avitan & associates, inc. - forensic engineer, mechanical engineer, mechanical forensic engineer, electrical forensic engineer, accident investigator, fire investigator, explosion investigator, cause and origin investigator, forklift expert, industrial equipment engineer, patent infringement, and expert witness

Isaac avitan, PhD, PE
avitan & associates, Inc.

DETAILED EXPERIENCE:
Avitan & Associates, Inc., Alpharetta, GA, 2/98-Present.
PRESIDENT; Forensic engineering consultation. Product failure and accident analysis, testing, evaluation, reconstruction, simulation, litigation support and expert opinion. Fire and explosion origin and cause investigation. Damage, injury, or death cause investigation. Patent evaluation, infringement and/or invalidity analysis. Product warnings and instructions, operating manuals and technical documentation evaluation and/or development. Product research, design and development support. Manufacturing process, efficiency, quality assurance/control and manufacturability support.
Southern Polytechnic State University, Marietta, GA, 1/99-12/99.
ADJUNT PROFESSOR; Computer Science Department. Graduate engineering curriculum instruction in area of computer architecture, digital systems design, fundamental hardware building blocks and microprocessor control techniques, concepts and algorithms.
Schaeff, Inc., Sioux City, IA, 6/92-2/98.
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER; Full P&L and direction responsibility for all business aspects, including; finance, legal, engineering, marketing, sales, after-market, operations and human resources. Highlight achievements; Directed and managed the development of leading edge state-of-the-art proprietary technologies and materials handling product lines, including research, design and development of all mechanical systems, hydraulic systems, electrical systems (hardware and software), ergonomics and packaging. Streamlined engineering development procedures and systems to reduce development cost and time-to-market, and improve product quality and success. Reduced product manufacturing cost in excess of 25%. Increased product quality and reliability in excess of 4x. Reduced product liability in excess of 100x. Reduced inventory by 2/3 though component commonality. Reduced manufacturing lead-time from 16 weeks down to less than 4 weeks. Increased sales from less than $1M to more than $18M. Succeeded in attaining multi-year/million dollar private label supply agreements with Hyster Company and Yale Materials Handling Corp.
The Raymond Corporation, Atlanta, GA; Hollister, CA; Greene, NY, 6/83-6/92.
MANAGER, ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT & APPLIED RESEARCH; (11/88-6/92 Greene, NY) Directed applied research and technology development. Products developed: motor controls technology, wire guidance, vision systems, Orderpicker, Reach/Straddle and Swing-Reach product lines (inclusive of Raymond-Caterpillar Orderpicker and Reach/Straddle product lines).
MANAGER, ELECTRONICS DEVELOPMENT; (8/86-11/88 Greene, NY) Created the goals and objectives to justify creation of R&D department. Directed research, design and development of controls and control systems development (hardware & software) for electric forklifts, utilizing advanced filters, adaptive, decoupled and open/closed-loop controls, surface mounting, hybrids, dc motors, power electronics, application specific integrated circuitry, vision systems, guidance systems, radio frequency control and protocol development. Architected corporate wide controls and new product development strategy.
SENIOR PROJECT ENGINEER; (8/85-8/86 Hollister, CA). Developed progressive and flexible assembly automation systems, including functional specifications and contractual requirements. Supervised construction, field installation, debug and acceptance. Trained company personnel in project management.
PROJECT ENGINEER; (6/84-8/85 Atlanta, GA). Developed automation systems and controls for industrial carousel applications. Designed cold storage, pallet handling and automated load/unload carousel machinery. Redesigned carousel mechanical systems. Designed microprocessor based adaptive servo-positioning controls for carousel product. Design included functional specifications, circuitry development, drawing schematics, PCB layout, packaging (including sheet metal fabrications, aluminum extrusions and plastics injection moldings), cabling, prototyping, testing, debugging, development of software and documentation. Control system was instrumental in winning a $6.6M carousel order from Ford Motor Company.
