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Michael McKervey
Verified Expert in Engineering
SOLIDWORKS Engineer and Developer
Nashville, TN, United States
Toptal member since May 20, 2024
Bio
Michael is widely experienced in mechanical engineering, manufacturing, project management, and interdisciplinary collaboration. He drives success by both meticulously updating the bill of materials (BOM) and orchestrating complex product launches. Adept in product development and operations, Michael showcases his expertise by effectively liaising with quality, electrical, software, supply chain, sales, and management divisions, ensuring seamless execution and organizational success.
Portfolio
Ultium Cells
Quality Assurance (QA), Classification, Equipment Commissioning, Li Ion Battery...
Canyon Product Development
3D CAD, Intellectual Property Law, Finite Element Analysis (FEA)...
Enovate Medical
New Product Development, Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DFMA)...
Experience
- Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DFMA) - 16 years
- Project Design & Management - 16 years
- New Product Development - 16 years
- Mechanical Design - 16 years
- Injection Molded Plastics - 16 years
- Sheet Metal Design - 16 years
- Finite Element Analysis (FEA) - 16 years
- SOLIDWORKS - 13 years
Work Experience
Senior Equipment Engineer
2024 - PRESENT
Ultium Cells
- Utilize Machine Condition Monitoring and SCADA software to proactively identify equipment issues before they become critical, ensuring minimal downtime and maintaining full production levels.
- Led safety and functionality sign-offs for new automation equipment, ensuring safe and efficient operation on the production floor.
- Debugged, troubleshot, and improved automated EV battery cell manufacturing line, reducing the fault rate by 79%.
- Worked closely with Korean OEMs and the LG team, overcoming language challenges to optimize equipment.
Technologies: Quality Assurance (QA), Classification, Equipment Commissioning, Li Ion Battery, Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA), Machine Condition Monitoring, Industrial Safety, Automation, Executive Summaries
Owner and Laser Safety Officer
2016 - PRESENT
Canyon Product Development
- Oversaw external specialists, including legal, electrical, and software teams, or completed all tasks independently.
- Reduced costs by meticulously selecting components from multiple vendors while retaining desired performance.
- Led execution of automation safety protocols and conducted comprehensive testing to validate sensor, software, and electromechanical functionality and reliability, prioritizing safety standards and compliance.
- Leveraged interpersonal skills, effectively addressing recurring objections from the patent examiner and cultivating a cooperative and constructive environment that directly contributed to successful patent approval.
- Developed a unique optical finite element analysis (FEA) program to make new-to-the-world components possible.
- Developed and patented a laser-based image projector (patent number: US 10694158 B2, CN 201780093340.5).
Technologies: 3D CAD, Intellectual Property Law, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Regulatory Compliance, Purchasing, Vendor Management, C++, Electrical Design, Safety-critical, Prototyping, Testing, Project Scoping, Project Design & Management, Vendor Selection, Sheet Metal Design, Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DFMA), Mechanical Design, Applied Research, Electronics, SOLIDWORKS, New Product Rollout, Project Leadership, Quality Assurance (QA), Instruction & Coaching, Coaching, Manufacturing, Tolerance Analysis, Furniture, Fixtures, & Equipment (FF&E), Continuous Improvement, Rapid Prototyping, Customer Research, 2D, Surface Modeling, Startups, Controls, Plastics, Mechanical Engineering, Product Design, Product Engineering, Design for Manufacturing
Senior Design Engineer
2017 - 2024
Enovate Medical
- Fostered close collaboration with plant floor and all departments, anticipating their needs and addressing their challenges.
- Utilized new product introduction (NPI) steps to optimize entire product developments and launches, from conceptualization and prototyping through testing and mass production.
- Assumed project management during a critical phase of the first major release in five years. Identified that the outsourced design of a key sub-component required alignment with DFMA principles to avoid significant production issues.
- Presented to the executive team the necessity of abandoning a problematic outsourced design.
