Delve is a product innovation firm focused on delivering bold ideas to market through research, strategy, design, and engineering. As a senior mechanical engineer, I worked in multidisciplinary teams to design, prototype, and validate solutions for clients at each stage of the product development process.
Selected Projects
I've had the opportunity to work on client projects across a range of industries, including: consumer products, robotics, health wearables, surgical devices, and clinical diagnostic equipment. Below is a selection of projects I've led during my time at Delve, ranging from front-end concept creation to mass manufacturing.
Weitron A/C Recharge Kit
Overview
Weitron came to Delve to create their own A/C recharge consumer product for cars, using refrigerant R-1234yf. Our team developed and patented a novel dispense system and delivered the complete product for mass manufacturing.
Scope: concept generation to final manufactured product.
- IP research and competitor benchmarking
- Ergonomics study and industrial design
- Valve trigger mechanism, external housing, and safety lockout
- DFM and manufacturer coordination
- IP research and competitor benchmarking
- Ergonomics study and industrial design
- Valve trigger mechanism, external housing, and safety lockout
- DFM and manufacturer coordination
Design Considerations
- Ensure valve and pressure gauge fluid pathways did not violate existing patents
- Maintain ease of use for the consumer
- Balance trigger force (custom torsion spring) with valve pin friction and aerosol valve
- Manufacturer coordination for ease of assembly with clamshell molded enclosure
- Tune safety lockout detent force (locked for shipment, easy for user to deactivate)
- Ensure valve and pressure gauge fluid pathways did not violate existing patents
- Maintain ease of use for the consumer
- Balance trigger force (custom torsion spring) with valve pin friction and aerosol valve
- Manufacturer coordination for ease of assembly with clamshell molded enclosure
- Tune safety lockout detent force (locked for shipment, easy for user to deactivate)
MDPF Eye Drop Applicator
Overview
Overview
In a strategic partnership with a large consumer health brand, our team developed several applicators for MDPF (multi-dose preservative free) eye drops.We delivered five novel applicator concepts and facilitated human factors testing in our Philadelphia studio.
Scope: Developed engineering and user study models to gauge technical and user performance of each variant.
- Competitor product performance evaluation
- Existing intellectual property landscape
- Close collaboration with industrial design team
- Proof of concept engineering models for fluid dispense performance
- Prototype builds for user study models
- Competitor product performance evaluation
- Existing intellectual property landscape
- Close collaboration with industrial design team
- Proof of concept engineering models for fluid dispense performance
- Prototype builds for user study models
Design Considerations
- Building volumetric mechanism underlays in CAD for industrial design team
- Calibrating prototype fluid dispense for 50 µL droplet volume
- Designing sanitary fluid reservoir and exit pathway with compliant valves
- Tuning target button force for each concept model
- Designing realistic cap detent with prototype materials
- Building volumetric mechanism underlays in CAD for industrial design team
- Calibrating prototype fluid dispense for 50 µL droplet volume
- Designing sanitary fluid reservoir and exit pathway with compliant valves
- Tuning target button force for each concept model
- Designing realistic cap detent with prototype materials
Moonlite Projector Attachment
Overview
Overview
I worked with Moonlite to develop a new attachment mechanism for their Storytime projector, focused on child safety and improved user experience.I prototyped solutions and handed off early production CADto their overseas manufacturing team.
Scope: concept generation to early production CAD.
- ASTM & EN safety standards review
- IP research and concept generation
- Proof of concept prototyping
- CAD development
- ASTM & EN safety standards review
- IP research and concept generation
- Proof of concept prototyping
- CAD development
Design Considerations
- Maintain ease of operation while providing improved alignment between flash and projector
- Compatibility with all flagship smartphone brands(Apple, Samsung, Google)
- Eliminate choking hazards to achieve ASTM F963 safety rating (18 mo. and younger)
- Provide improved screen visibility
- Maintain ease of operation while providing improved alignment between flash and projector
- Compatibility with all flagship smartphone brands(Apple, Samsung, Google)
- Eliminate choking hazards to achieve ASTM F963 safety rating (18 mo. and younger)
- Provide improved screen visibility
Early Concept Sketch
Other Projects:
Robotic Package Delivery
Worked in team of four mechanical engineers to conceptualize, design, and construct package actuation mechanisms for autonomous delivery robot.
Collaborated with electrical engineering team to integrate motor drive and sensing systems.
Ophthalmology Research Device
Led mechanical effort to develop, prototype, and validate research device for pediatric ophthalmology.
Designed prototype to fit range of users and cool components down to -20 °C.
Atherectomy Device
Designed, prototyped, and tested subsystems for new orbital atherectomy device.
Integrated fluid handling and electromechanical components with critical user touch points.
Health Wearable
Worked in multidisciplinary team of engineers and designers to develop testbed for new health wearable.
Supported prototype development to prove out new optical sensing technologies.