EXPERIENCE SUMMARY:

Mechanical engineer with over 20 years� experience in metals manufacture.  Worked with production managers to reduce downtime and increase efficiency.  Coordinated with customers to increase product quality.  Developed on-line monitoring systems and QC lab instrumentation.  Excellent written and oral communication skills.  Strengths in research and design for experiment.  Electro-mechanical and metallurgical aptitudes.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Confident Instruments, Inc.  (formerly RT Design), Fort Wayne, IN, President, August 2003 to June 2014.

�     Led teams in all aspects of development instruments including:  R&D, electrical circuit design, system integration, embedded programming, software development for the PC, electro-mechanical design, technical writing, field support and marketing (domestic & international).  

�     Performed Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA) on customer�s existing instruments.

�     Designed mechanical systems of portable electronic systems intended for use by the US Army and Homeland Security.   Designed the systems to meet MIL-STD-810F.  Developed manufacturing plans for prototypes and low-volume production.

�     Developed software for control of and training in metal annealing operations.

�     Developed a low-cost and high-speed annealability analysis instrument.

�     Performed cold-rolling research on experimental aluminum alloys.

�     Designed coilable supports that maximized extended boom rigidity over collapsed storage volume.  Also designed coilable supports with corner-turning capabilities.

Superior Essex, www.superioressex.com, Fort Wayne, IN, Senior Metallurgical Engineer, October 1994 to July 2003, Supervisor: Dr. Horace Pops.

New Development of Quality Control and On-Line Instrumentation (~50%):

�     Developed an on-line ultrasonic monitor for detecting costly voids in metal rod.

�     Designed and constructed a self-cleaning ink spray unit for marking rod and wire defects detected by the eddy current and ultrasonic detectors on high speed lines.

�     Developed a system that accelerates metal rod samples to constant speeds (≤3,000 fpm) for lab simulation of production monitoring by eddy current and ultrasonic.

�     Wrote database software correlating customer complaints with process parameters.

 Support Quality Assurance Manager (~30%):

�     Analyzed defects in rod and wire products via microscopy, FMEA and root cause.

�     Assisted with ISO 9000 documentation of QC instruments and processes.

�     Interfaced with customers and upper management to institute quality improvements.

�     Analyzed on-line and QC lab instrumentation (eddy current, surface oxide, US, etc.).

�     Analyzed wear in plant components closely related to downtime and quality issues.

 Industrial Research (~20%):

�     Determined and defined phenomena governing the siphoning of molten copper.

�     Developed quartz siphon tubes for viewing of slag/gas dynamics within copper flow.

�     Won contract to develop aluminum stabilization of Nb/Ti superconductor wire, resulting in the development of several new manufacturing techniques.  Led a cross-functional team in determining the role of superconductivity at Essex.

�     Retrofit a commercial wire drawing machine with load cells and thermocouples resulting in experiments leading to techniques that reduced costly wire breaks.

�     Member of a team that initiated finite element modeling at Essex, evaluated 9 soft-ware packages, and performed analyses using stress, heat transfer, phase, and flow.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Troy, NY, Research Assistant, January 1990 to August 1994, Supervisor: Dr. Roger N. Wright.

�     Defined mechanisms governing fine (debris) generation in wire manufacture.

�     Developed practical methods of reducing these detrimental fines (pioneering work).

�     Designed and constructed a manufacturing machine for high speed, industry trials.

�     Developed QC techniques using surface, subsurface, fines and die force analysis.

�     Invented and developed a technique that produces high magnification views of wire surfaces without the need for expensive SEM work.

�     Assisted faculty in teaching undergraduate manufacturing labs.

EDUCATION:

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Aug. 1994

            Dissertation:  �Workpiece Wear Mechanisms in the Drawing of Copper Wire.�

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Aug. 1993

            Thesis Work:  �Speed Effects in Magnet Wire Drawing�

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, B.S. Mechanical Engineering, May 1988

            Senior Project:  �Solar Powered Ice Plant Prototype for Developing Countries�

 
SOFTWARE SKILLS:

SolidWorks (experienced), Cosmos, Visual Basic 2008 & earlier, C,  Ansys, Procast, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop.


HONORS:

�     Medal Award for the Best Paper in the 2011 Nonferrous Division (WAI)

�     Medal Award for the Best Paper in the 2008 Nonferrous Division (WAI)

�     Silver Certificate for Paper in the 2003 Nonferrous Division (WAI)

�     Silver Certificate for Paper in the 2001 Nonferrous Division (WAI)

�     Essex Technology Award (the company�s highest)

�     Essex President�s Award (with a 10% bonus)

�     Medal Award for the Best Paper in the 1998 General Division (WAI)

�     Medal Award for the Best Paper in the 1993 Nonferrous Division (WAI)

�     Cornell Dean's Lists

Publications List:

[ Up ] [ Resume -- Gil Baker ] [ Volunteer Work ] [ Education -- Gil Baker ] [ PUBLICATIONS OF GIL BAKER ] [ Teaching Experience -- Gil Baker ] [ Research Interests-- Gil Baker ]