2. Dave Adams- Summary
• LinkedIn public profile at:
www.linkedin.com/in/dvadams/
• ~ 34 years experience as a Mechanical
Engineer
• Promoted to Engineering Manager at two
firms
• 7 US Patents
3. Recent Positions Summary List
Title Company Dates
Mechanical Engineer Contractor Solopoint Solutions 7/13 -- 6/15
Staff Mechanical Engineer Labcyte
Sunnyvale, CA
12/09 – 7/13
Mechanical Engineer Contractor Prosource
(Optoview, Fremont CA)
02/09- 11/09
Manager, Mechanical Engineering Crossing Automation
Mountain View, CA
12/06 – 01/09
Member of Technical Staff Crossing Automation
Mountain View, CA
11/05 - 12/06
Mechanical Engineer Contractor ATR (Asyst Technologies, Fremont,
CA)
05/05 – 11/05
Principal Mechanical Engineer Aquest Systems Corporation,
Sunnyvale, CA
07/04 – 05/05
Manager, Mechanical Engineering Asyst Technologies,
Fremont, CA
11/02 – 07/04
Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer Asyst Technologies,
Fremont, CA
06/98 – 11/02
4. Recent Position –Solopoint Solutions
• Mechanical Engineer Contractor July 2013 – June 2015
– Design support for one project at Lathrop Engineering
• July-November 2013
– Joined SRI Team focusing on
High Efficiency Walking Humanoid February 2013
– Primary Mechanical Design responsibility for Electrical
Power and Electronic Control Systems Packaging
– System-level Mass Properties Management, Mechanical
Vendor Selection and Management, Mechanism debug,
Subassembly Test, Creation and management of system-
level BOM, Subsystem and System-level Mechanical Build
6. Recent Position –Solopoint Solutions
• Challenges
– High-efficiency rolling friction reducer was noisy and exhibited
intermittent high friction/interference problems
• Established design control of critical lobed cam wheel
• Drove fabricator to improve resolution so that CAM profile followed CAD
model within 0.8 microns
– Definition of Mechanical layout of Electrical/Electronic Systems
– Design of modular battery pack
• connect/disconnect force was ~100 lbs
– Aggressive build schedules
• Met!
– Aggressive Cost Goals
• Built under-budget!
7. Recent Position -Labcyte
• Staff Mechanical Engineer- April 2010- July 2013
– Transition of POD Automation System into Manufacturing
– Design of Access Laboratory Workstation
http://www.labcyte.com/products/access-laboratory-workstation
• System Layout, Cast Deck and Enclosure design, Robot Pneumatic Gripper
• Modular OEM Equipment Installation design
• Product transitioned into manufacturing
• Marketing Support for Customer Specials
– Converted from Contractor (Dec 2009 - April 2010)
8. Recent Position –Labcyte
Access Beta
• Access Plate Handling System Problem Statement
– New product line for company
– Needed quick (3 month) turn on design for Beta System
• Beta System available trade show Demo 6 months after project start
• Integrate OEM Robot -operator protection required-
• Limited Equipment set
– Marketing wanted Light Curtain protection- not feasible
• Changeover to transparent polycarbonate window protection
– Beta System, built 7 units- on time-SUCCESS!
– Led to Pilot System design (see next page)
9. Recent Position –Labcyte
Access Pilot/Production
• Access Pilot System Design
– Address serviceability issues identified in Beta Phase
• Needed to “flip” (mirror) system geometry around
• Add sliding shelf and sliding access doors
Stiffness of slides used was an issue- required iteration
– Stringent Cost Goals
– Expanded list of served OEM devices
• New OEM devices identified per customer request ~2 per month
• No industry standards; most equipment types designed for
manual loading
– Pilot Design had to be low-cost and flexible
10. Recent Position -Labcyte
• Access Pilot System Design
– Triggered by successful Beta Introduction
– SystemMain and Auxillary Base Plates designed to be symmetric
• Both items sand-cast-Sourced both plates at General Foundy
• Allowed RH/LH equiment mounting options
– Main Base Plate designed with rear access available
• Allowed optional Rear Table for more OEM equipment
– Safety Enclosure design using extruded frame (80/20)
– Safety Panel design allowed inside- or outside mounting
– Locking Sliding Shelf with Kinematic mount features
– Docking Rear Table
– Considered “the smoothest NPI transfer in the history of the
company”
11. Recent Position -Labcyte
• Access Pilot System Design & Project Challenges
– Integrating cast part base plate design into production
• Achieving buy-in from Operations was critical
– Use of standard extruded frame
• Achieving buy-in from Marketing was critical
– Stiffness of slides used for Door and Sliding Shelf
• Scant technical information available; required iteration
– Robot Gripper functionality
• Vendor-selected actuator subject to “infant mortality” failure
