transport (NZ) Ltd).


Mercer Stainless Ltd, Christchurch

Mechanical Design Engineer / Machines division


Mercer Stainless Ltd design and manufacture stainless plant, machinery and bulk materials handling systems. The machines division in Christchurch is primarily focussed on the development and manufacture of Titan™ slicing systems and carton erecting machinery.


In this role I:

  • Designed new equipment for the meat processing and carton erecting industries with a strong emphasis on hygiene.
  • Reviewed existing designs to improve manufacturability and standardise the product range
  • Created and implemented design and drawing standards and procedures in order to ensure consistency of design documentation.
  • Created "smart" templates and CAD based macros to streamline the detailing process
  • Created purchasing BOMs (bill of materials), DXF files, PDFs and associated documentation relating to procurement and manufacture. 


Automation Design Ltd, Christchurch

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer


Automation Design Ltd (ADL) is a consultancy specialising in plant designs and automation primarily in the commercial bakery sector. When ECS Engineering (see next) went into receivership, some staff were selected to form ADL. The Christchurch ADL office was closed in 2014.


In this role I:

  • Designed high quality bakery machinery from concept through to final detail design and drawings. Designs included a high speed mixer, skip hoist and an automatic crate stacker.

  • Performed stress analysis of designs using Autodesk's simulation software.

  • Created purchasing BOMs (bill of materials), DXF files, PDFs and associated documentation relating to procurement and manufacture.

  • Corresponded with a key manufacturer in the Netherlands regarding fabrication and operation of machinery.

  • Created technical documentation including training manuals and PowerPoint presentations for end users.

  • Wrote VBA programs inside Inventor to automate traditionally time consuming tasks including Bill of Materials (BOM) exporting, DXF exporting, PDF creation and property population and checking. In the case of BOM exporting, one VBA program reduced the typical engineering time from upwards of 1 day down to 5 minutes whilst increasing the accuracy of the exported data.


ECS Engineering Ltd, Christchurch

Mechanical Design Engineer


Electrical Control Systems (ECS Engineering) design and manufacture automated product handling equipment for the commercial bakery industry.


In this role I:

  • Designed and detailed innovative automated machinery for food processing plants.

  • Oversaw each project from sales and concept through to installation and commissioning.

  • Utilised Excel spread sheets to perform design calculations.

  • Liaised (both in written form and verbally) with customers and suppliers throughout the project process.

  • Performed site surveys and was involved with installation and commissioning of plant.

  • Worked closely with workshop staff to ensure manufacturability of new designs.

  • Created operating and maintenance manuals for end users.

  • Project managed several local and international projects from small scale (single machines) up to complete bakery systems. Implemented a technical spread sheet based system to accurately keep track of inwards goods, fabrication and assembly in order to monitor project progress.


Schneider Electric (NZ) Ltd, Christchurch

Mechanical Design Engineer


Schneider Electric (NZ) Ltd design and mass produce products for the electrical sector.


In this role I:

  • Researched and developed new products including industrial power sockets, switches and plugs.

  • Gained an excellent knowledge of injection moulding and sheet metal tooling processes.

  • Liaised with project management, sales & marketing and industrialisation departments. Was involved with customer visits and focus groups.

  • Created complex surface models using SolidWorks and ProEngineer 3D CAD systems.

  • Designed for ease of use, ergonomics, aesthetics and fast assembly.


Andar Ltd, Timaru

Mechanical Design Engineer


Andar design and manufacture machinery for the wool processing industry.


In this role I:

  • Spent eight months in the workshop team, in both the sheet metal and heavy fabrication departments.

  • Designed and detailed new machinery for wool processing and associated plants including a materials handling fan, automated wool press, sludge mixer and automated compost tumbler.

  • Performed technical design calculations including shaft fatigue and ducting pressure losses.

  • Worked closely with manufacturing staff throughout the design process.

Skills

  • 3D CAD Design. SolidWorks, Inventor, ProEngineer (PTC Creo)

  • Sheet metal design

  • Machine design & automation

  • Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint

  • VBA Programming

  • FEA (Finite Element Analysis)

  • Project Management

  • Hygienic Design

2012 - 2014

Education

Employment

Stew Macdonald

Mechanical Design Engineer

My Resume


2007 - 2012

2005 - 2007

2002 - 2005

2017 - Present

Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with 1st class honours

University of Canterbury, 2003