Milwaukee Tool Lighting & Lifestyle New Product Development //
Milwaukee Tool Lighting & Lifestyle New Product Development //
Mechanical Design Engineer – Milwaukee Tool (Lighting & Lifestyle NPD)
At Milwaukee Tool, I played a key role in designing and managing innovative lighting and lifestyle products from concept to production, utilizing an in-house accelerated phase-gate development process. My work focused on delivering user-driven, first-to-market products, collaborating closely with marketing, engineering, and manufacturing teams to optimize performance, cost, and usability.
Key Responsibilities & Contributions
Product Development & Design
Designed and modeled products using NX and SolidWorks.
Conducted FEA analysis (ANSYS) for structural and thermal performance validation.
Designed and optimized optics for lighting products using ANSYS SPEOS, achieving precise beam patterns, lumen output, and light homogeneity.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Worked closely with marketing teams to integrate field feedback into design decisions.
Presented design tradeoffs to align cross-functional teams on cost, performance, and user requirements.
Managed communication across language barriers with Chinese manufacturing teams, providing clear guidance on test data, prototype builds, and design changes.
Technical Validation & Testing
Performed tolerance stack-ups on critical components to ensure manufacturability and functional reliability.
Conducted competitor benchmarking, teardowns, and reverse engineering to improve product performance.
Led technical design reviews at key project stages, securing approvals for tooling releases, prototype builds, and engineering validation.
Patents & Notable Products
Awarded a patent for a next-generation headlamp.
Helped design and bring to market:
RLUSB Neck Light
M12 Packout Light
RLUSB Stick Light
M18 Modular Vacuum Cart
BOLT Headlamp
BOLT Headlamp - Helped design the BOLT headlamp, the biggest challenge was ensuring that the face shield swung clear of the light, in order to do so the headlamp had to be extremely low profile which meant that the battery had to be mounted remotely near the back of the helmet.
RLUSB Neck Light - During my first project, we encountered a patent issue that prevented us from using flexible arms in our design. We opted for bendable arms, but they lost stability over time. We tried alternative materials, but they were either too pricey or lacked durability. In the end, we licensed the flexible arm patent and successfully shipped the neck light.
RLUSB Stick Light - Created a stick light with charger for REDlithium battery, held by springs and plungers. Before releasing tooling, discovered springs would relax, leading to weak battery contact. Patent issues barred cover use. To balance spring stiffness and battery handling, we adjusted spring rate and plunger geometry, and tested cycle life. Identified the optimal combo and performed extreme durability tests, such as running over the light and freezing it, for reliable performance.
M18 Modular Vacuum Cart - Tasked with a neglected M18 vacuum accessory project six months before launch, I faced a cart design failing durability tests, prone to deformation. I redesigned it, conducting FEA, drop tests in cold and ambient conditions, ensuring a stiff yet non-brittle material. I re-engineered the ribbing structure, improved height for load support, and achieved extreme durability, resolving prior design issues.
M12 Packout Light - Worked on this project shortly before leaving the company, took it through the concept phase and to an initial engineering prototype.