- Designed a basic solution under an exceptionally tight timeline to meet the project launch date.
- Cultivated a key vendor relationship, enhancing a fully featured product to extend its lifecycle from fewer than 2,000 to over 100,000 cycles.
- Implemented a flagship feature that yielded a cost saving of $2.5 million over a decade.
- Participated in the corrective action team, identifying and resolving quality and customer issues through root cause analysis.
- Engineered a sheet metal cell-level fusing mechanism for swappable lithium-ion batteries, surpassing safety standards while utilizing cost-effective battery cells.
- Initiated, coached, and led an internship program, resulting in a full-time engineering hire.
Technologies: New Product Development, Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DFMA), Lean Manufacturing, Coaching, Mechanical Design, Manufacturing, 3D CAD, Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T), SOLIDWORKS, SOLIDWORKS API, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), EPDM, Project Scoping, Tolerance Analysis, Root-cause Analysis (RCA), Team Mentoring, Furniture, Fixtures, & Equipment (FF&E), Die Cast Design, Project Design & Management, Continuous Improvement, Prototyping, Testing, Vendor Selection, Vendor Management, Design Verification Plan & Report (DVP&R), Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Injection Molded Plastics, Sheet Metal Design, Lean Six Sigma, Applied Research, Electronics, Machining, Metal Extrusion Design, New Product Rollout, Project Leadership, Quality Assurance (QA), Instruction & Coaching, Regulatory Compliance, Safety-critical, Rapid Prototyping, 2D, Surface Modeling, Plastics, Li Ion Battery, Mechanical Engineering, Product Design, Product Engineering, Design for Manufacturing
Product Design Engineer
2014 - 2017
Ideal Tridon
- Collaborated with manufacturing and test lab teams to create designs that surpassed customer expectations.
- Employed advanced product quality planning (APQP) and lean manufacturing methodologies to facilitate efficient product development and ensure timely launches.
- Created assemblies, models, drawing packages, simulations, and physical prototypes of new designs, ensuring all technical documentation is appropriately stored according to standard operating procedures.
- Led design failure mode and effect analysis (DFMEA) and process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA) across various departments, documenting and reducing design and production risks.
- Created a design verification plan and report (DVP&R) and production validation plan and report (PVP&R) to evaluate design and process performance.
- Drove engineering change request (ECR) and engineering change notification (ECN) workflows globally.
- Patented a hose clamp with positioning features (patent number: US 10571059B2) that allows for the accurate assembly of the hose in an automotive high-volume assembly environment, reducing scrap.
- Traveled nationally with the sales team to customer sites to gather feedback for improving new designs.
Technologies: Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), New Product Development, Lean Manufacturing, Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DFMA), 3D CAD, SOLIDWORKS, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Testing, Prototyping, Rapid Prototyping, Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T), Customer Research, Regulatory Compliance, Design Verification Plan & Report (DVP&R), Production Validation Plan & Report (PVP&R), Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Project Scoping, Project Design & Management, Vendor Management, Vendor Selection, Injection Molded Plastics, Sheet Metal Design, Lean Six Sigma, Mechanical Design, Applied Research, Machining, EPDM, New Product Rollout, Project Leadership, Quality Assurance (QA), Manufacturing, Tolerance Analysis, Root-cause Analysis (RCA), Continuous Improvement, 2D, Surface Modeling, Plastics, Mechanical Engineering, Product Design, Product Engineering, Automotive, Design for Manufacturing
Application Engineer
2013 - 2014
TriMech Solutions (formerly ModernTech)
- Served on the stimulation FEA team, specializing in various simulations, including non-linear, static, thermal, frequency, buckling, drop test, fatigue, airflow, and plastic mold flow simulations.
- Taught SOLIDWORKS CAD courses as a Certified SOLIDWORKS Instructor, employing creativity, patience, and adaptability.
- Consulted as a product design expert for customers.
