Joe Tonkin

Mechanical Engineering Technologist wants to be part of your team! I have over 20 years of experience in a wide variety of industries and phases of product development including Research & Development, Design, Quality, Manufacturing and Testing. With a broad range of skills, I am a versatile "Jack of all Trades" who is flexible and can quickly adapt to changing priorities.

Being especially proficient with Solidworks, I can create, define, specify components & assemblies and solve engineering problems. I enjoy working with my hands and have an eye for spatial relationships. As a great team player who works well with other people.

I have a stick-with-it attitude and am willing to stay to get the job done right!

Property Maintainer (Part Time) - Cedar Ridge Community Church - Spencerville, MD

(2024-01)

• Responsible for upkeep and maintenance of 63 acres of property
• Maintenance and repair of equipment including mowers, tractors, etc.
• Upkeep and maintenance of buildings including historical barn, farmhouse, & outbuildings
• Advise Board of Directors on work needed to be done and historical preservation requirements
• Set-up and take-down of seasonal decorations, furnishings, and equipment

Engineering Drafter - Tate-Andale - Baltimore, MD

(2017-10 - 2023-08)

• Designed Fluid Filtration Equipment for water treatment, shipbuilding, & nuclear power industries and the US Navy
• Extensive use of Solidworks to update & refine existing 3D models & to create models from 2D drawings.
• Wrote work instructions and collaborated with production workers on assembly procedures.
• Fluent with ASME/ANSI Y14.5 standards including GD&T dimensioning.
• Extensive experience with ASME/ANSI B16.5, B16.25 & other piping standards.

Design Engineer, Contract (Aerotek) - RailPlan International - Baltimore, MD

(2017-04 - 2017-07)

• Designed interiors for railroad passenger equipment using Solidworks.
• Updated and revised CAD solid models & drawings for production.
• Wrote work instructions and advised production workers on assembly procedures.
• Redesigned ADA compatible bathroom facilities including pipe and wire routing in confined spaces.
• Built scale models for MD MTA that were used as trophies for competitions that were part of a national convention.

Development & Test Engineer - dlhBOWLES - Columbia, MD

(2008-02 - 2016-06)

• Performed validation testing for automotive safety equipment to meet and/or exceed government, industry, customer, and internal specifications.
• Conducted research to optimize performance in new products.
• Trained new employees in lab safety, equipment operation, and test performance.
• Maintained and repaired machines, equipment, and lab areas to ensure proper operation and to minimize downtimes
• Developed standards & work instructions to formalize testing procedures to ensure consistency & accuracy, and to improve reporting times.
• Collaborated with principal engineer to develop a new pump by providing design and performance testing.
• Used CAD, Creo / ProE and Windchill, to design & build a system to optically measure nozzle sprays within 0.5 degrees
• Highly involved with daily operation of Additive Manufacturing / 3D printing lab to reduce development times for designers and to quickly get physical samples for the program managers to send to customers for evaluation.
• Coordinated with R&D, Engineering, Injection Molding, and Assembly to minimize turnaround times for corrective actions, process improvement, and product improvement.

Quality Engineer - FlightFab - Baltimore, MD

(2005-01 - 2008-01)

• Verified dimensional quality for all machined parts, including GD&T tolerances (ASME Y14.00) of +/-.0001"
• Verified quality of all electrical sub-assemblies for functionality and reliability
• Responsible for final testing of semi-monthly builds of $50,000 Plastics Recycling equipment for US Navy
• Managed materials inventory and prepped materials for machining
• Coordinated with Project Management, Shipping/ Receiving, and Shop Floor to keep parts moving in a fast-paced, JIT Lean manufacturing environment

Design Engineer - ATI Performance Products, Inc - Baltimore, MD

(2004-01 - 2005-01)

• Designed high performance auto parts for race cars and hot rods
• Created system for prioritizing & tracking projects in the Engineering Dept. to quickly show status and minimize confusion in product development administration
• Developed drawing standards and updated drawings using AutoCAD
• Coordinated to improve communication with production department for manufacture of new products

Technical Support & Development - Precision Endoscopy of America - Hunt Valley, MD

(2001-01 - 2004-01)

• Provided engineering support to repair technicians
• Reverse engineered and upgraded OEM parts to improve reliability and reduce costs
• Developed new specialized tooling to simplify repairs and reduce labor times by 30 minutes
• Designed and manufactured new parts and specialized tools
• Inspected incoming parts for critical quality issues

Project Manager - MTH Electric Trains - Columbia, MD

(2000-01 - 2001-01)

• Involved with all stages of development- Engineering, Design, Drawing, Sample Inspection, Manufacturing Processes, Scheduling, Packaging, Final Product Inspection
• Worked with Korean manufacturers on a daily basis to keep product development and production on schedule.
• Designed new products and improved existing products using Autocad.

Engineering Research Assistant - Space Systems Lab, University of Maryland - College Park, MD

(1992-01 - 1997-01)

• Involved with robotics research for NASA space flight applications
• Involved with extensive neutral buoyancy testing & research to simulate zero gravity conditions in space
• Designed and fabricated robotics hardware using CAD/ CAM
• Performed as lead machinist for RANGER program, a prototype free-flight on-orbit satellite service robot
• Maintained and repaired machines, equipment, and lab areas to ensure things are in working order and to minimize downtimes.
• Collaborated on design and building of a hybrid rocket motor
• Trained new employees for safe operation of tools and equipment
• Assembled electronic PC boards for robotics development

BS - Mechanical Engineering Technology - University of Maryland - College Park & Eastern Shore campuses (1999-01)