SYSTEMS ENGINEER; (6/83-6/84 Atlanta, GA). Developed automation projects (work-in-process for Canadian General Electric and parts distribution/kiting Automation for Marconi Avionics), including development of functional specifications, design, construction, installation, integration, programming, debugging, training and commissioning of systems. Designs included Programmable Logic Controllers, Mini/Micro-Computers, Laser Barcode Printers/Readers, Carousels, Robots, Transporters, Conveyors, Controls (hardware & software utilizing Fortran, Basic, Ladder Logic and Assembly language).
PAK-IT Manufacturing, Atlanta, GA, 11/82-6/83.
ENGINEERING MANAGER; (2/83-6/83) Managed engineering department. Developed departmental operating procedures, budgets and direction for technology and new product development. Introduced electronic controls to product lines, including the utilization of Programmable Logic Controllers.
CONSULTING ENGINEERING; (11/82-2/83) Machine design of high speed dough handling and processing equipment (conveyors, mixers, needers, dividers and pumps) as well as electrical design of systems controls. Developed systems functional specifications and technical manuals. Designs included digital and analog circuits, ac inverters, dc converters, closed-loop servo controllers, instrumentation and feedback controls.
Ontario Hydro Corporation, Nuclear Generation Division, Central Nuclear Services, Toronto, ONT, 8/81-9/82.
ASSISTANT TECHNICAL SUPERVISOR; Technical leader in the development and implementation of computer based non-destructive inspection robotics for nuclear reactor. Developed operating, commissioning, maintenance and inspection procedures. Trained technicians on the techniques of non-destructive inspection of nuclear reactor fuel channel and associated equipment. Provided technical expertise in the area of non-destructive inspection (Gauging, Eddy Current and Ultrasonic).
Sentrol Systems Limited, Forest Products Division, Downsview, ONT, 5/79-8/81.
MECHANICAL DESIGN, GROUP LEADER; (6/80-8/81) Developed process control machinery and sensors for paper making machines. Designed drives, heating, cooling, and vacuum systems for counterfeit prevention machinery (substrate deposition onto mylar under high-vacuum, utilizing electron-beam-gun). Inventor; microprocessor controlled, electronically scanned, non-contacting, reel hardness sensor. Developed many engineering procedures, standards and specifications.
MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEER; (5/79-6/80) Designed process control machinery. Designs included utilization of computers for finite element analysis of structures in the areas of stress, vibration and heat transfer. Developed vibration and environmental test equipment for in-house use and refrigeration systems for process control computer systems. Developed paper making machine paper moisture sensor means utilizing infrared and microwave technology, and paper thickness gauge sensor means. Performed cost redesigns and improved manufacturability of products.
Ontario Hydro Corporation, Fossil Fuel Division, Lakeview Generating Station, Port Credit, ONT, 5/78-9/78.
ENGINEER TRAINEE; Wrote numerous overhaul procedures for power-generation equipment. Designed, built and tested heat-exchanging equipment to thermally isolate generator governor from high-pressure turbine. Performed vibration analysis on power generation equipment. Assisted department manager in project management.
Vernomatic Limited, Division of Magna International, Downsview, ONT, 5/76-9/76, 5/77-9/77.
TOOL & DIE MAKER; Designed and built single-stage, multi-stage, progressive, compound, blanking, forming, deep draw and reverse draw production tools and dies for high volume automotive production stamping operation. Designs included under-carriage, body and trim parts ranging from light to heavy gauge materials, including cold and hot rolled steel, aluminum, and stainless steel. Responsibilities included machining, heat-treating, grinding, turning, welding, finishing, etc.
Venco Metals Manufacturing Company, Etobicoke, ONT, 1/74-5/76.
APPRENTICE TOOL & DIE MAKER; Apprenticed under master tool maker through all aspects of tool and die making. Designed and built tools, dies, jigs and fixtures for stamping operations of automotive undercarriage parts, including tools and dies for single-stage, multi-stage, progressive, compound, blanking, forming, deep draw and reverse draw operations, to mention few.

Last Updated: 1-Jan-2007
Isaac Avitan, Ph.D., P.E.
© copyright 1998-2007 by avitan & associates, Inc.