- Contributed technical expertise while collaborating with the sales team, enhancing product understanding and driving increased customer satisfaction.
Technologies: 3D CAD, 2D, Customer Research, Technical Support, Project Scoping, Injection Molded Plastics, Sheet Metal Design, Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DFMA), Mechanical Design, SOLIDWORKS, EPDM, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Die Cast Design, New Product Rollout, Project Leadership, Quality Assurance (QA), Client Presentations, Manufacturing, Tolerance Analysis, Continuous Improvement, Prototyping, Testing, Rapid Prototyping, Surface Modeling, Vendor Selection, Plastics, Mechanical Engineering, Product Design, Product Engineering, Design for Manufacturing
Design Engineer
2009 - 2013
Molex
- Designed sheet metal EMI cages, extruded heat sinks, injection molded light pipes, diecast backshells, high-speed copper cable, CNC machined test fixtures, printed circuit boards, and assembly tooling.
- Created project timelines, priorities, and documentation as project manager.
- Conducted technical training worldwide to improve the skill set and independence of co-workers.
- Developed a first-article inspection template in Excel with automatic geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) bonus tolerance calculations to save time and increase the accuracy of the quality inspection team.
- Represented Molex in Asia to audit and improve vendors both over the phone and in person.
- Utilized FEA, DFMEA, PFMEA, and tolerance analysis to optimize performance while minimizing cost.
- Created the patented heat dissipative air guides (patent number: 9402332).
- Trained and coached new drafting technicians, three of whom were promoted to mechanical engineers.
Technologies: 3D CAD, Regulatory Compliance, Vendor Selection, Vendor Management, Project Scoping, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Testing, Injection Molded Plastics, Sheet Metal Design, Lean Six Sigma, Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DFMA), Mechanical Design, Applied Research, Electronics, Project Design & Management, Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T), New Product Rollout, Project Leadership, Quality Assurance (QA), Instruction & Coaching, Lean Manufacturing, Coaching, Manufacturing, Tolerance Analysis, Root-cause Analysis (RCA), Furniture, Fixtures, & Equipment (FF&E), Continuous Improvement, Prototyping, Rapid Prototyping, Customer Research, 2D, Plastics, Design for Manufacturing
Product Engineer
2008 - 2009
Griswold Engineering
- Designed 3D CAD models in CATIA and SOLIDWORKS with solid and surface modeling.
- Created fully defined 2D drawings in CATIA and SOLIDWORKS, including drawings with GD&T.
- Designed mechanical, compressed air, and electrical controls and devices for heavy trucks.
Technologies: CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, 3D CAD, Surface Modeling, Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T), Prototyping, Plastics, Project Scoping, Vendor Management, Vendor Selection, Testing, Injection Molded Plastics, Sheet Metal Design, Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DFMA), Mechanical Design, Applied Research, EPDM, Project Design & Management, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Die Cast Design, New Product Rollout, Project Leadership, Quality Assurance (QA), Client Presentations, Manufacturing, Tolerance Analysis, Continuous Improvement, Rapid Prototyping, 2D, Design for Manufacturing
Project History
Encore EcoFlex
The Encore EcoFlex mobile workstation was introduced by Enovate Medical in 2018 as a lighter, cost-effective alternative to our flagship Envoy. As the lead engineer and project manager, I guided the team through the NPI process, ensuring a timely and budget-conscious launch. This included:
• Ideation: Collaborating with cross-functional teams to brainstorm and conceptualize the product.
• Product definition: Defining specifications, target costs, and performance benchmarks.
• Prototyping: Overseeing prototype creation and testing.
• Detailed design: Ensuring all components met safety and quality standards.
• Pre-production: Managing pre-production runs to resolve manufacturing issues.
• Volume manufacturing: Coordinating mass production for efficiency.
Additionally, I managed and approved the work of two supporting engineers, ensuring alignment with project goals and maintaining high standards. The result was one of our most profitable products, distinguished by its reliability and minimal quality assurance concerns. This project showcased my leadership and technical expertise, demonstrating my ability to drive successful product development from concept to market.