• Redesigned and built first seven (working) Grippers; shipped to Robot
Supplier for integration
– Modular Rack Plate Storage
• Robot requirements for precision of placement were initially beyond capability of
OEM supplier to measure, much less manufacture
12. Recent Position –Labcyte
Access System
Responsible
for Mechanical
Design of
Access
Benchtop
Automation
System
Safety Enclosure
Main Base Plate
Aux Base Plate
Locking Sliding Shelf
Dual-Slide Access Door
13. Recent Position –Labcyte
Access Optional Rear Table with
Modular Equipment Mounting system
Challenge: Provide Kinematic
locating for multiple non-standard
equipment types, from multiple
Vendors
Solution: Adjustable DIN-Rail style
mounting rails with adjustable L-
shaped foot locating brackets 4
locations
14. Recent Position –Crossing
Automation
• Manager, Mechanical
Engineering-
– Mechanical Design of two products
• Vacuum Transfer Module
• System Controller
– Managed one employee and two
Contractors
– Promoted to Manager 12/06
– One US Patent Applied for
15. Recent Position – Crossing
Automation
• Vacuum Transfer Module Design Challenges
– Wafer Transfer; needed to be precise (.001”) and Clean
– Initially: Company founders wanted piezo-motor drive
• Found not to be feasible due to wear, particle and speed issues
– Axis Configuration: Founders wanted dual mechanisms
each with three independent axes
• Independent Extend, Lift and Rotate mechanisms
• Lift and Rotate Axes to be common to both devices
• Simpler Control software
– Ultra low- footprint: 520mm2
• Indentified as a product differentiator
16. Recent Position –Crossing Automation
Vacuum Transfer Module
Designed the dual extension axes and
the rotational/vertical drive
17. Recent Position – Crossing
Automation
• Vacuum Transfer Module Design Solutions
– Wafer End Effectors stacked vertically
– Extension Mechanism- steel band drive with linear servo
motor actuation
• Negligible wear over millions of cycles
• Extension mechanisms side-by-side to minimize chamber volume
• Enabled footprint advantage
– Vertical and Rotational Drives outside of Chamber
• Vertical: dual lead screws with dual guide shafts
• Rotation: Frameless direct drive motor
• Ferrofluid used for rotational seal
• Metal Bellows used for vertical seal
18. Recent Position – Crossing
Automation
• Vacuum Transfer Module Design Challenges
– Extension mechanism stiffness
• Achieved 4X stiffness improvement using FEA
– Steel band tracking
• Required 3 DOF adjustment each pulley
– Supervision of outside Contractors
• Tasked with taking over design of Lift/Rotation
– Component selection for vacuum compatibility
19. Recent Position –Crossing
Automation
Responsible for Mechanical Design
of the Enclosure and internal
positional layout of PCBA’s:
Challenges:
-Achieving cost targets
-Selecting fan and louver
design for proper airflow
cooling
-Ambiguity with OEM PCB
layout information
20. Recent Position –Asyst Technologies
• Manager, Mechanical Engineering
– Mechanical Design of two Generations of Conveyor, three
generations of Turntable
– Managed two employees and one Contractor
– Promoted to Manager 11/2002
• System Layout and Customer Liason for installation
in Arlington TX
• Supported System install in Singapore
• One US patent granted
21. Recent Position – Asyst Technologies
• Design Challenges
– Ceiling-Mounted System
– Achieving Rail-to-Rail Alignment
• Required careful attention to extruded rail geometric tolerancing
– Design of two-axis FOUP positioner
• Thin height profile; “Dual Worm” mechanism; Included FOUP Gripper
– Design of all Turntables used throughout Product Line
• Maintain Track alignment for smooth motion on thru-transits
• Three-position; sand-cast construction
– Design of several configurations of Conveying System with Turntables
• Required by various configurations of wafer containers
– Direct Customer Liaison including system layout
– Created & maintained “System Configuration” documents
• Used by Applications, Sales and Field Service
22. Recent Position – Asyst Technologies
Responsible for System-
level design (factory
layout)
Designed robust FOUP
Gripper for X-Z Gantry
Robot
Responsible for Inter-
Floor Elevator
Integration Design
Responsible for two
versions of Conveyor
design
Responsible for Design
of all versions of
Turntable
23. Older Projects
Acuson V5M
Transducer- redesigned
sculpted ergonomic hand-
held control unit
Provided Engineering
oversight of Endoscope,
manufacturer, 64 channel
signal cable manufacturer,
and molded housing parts
manufacturer Applied Materials Epi
Centura 200mm
- Four generations of design-
Concept stage through Pilot
Production
-Flagship Centura product
-4 US Patents
-Still in production
~70% of world-wide market
-Process used to make 50%
of a silicon devices
