Ryan P.

I’m a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer with 35+ years of experience taking products from concept to fully manufacturable, production‑ready designs. I’ve logged over 40,000 hours in SolidWorks, and my background spans the entire path from working on the shop floor to high‑level product engineering. That combination is what allows me to deliver designs that move cleanly from CAD to tooling, machining, or production without rework. My career began in the trades —I've built a few molds, programed and ran CNCs, operating EDMs and Bridgeports, and rapid‑prototyping equipment. That hands‑on foundation gave me a deep understanding of what it takes to design manufacturable part versus someone who can just draw up a part. After nearly three decades with one of the largest injection molders in the United States, I transitioned into full‑time independent contractor, bringing that real‑world manufacturing knowledge directly to clients. Today, I specialize in DFM/DFA for injection molding, CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, and additive manufacturing. I don’t just model parts — I engineer parts that can actually be made with the rules required for manufacturing, and that distinction saves clients time, money, and the frustration of redesigning a part after a manufacturer rejects a design you may have spent months working on. My design process incorporates the full manufacturing rule set from the start: - Correct draft angles based on resin shrink rate and texture - Rib‑to‑wall ratios and structural optimization - Parting line strategy, shutoff geometry, and slide/lifter feasibility - Gate placement, weld line prediction, and flow path considerations - Ejector pin layout and core/cavity accessibility - Cutter radius, tool reach, and multi‑op machining considerations - Bend reliefs, K‑factors, and flat‑pattern accuracy for sheet metal - Warpage, sink, tolerance stack‑ups, and assembly sequencing - Additive manufacturing orientation, support strategy, and anisotropy compensation These aren’t theoretical details — they determine whether your part can be molded, machined, or stamped without defects. Many clients come to me after another getting burnt from another Upwork designer that delivered a visually correct model that was not manufacturable. My role is to eliminate that risk entirely. Cross‑Discipline Integration While I’m an expert in many areas, I’m not an expert in everything — and that’s exactly why I maintain relationships with vetted specialists. If your project requires FEA, moldflow simulation, GD&T, advanced rendering, animation, or other domain‑specific analysis, I coordinate with experts who focus exclusively on those disciplines. Their outputs are integrated back into the engineering workflow to ensure the final design reflects accurate structural behavior, tooling performance, and visual or functional requirements. This keeps the development process technically rigorous, efficient, and cohesive. Industries & Impact I’ve designed hundreds of products across medical, sporting goods, agriculture, military, consumer, automotive, and industrial markets. Some highlights include: - A product design that helped a client secure a $22B contract with Microsoft and the U.S. government - A security product line that won 1st place at CES two years in a row - Multiple patents shared with engineering teams on complex assemblies - Hundreds of molded enclosures integrating PCBs, seals, EMI shielding, and multi‑material components How I Work This is not a side hustle — this is what I do full‑time. I communicate clearly (native English), stay highly responsive, and maintain a professional, engineering‑driven workflow. I use a legal seat of SolidWorks and can deliver STEP, IGES, Parasolid, STL, DXF, and full technical drawing packages as required. I also run dedicated in‑house 3D printers for rapid prototyping, enabling same‑day design iterations and next‑day part shipment when needed. If you don’t yet have a molder or machine shop selected, I can connect you with vetted suppliers my clients have successfully used. Remote collaboration is seamless — 100% of my work is done remote. Most of my work comes thru referrals. I respond quickly, jump on Zoom whenever needed, and keep projects moving without bottlenecks. My Objective To deliver a design that is geometrically correct, mechanically sound, and fully manufacturable — with as few downstream surprises as possible. If you’re looking for a senior‑level engineer who understands the full path from napkin sketch to CAD to tooling and can ensure your product is engineered correctly the first time, I’d be glad to discuss your project.