Expert Details
Polymer Systems and Security Materials Products
ID: 735902
Minnesota, USA
Expert has been involved in several aspects of research and development as we generated several ideas into products. Most germane to this profile, he was heavily involved not only in the generation of new patentable ideas, but also in the crafting, securing, and defending of patents. He is skilled at reading and analyzing patents and understanding what is claimed and what is disclosed in a patent. Expert also has considerable experience in coatings (in particular acrylic-based coatings), various printing technologies, adhesives, micro-optics, foams and foaming technologies, biodegradable materials, and glass microspheres. Expert has experience in depositions.
As a part of being a corporate resource on polymer extrusion, he started teaching at the Employer in 2009. The first class he crafted was Polymers in Design, where he crafted 100% of the lecture materials. In fact, the "book" that was used is the slide deck Expert distributes to students that represents much of what he has learned about polymer systems. Putting this class together forced him to do considerable reading and learning about polymer systems beyond his 3M-learned expertise, so he would like to think he has an unusual blend of theoretical and practical knowledge of polymer systems.
Since that first course, Expert has expanded his course load to include fluid mechanics, engineering materials, and senior design, each of which require substantial technical communication components. As a senior design professor, he has directly mentored over a hundred young engineers as they work towards industrially relevant projects in many fields, including medical devices, automated manufacturing, etc.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1997 | Degree: PhD | Subject: Chemical Engineering | Institution: Northwestern University |
| Year: 1993 | Degree: BS | Subject: Chemical Engineering | Institution: Northwestern University |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2017 to 2020 | Employer: Thales/Gemalto | Title: Corporate Scientist | Department: R&D, IDDS (secure materials group) |
Responsibilities:Performed several product support and development roles (quality, manufacturing, and R&D) for component solutions, including films, labels, and laminates. 3 direct reports. Business development manager accountable for $10M security labels business.- Developed and launched 3 new-to-the-world security label products as sole development / manufacturing engineer with over $1M in new product sales. - Saved over $2M by establishing new manufacturing and supply chain for labels and laminates business while increasing product profitability 40%. - Designed and set up new 4K sq. ft. laboratory facility, including establishing new safety, operating, and documentation procedures, completing integration process. - Managed all acquired materials IP, including licensing aspects, office actions, and strategy. Filed 4 patents, 1 issued by September 2020. Licenses will generate $1M in revenue starting in 2021. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2004 to 2017 | Employer: 3M | Title: Senior Product Development Specialist | Department: Traffic Safety and Security Division |
Responsibilities:Successful technology and product development in the following areas:• Security Materials for passports, ID cards, currency, security labels, etc. • Polymer extrusion and coextrusion • Adhesives and plastic films • Retroreflective traffic signage • Nano/thin film technologies • Micro-optics Led multiple top new product development projects through several different development phases, managing diverse international teams and 6 direct reports. Managed capital, lab, and manufacturing expenditure budgets. - Engaged with dozens of external customers and stakeholders to elicit articulated and unarticulated needs and guided solutions as team lead by working with business and manufacturing organization to develop over 10 novel film and security products, resulting in more than $250M new product sales. - Led more than 10 different teams with US and non-US personnel with marketing, manufacturing, and lab backgrounds with project phases ranging from early ideas to completed launched products. - Invented and developed laserable polycarbonate film and micro-optic laserable and color floating image technologies involving hands-on development, leading to over $30M in annual new product sales. - Worked with corporate labs and external agencies, incorporating their technologies into products. - Served as sole technical member of division’s IP management committee, administering division’s patent portfolio, including deciding which ideas to patent; 17 issued patents. • One infringement deposition (case settled in Expert's favor) |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1997 to 2004 | Employer: 3M | Title: Senior Process Development Engineer | Department: Corporate Process Research Laboratory |
