RICHARD B. CLIFTON
25150 S.W. Neill Road
Sherwood, Or 97140
503/628-7823 or 503/888-7823
e-mail gooddog@nwlink.com or rick@gooddog.net

QUALIFICATION PROFILE:
A registered professional engineer with new product design and development experience including: design and development of high volume molded plastic and metal parts. CAD/CAM Solid Modeling (Co/Create OneSpace Designer Rev11.6, AutoCAD Rev14, Pro /Engineer Rev 20, Unigraphics Rev 10 and NEC CAD), Stereo Lithography and ultrasonic welding. Validation and verification experience includes: Destructive and non-destructive mechanical, electrical and environmental testing, failure mode effects analysis (design and process), agency and customer compliance testing (UL, CSA, SDS [Ford], HES [Honda] and USCAR), project planning and management. Enjoy the challenge of problem solving requiring analytical and hands on solutions

EXPERIENCE:
6-2003 - Present Senior Mechanical Engineer
PDG Hightower, San Diego, CA

Design and development of injection molded parts and sheet metal parts, for low cost mechanisims used in high volume consumer products.
Lay out and sizing of PCA board and mounting in assembly. Define electrical cable, routing, and attachment to the boards and assembly.
Primary design tools used 3D CAD (Co/Create OneSpace Designer).
EXPERIENCE:
1/98 - Present Mechanical Engineer, Self Employed/Contract
GoodDog.Net, Mountain Home District, Oregon

· Design and build custom, turn-key automation systems for use in manufacturing.
· Design, prototyping and testing of new products and manufacturing equipment.
· Designed, specified and built prototype manufacturing equipment, including pneumatic logic, to support production of new product during initial manufacturing scale-up.
· Evaluated molded component of new product and recommended mold changes and part specifications to optimize and manufacturing capability part performance.
· Designed and developed pressure/temperature validation test/specification to assure optimum seal performance of new product.
· Design, prototyping, testing and specification of new products and manufacturing equipment.
· Conducted verification testing (airflow testing) performance of existing product.
1/97 - 10/98 Design Engineer, JAE Oregon
Engineering Design Group, Tualatin Oregon

.· Specified and supervised installation of electrical, mechanical and environmental test equipment for test lab enabling JAE to conduct all current customer (QS-9000/ISO9001) validation testing in house.
· Coordinated customer communications and developed validation/test requirements/specifications for environmentally sealed pin header during production scale up.
· Design records/specifications translation for production transfer PCB to PCB SMT Products.
· Coordinated / conducted validation testing for teli-communications SMT connector per customers specification.
· Developed and authored design control regulation for QS-9000/ISO9001 certification and served as primary interviewee for the Design Control portion of the ISO/QS audit. JAE Oregon received QS-9000 / ISO9001 certification November 18, 1997.
· Coordinated Honda validation test data for Honda Engineering Specification for engine control unit connector.

6/89 - 1/97 Senior Product Development Engineer, 3M Company,
Electrical Products Division, Austin, Texas.

· Two Material Molding Project. Designed, developed and specified a unique connector with a two material insulator. Patents 5,132,494 , 345,962 and 5,894,110.
· As Division Product Planning Leader, designed and developed environmentally sealed high voltage electrical splices (DBY-6 and DBR-6) and 3M Green grounding connector.
· Reverse engineered and designed the 312/512 Ranger electrical connectors that were produced in Sweden for scale-up and production in New Ulm, Minnesota. Redesign included complete specification package (Part prints, Test methods, Raw materials specifications and Product performance specifications)
8/85 - 6/89 Advanced Product Development Engineer, 3M Company,
Electrical Products Division, St. Paul, Minnesota and Austin, Texas

· As Division Product Planning Leader, designed and developed environmentally sealed low voltage electrical splice (DBR).
· Designed and developed an orange size electrical spring connector.
· Designed and developed test equipment for design and agency testing, i.e., UL and CSA.
· Conducted field survey to determine customers electrical connector needs.
6/78 - 8/85 Advanced Technical Service Engineer, 3M Company,
Automotive Trades Division, St. Paul, Minnesota

· Catastrophic failure analysis of rotating coated abrasive grinding and composite material back up discs. Studies included high-speed photography, analytical, finite element and statistical (Design of Experiments) analysis of composite materials.
· Designed tools and accessories for the automotive trades coated abrasives and chemical line of products used for automotive body repair.
· Conducted testing on existing products and prototypes determining their strengths and limitations with the goal of improving applications, instructions, warnings or designs.
1/77 - 6/78 Graduate Teaching Assistant, WSU, Mechanical Eng. Department, Pullman, WA.
Lab Courses taught:

· Materials Lab -- Destructive and non-destructive materials test methods.
· Kinematic Analysis -- machine design, mechanisms, CAM profiles and gearing systems.
· Thermodynamics Lab -- Heat Transfer and Fluids Measurement Techniques
EDUCATION:
· Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering (June 1979) WSU Pullman, WA.
· Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering (January 1977) WSU Pullman, WA.
· Associate of Arts, General Studies (June 1973) GRCC Auburn, and WA.
PATENTS:
 #5,894,110 Twist-on wire connector Apr. 13, 1999
# Des. 345,962 Hard-Shell, Soft Skirt Twist-On, Electrical Conn. April 12, 1994
#5,132,494 Dual Durometer Twist-on Connector July 21, 1992
#5,023,401 Twist-On Spring Connector with breakaway Wings. June 11, 1991
#4,631,220 Coated Abrasive Back-Up Pad with Reinforcing Plate. Dec 3,1986
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION: State of Registration / Date - Minnesota / March 10, 1982
Field of Major Practice - Mechanical Engineering
Registration Number - 15380

HOBBIES:
Web page design, toy collecting, animals, ceramic mold making, mechanical repair & restoration of classic automobiles, landscaping and other outdoor activities.
BUSINESS ADDRESS
 
 

P.O. Box 1178
Sherwood, Or 97140

(503) 628-7823 or (503) 888-7823

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updated 3/23/2001