Stephen Knudsen

Design Engineering Experience:

Senior Ocean Mechanical Engineer

Thermal Analysis, design, and prototyping of underwater instrument systems using
Ansys, SolidWorks Flow Simulation and SolidWorks.
Active DoD Secret Clearance
Shock and Vibration analysis of underwater systems using Ansys
Report generation and Presentations of findings
Detailed drawings generated in SolidWorks and managed in PDM Enterprise

Senior Engineer

Ultra-high Vacuum research systems
Design of Ultra High Vacuum systems utilizing SolidWorks and FEA
Management of all engineering documentation using PDM Workgroups

Senior Systems Mechanical Engineer

SMC Single Molecule Counting
Designed and ordered for Prototype system, all mechanical parts, including Kinematic and Dynamic Optomechanical systems.

Senior Mechanical Engineer

Flow Cytometry, SMC, Capillary.
Worked extensively with Seattle R&D engineering, Austin based engineering, production and marketing groups assisting in development of new product release (scheduled for January 2020).
Worked with Austin and Hayward groups rebranding three product lines to Luminex company standards from Guava branding.
Developed new enclosures for next generation system, both in cast aluminum and RIM casting. This included all modeling in SolidWorks, as well as generation of drawings to GD&T standards
Worked extensively with vendors for same enclosures, resulting in delivery of Beta enclosures to Seattle site
Ran FEA analysis on system base, optimized same to withstand 1.5ft drop thermal test chamber and ran thermal testing for 2 baseline current generation of same systems
Coordinated with Austin production and Seattle R&D team to build first 5 next generation systems
Worked with 2 engineering design teams to bring a cell analysis flow cytometer system and a protein detection system from initial prototypes to launch; the flow cytometer utilizes 8 separate wavelength lasers and 24 collection channels, the protein detection system 3. This included documentation transfer from R&D to production, and authoring assembly, test release and service procedures. Specified critical performance plastics for these systems.
Built, test released and operated 12 of these systems.
Head of Engineering support for 18 system product line production transfer to Bangalore, India, including management of 1 Bangalore based employee.
Designed, ordered parts, and assembled 0.02µl/sec sample pump, and 12 channel fluidic manifold.
Both hands on and design engineering of optical systems and micro-fluidic systems.
Designed a microscope objective to a Zemax optical model, with +/-13um tolerances. The objective outperforms a $7000 commercial objective at production cost of $500.
Extensive use of SolidWorks modeling in CAD utilizing GD&T, CFD and FEA.
All documentation routed through PDM Enterprise

Design Engineer

Nuclear Power Plant Prototype Development
Investigation of weld fabrication of nuclear reactor head subsystems.
Investigation of alternative reactor head support mechanisms.
Production of weld fabrication drawings in SolidWorks and FEA and Thermal analysis of these structures.
Modeling of systems in SolidWorks; documentation routed through PDM Enterprise

Engineer II

Flow Cytometry, Sorter Flow Cytometry
Worked with twelve-member cross functional engineering team on advance flow cytometers utilizing 7 lasers, development of new cytometer, concept to market release.
Use of SolidWorks, SolidWorks Simulation and FlowWorks CFD packages for investigation into heat characterization of these systems, and for flowcell analysis.
Extensive vendor communication for new and substitute components.
Travel and use of off-site test facilities.
Extensive use of SolidWorks for solid modeling and drawings with GD&T, and SAP database
On-site machining of prototypes

Senior Engineer

Heavy Equipment Magnetic Transmissions
Worked with eight-member engineering team developing new systems and optimizing existing systems.
Extensive use of FEA structural, FEA thermal and Fluid Dynamics in SolidWorks Simulation for heat dissipation characteristics of large industrial magnetic transmission systems.
Recognized multiple root cause issues in system resulting in dramatic improvements in both performance and reliability of the existing system.
Wrote test procedures, developed test fixtures, lab testing and instrumentation for heat and vibration of prototype systems.
Selected materials and coatings for highly corrosive environment for all types of metals.
Extensive use of SolidWorks for solid modeling and drawings with GD&T, PDM Enterprise
Successfully communicated with customers and suppliers, using technical reports, email, and in meetings with and without language barriers

Engineer lV

Ocean Research
Worked with thirty-member engineering team developing custom designed submerged instrumentation grid (Neptune USA) for national ocean grant.
Extensive use of FEA structural, thermal and solid modeling of deep ocean test rigs using SolidWorks Simulation and Ansys.
Wrote test procedures and technical reports, developed test fixtures and instrumentation for sheave loads and for thermal transfer from titanium and stainless steel housings to seawater.
Selection of corrosion resistant materials and coatings for 25-year submersed instrumentation grid (Neptune USA).
Developed Ultra High Pressure (10000psi) hydraulic sealing systems for these housings. All engineering documentation and modeling done in SolidWorks, including GD&T for drawings. Document management through PDM Enterprise.