Responsibilities:Platform Leader in the following technology areas as 3M corporate expert:• Polymer foams • Polymer blends • Biodegradable materials • Supercritical fluid processing • Micro-optics • Co-leader for externally funded project for development of synthetic currency substrate • Led Six-Sigma project on pilot-scale extrusion process optimization • Mentored several researchers at various levels, particularly new PhD hires • 6 patents issued |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2008 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Engineering Fellow | Department: Engineering |
Responsibilities:In addition to teaching, also have supported multiple engineering projects with local companies as project mentor and consultant.Courses taught: • Materials Engineering • Polymers in Design (developed 100% by me) • Fluid Mechanics Lab • Senior Design (project mentor 25+ times) • Civil Engineering Fluid Mechanics Lab (developed 100% by me) • Advanced Thin Films (developed 100% by me) • Advanced Polymer Systems (developed 100% by me) • Supported multiple engineering projects with local companies as project mentor and consultant • Projects supported in various industries, including: • Medical devices • Additive manufacturing • Packaging engineering • Automated manufacturing equipment design |
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Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| NU Chemical and Biological Department Advisory board, 2009 – present Document Security Alliance Security Features Working Group member, 2017 - 2020 3M Tech Forum Intellectual Property Chapter and Printing Chapter Steering Committee, 2010 – 2017 3M Security Systems Division Patent Committee Subject Matter Expert (Materials), 2011 - 2015 Optical Document Security conference organizing committee, 2014 – 2019 AAMVA Mobile Driver’s License Working Group, 2015 – 2017 |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| Engineering Fellow, Employer, 2017 - present |
| Awards / Recognition |
|---|
| Three-time winner of 3M Circle of Technical Excellence and Innovation Award |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| Patents Issued (Main designations only) 18 patents issued (main designations only) - Method of Making a Fibrillated Article - Aliphatic Polyester Microfibers, Microfibrillated Articles and Use Thereof - Fibrillated Foam Article - Microfibrillated Articles Comprising Hydrophillic Component - Aliphatic Polyester Microfibers, Microfibrillated Articles and Use Thereof - Foam and Method of Making - Ink-Receptive Foam Article - Foam Security Substrate - Integrally Foamed Microstructured Article - Ink Receptive Article - Retroreflective Articles and Retroreflective Elements Comprising a Spherical Core and Two Concentric Optical Interference Layers - Retroreflective Pavement Marking - Laser-Personalized Security Articles - Static Dissipating Laser Engravable Film - Laser-Personalized Security Articles - Flexible Hinge Material Comprising Cross-Linked Polyurethane Material Articles Published in Refereed Journals: 2 |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| Deposition for 3M in infringement case, details confidential. Case settled. Involved in three other pre-litigation efforts, including the generation of expert reports. |
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| As University course: Polymers in Design (created by author), Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, Senior Design, Materials Engineering As training/seminars (internal to general technical employee population at 3M and Gemalto/Thales): Polymers (general), Polymer Extrusion, Security Labels, Identity Cards and Passports, Intellectual Property |
| Vendor Selection |
|---|
| Established entirely new supply chain for several secure material components when our business was divested from 3M in 2017. This establishment included identifying, engaging, negotiating, qualifying, testing, and documenting while acting as project manager, lead engineer, quality engineer, and manufacturing engineer. |
| Marketing Experience |
|---|
| Business development manager for Thales security labels business from 2019 - 2020. |
| Other Relevant Experience |
|---|
| His expertise includes all aspects of plastics processing, properties, and testing (especially films and adhesives), security materials, and micro-optics. He also has considerable experience in manufacturing and IP strategy. Services and experience include: Patent claim crafting Patent prior-art searches Patent infringement Manufacturing custom/practice Patent validity Physical testing and analysis Patent analysis Product liability Pre-litigation consultation Technical consulting Depositions Expert reports |
Fields of Expertise
polymers, biodegradable plastic, security type paper, security materials, holographic film, thin-film optics, foam extrusion, coextrusion, thermoplastic extrusion, extrusion troubleshooting, polymer extrusion, polycarbonate, bisphenol A polycarbonate, laser engraving, currency paper, plastics patent, cellular plastic, engineering thermoplastic, plastic adhesion, acrylic adhesive material, intaglio printing, offset printing