I’m a mechanical and manufacturing engineer who started on the floor in my dad’s garage shop and never really left it.
For 15+ years, I’ve worked in CNC machining, fabrication, additive manufacturing, and product development. However, the common thread has always been taking something that exists in someone’s head, a napkin, or CAD and turning it into something that works in the real world.
I’m at my best somewhere between engineering and production, where tolerances don’t quite stack up how they looked on screen, and when the build schedule doesn’t care that a bracket needs a redesign or a little extra clearance.
At Sonata Scientific, I work as a Mechanical / Manufacturing Engineer and Senior Mechanical Engineering Technician, supporting the development and production release of industrial air purification systems, and developing new technologies to bring to market.
I helped bring two systems from concept through alpha, beta, validation, and full production, the larger within eight months. That meant running DFM/DFA reviews, building first articles, troubleshooting tolerance stack issues between machined and sheet metal components, finding vendors and manufacturers who could actually meet specs and delivery dates, and refining the process flow so assemblies didn’t fight us on the floor.
One of the more satisfying parts is working through from rough design to final assembly. Resolving clearance and fitment issues, figuring out order of assembly, and working through problems during beta builds that “technically worked” in CAD but caused real friction in reality. Fixing those before production release saved countless hours per unit and a lot of frustration.
I also coordinated sourcing across 14 vendors, aligned material specs and tolerances, supported V&V testing, and helped push the systems through TÜV certification. It’s not glamorous, but it can be what separates the prototype from the product.
I got into engineering and manufacturing because I’ve always liked knowing how things work. Growing up, I took almost everything apart, probably a huge headache for my parents. I liked discovering how things work, how well they work, and how they could be made better or differently.
Long after that, I spent nearly a decade at Enhance a Colour. I was in the custom manufacturing and fabrication department. Being the sole designer, operator, and programmer, I utilized multi-axis mills, CNC routers, lasers, waterjets, hotwire systems, and large-format 3D Printers.
That’s where I really learned how my design decisions and external design requirements show up in tooling wear, cycle times, surface finish, and overall operator frustration.
I programmed complex parts in Fusion 360 and Mastercam, designed fixtures for repeatability, reverse engineered legacy components, and maintained a 98% uptime across all equipment by handling diagnostics and repairs in-house. If something broke, it got fixed. If a toolpath was inefficient, it was improved. That mindset has always been with me.
My discipline and systems thinking started earlier in the United States Air Force, where I maintained and repaired life-support and flight equipment under strict technical standards. When it comes to parachutes, oxygen masks, ejection seats, and survival equipment, there is no room for “close enough.” Documentation mattered. Compliance mattered. Details mattered. Every usage scenario had the potential to be a life-or-death matter. I still approach engineering that way, where decisions matter.
I have a strong bias toward designs that can actually be manufactured.
If something requires some manner of heroics or a feat of strength on the shop floor to assemble, that’s usually a design problem. Not a technician problem.
I care about:
• DFM/DFA that actually reduces friction
• Tolerance stack analysis grounded in real materials and processes
• NPI planning that withstands production pressure
• Hybrid additive/subtractive workflows that genuinely add value
• Root cause analysis that fixes the issue, not the symptom
I’ve seen designs that technically “work” but are miserable to build. To me, that’s unfinished engineering.
My background includes:
• Multi-axis CNC machining and CAM programming (Fusion 360, Mastercam)
• SolidWorks and parametric 3D modeling
• Fixture and tooling design
• Additive manufacturing (FDM, SLS, Hybrid)
• GD&T interpretation and tolerance stack-up analysis
• New Product Introduction (routing, BOM structure, process flow)
• Verification & Validation testing support
I’ve worked with aluminum, composites, polymers, reinforced filaments, and specialty materials. I’ve supported MRB investigations, collaborated with Quality and Operations, and have written the documentation that keeps production running smoothly after engineering has moved on.
I’ve been continuing my education in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Manufacturing Engineering Technology through CT State Community College and Central Connecticut State University while building experience in active design, manufacturing, and production environments.
Manufacturing evolves quickly. Materials change. Processes improve. Software updates. If you stop learning, you’ll fall behind.
I like solving the problems that sit in between disciplines.
• That bracket that ‘almost’ fits.
• The assembly that “technically” works but takes too long or is a hassle to build.
• The prototype that needs to survive testing.
• The satisfaction that comes from closing that gap from idea to reality.
If you’re building complex or simple mechanical systems and want someone who understands both CAD models and coolant-soaked shop floors, I’m always open to a conversation.