Senior Plastics and Mechanical Engineer

Water Purification
Worked with ten-member product development team to develop new injection molded delivery systems for drinking water purification.
Developed custom designed injection molded systems
Designed and built a compression/tension test fixture, and instrumentation programmable from a laptop for Quality A and design analysis.
Wrote test procedures and technical reports, developed test fixtures and instrumentation for water systems
All engineering documentation and modeling using SolidWorks, including GD&T for drawings.
Work required overseas travel to suppliers’ site.

Senior Design Engineer

Micro Fluids Biotechnology, Imaging Flow Cytometry.
Worked with a twenty-one member design team to produce the Alpha, Beta, and commercial versions of a hydraulic flow Cytometer capable of collecting high resolution still images of cells in flow at rates in excess of 2000 cells per second in 6 separate wavelengths.
Participated in weekly meetings with software, other mechanical and optical engineers, molecular biologists, and suppliers.
Responsibilities included new mechanical and optical mount designs, both static and dynamic flexural, the structural frame and housing, fluidic systems, and ordering and construction of prototypes utilizing all grades of stainless steel, aluminum, and high-performance plastics and coatings.
All engineering documentation and modeling using SolidWorks, including GD&T for drawings. Developed a BOM synchronized to the CAD model.
Designed micro fluid pumps and hydraulics.
Wrote test procedures, designed and built test fixtures and instrumentation
Redesigned fluidics, air flow systems and housings to reduce biohazards and production cost. Total system component count exceeded 1400.

Mechanical Engineer

Cancer Treatment Equipment
Managed new product development, utilizing outside consultants and an engineering staff of two designers.
Optimized new and existing products using solid modeling (SolidWorks), Finite Element Analysis (Cosmos), the conventions of medical design review for ISO 9000, interaction with medical clinics, former professors, vendors, and common sense.
All engineering documentation and modeling using SolidWorks including GD&T for drawings
Collaborated on design issues with MedTech and Seattle Prostate Institute ranging from problems with current surgical equipment to fine tuning of new designs. Currently I hold three patents directly related to this work
Reduced part production costs by 30% using aggressive supplier bidding process.
Specified all materials and coatings used in components, including high temperature plastics, all grades of aluminum, stainless steel and titanium.
Signed off on all drawings and vendor purchase orders.
Established and maintained a spreadsheet-based manufacture management system.
Managed joint designs with PATH, a foreign medical relief company, and a backpack company using internet CAD exchange and conference calling. I am named on all three resulting patent applications as co-inventor

Welder/Fabricator

Familiar with all types of welding
Fabrication for commercial boat deck gear in stainless and aluminum

Marine Engineering Experience

Eight years’ experience as Assistant Engineer and Chief Engineer on commercial vessels in Alaskan Waters.
Familiar with all aspects of engine room operations.
Refurbished refrigeration and power systems on three vessels.
Served as Chief Engineer on six vessels over a five-year period.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree, Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington.
3.1 GPA overall (3.3 GPA in ME studies).
Course studies in Control Systems, Instrumentation, and Advanced Mathematics.
16 credits in Pro/E, 4 credits in SolidWorks (4.0 in all courses).

Honors and Awards

United States Navy — Full Navy ROTC Scholarship.
State of Washington — Engineer in Training Certificate.
University of Washington — Dean’s List.
Olympic College — Dean’s List.
Bainbridge High — Top 2% Nation Wide SAT.
Washington State — Engineering in Training certificate (EIT).

Others

Granted Secret Clearance by DoD
US Citizen (Current Passport)
Qualified for Professional Engineering Exam
1000 hours AutoCAD
28 years’ experience with all types of non-CNC mills and lathes
12000+ hours SolidWorks and FEA (SolidWorks Simulation)
10000 hours logged as Chief Engineer in Alaskan waters
6 years’ experience Ansys advanced FEA – Shock and Vibration, Harmonics and Structural