• Ideation: Collaborating with cross-functional teams to brainstorm and conceptualize the product.
• Product definition: Defining specifications, target costs, and performance benchmarks.
• Prototyping: Overseeing prototype creation and testing.
• Detailed design: Ensuring all components met safety and quality standards.
• Pre-production: Managing pre-production runs to resolve manufacturing issues.
• Volume manufacturing: Coordinating mass production for efficiency.
Additionally, I managed and approved the work of two supporting engineers, ensuring alignment with project goals and maintaining high standards. The result was one of our most profitable products, distinguished by its reliability and minimal quality assurance concerns. This project showcased my leadership and technical expertise, demonstrating my ability to drive successful product development from concept to market.
Patented and Revolutionary Laser Projector with Only One Moving Part
As the owner of Canyon Product Development, I spearheaded a groundbreaking project to revolutionize laser projector design. Our patented technology eliminates the need for expensive computer-controlled galvanometer mirrors, marking a significant advancement in the field.
I took charge of every aspect of the project, either directly or by assembling the right team for the job. This included developing custom optical FEA software and pioneering manufacturing techniques to produce innovative mirrors at the core of our design. What began as a proof of concept quickly evolved into fully functional prototypes with all necessary controls and safety sensors to comply with FDA regulations and ensure autonomous operation.
I took charge of every aspect of the project, either directly or by assembling the right team for the job. This included developing custom optical FEA software and pioneering manufacturing techniques to produce innovative mirrors at the core of our design. What began as a proof of concept quickly evolved into fully functional prototypes with all necessary controls and safety sensors to comply with FDA regulations and ensure autonomous operation.
Education
2003 - 2008
Bachelor's Degree in Engineering Physics and Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI, United States
Certifications
APRIL 2014 - PRESENT
Certified SOLIDWORKS Specialist - Simulation
Dassault Systemes
APRIL 2014 - PRESENT
Certified SOLIDWORKS Presentation Professional
Dassault Systemes
SEPTEMBER 2013 - PRESENT
Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional
Dassault Systemes
SEPTEMBER 2013 - PRESENT
Certified SOLIDWORKS Instructor (CSWI)
Dassault Systemes
AUGUST 2013 - PRESENT
Certified SOLIDWORKS Support Tech
Dassault Systemes
Skills
Libraries/APIs
SOLIDWORKS API
Tools
SOLIDWORKS, Design Verification Plan & Report (DVP&R), Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), LabVIEW, CATIA
Paradigms
Mechanical Design, Testing, Rapid Prototyping, Automation
Industry Expertise
Automotive, Lean Six Sigma
Languages
Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), C++
Other
EPDM, 3D CAD, Project Design & Management, New Product Development, Sheet Metal Design, Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DFMA), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), New Product Rollout, Project Leadership, Tolerance Analysis, Prototyping, Regulatory Compliance, Vendor Management, Safety-critical, Customer Research, 2D, Surface Modeling, Vendor Selection, Plastics, Li Ion Battery, Mechanical Engineering, Product Design, Product Engineering, Design for Manufacturing, Furniture, Fixtures, & Equipment (FF&E), Electronics, Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Injection Molded Plastics, Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T), Die Cast Design, Metal Extrusion Design, Quality Assurance (QA), Instruction & Coaching, Coaching, Root-cause Analysis (RCA), Team Mentoring, Continuous Improvement, Purchasing, Startups, Controls, Production Validation Plan & Report (PVP&R), Applied Physics, Applied Research, Machining, Technical Support, Application Engineering, Client Presentations, Lean Manufacturing, Manufacturing, Project Scoping, Intellectual Property Law, Electrical Design, Equipment Commissioning, Electric Vehicles, Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA), Machine Condition Monitoring, Industrial Safety, Executive Summaries, Classification
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