Staff

 

bl5 (Large)ROBERT A. DASILVA – President / Founder
50 Milk St. 16th Floor
Boston, MA 02109

Resume

EDUCATION: University of Massachusetts Lowell
B.S. Mechanical Engineering – 1995
M.S. Mechanical Engineering – 2001
• Concentration – Finite Element Methods, Vibrations, and Composites
• Masters Thesis – Modeling and Characterization of Linear Braided Composite Structures

WORK EXPERIENCE:
XCraft, Inc JUL 2007– PRESENT
President / Founder / Principal Investigator

KaZaK Composites, Inc JAN 2003 – JUL2007
Engineering Manager / Analyst
• Performed as manager, principal investigator, designer, and analyst for small 40 person R&D composite materials company
• Acquired, managed, and supported multimillion dollar DoD SBIR programs.
• Managed programs and personnel including: developing project scope, performing cost analysis, creating schedules of performance, generating estimates to complete, conducting trade studies, procuring materials, appropriating personnel resources, and holding subordinate performance reviews
• Designed, analyzed, tested, and fabricated polymer-based fiber reinforced composite structures for the DoD – with an emphasis towards pultrusion processing
• Performed ANSYS finite element analysis of composites including Tsai-Wu failure
• Developed sub-element and full scale test matrices
• Designed pultrusion mfg tooling
• Designed, simulated, and assembled mechanisms
• Created engineering drawings
• Wrote monthly technical progress reports
• Down-selected and wrote proposals in response to D.O.D. solicitations
• Developed agendas and presentations for interchange meetings with commercial and military originations including the US Navy Submarine Program Executive Office.
• Headed resource planning effort
• Initiated commercialization activities
• Traveled to speak with customers and present at trade conferences

Selection of Composite Projects: PAC-3 pultruded missile launch canister, Virginia Class submarine antenna mast, Navy DDG hatch and mechanism, Army ammunition containers, A10 composite rear stabilizer L/E, Air Force molded composite antenna tower fastener, Navy ship deck tiles, and inline pultruded camouflage panels.

GE Aircraft Engines – Lynn JUN 2001 – JAN 2003
Structural Analyst – Compressor Air Foils COE
• Performed vibratory, steady state, and non-linear structural analysis of rotor blades, stators, discs, and actuating ring components for commercial and military aircraft turbine engines using 3-D finite element methods (ANSYS)
• Predicted aeroelastic instability and stall margins for engine components
• Generated vibratory displacement limits for instrumented engine tests

Belcan – Pratt & Whitney
Structural Analyst – Turbine Module Center JUL 2001 – JUN 2002
• Performed steady state and non-linear structural and thermal analysis of vanes, stators, outer air seal components, and ring support assemblies for commercial and military aircraft, and land-based turbine engines using 3-D finite element methods (ANSYS, Patran)
• Evaluated new turbine engine component life based on low cyclic fatigue, thermal mechanical fatigue, creep, and vibratory response, to meet P&W standard work requirements
• Predicted repaired part damage tolerance and overhaul life
• Validated and control structural aspects of part repair and overhaul processes
• Used analytical and statistical methods to determine cumulative damage effects on engine part overhaul cycle.

RAD Science Design and Analysis SEP 2000 – JUL 2001
Engineering Consultant
• Analyzed materials through finite element methods
• Designed experiments and fixturing for materials testing
• Maintained a personal business (i.e., accounting, marketing, web design, etc.)

Velvet Drive Transmissions (Borg Warner) DEC 1995 – SEP 1997
Head of Prototype Production – Engineering
• Designed, developed, and produced prototype transmissions in-house. Designed CNC casings, cooling system circuits, gear profiles, train layouts, and planet carriers. Selected all components, including bearings, seals, breathers, gaskets, pins, and fasteners.
• Oversaw hobbing, broaching, and heat treat operations conducted in Velvet Drive’s production plant.
• Worked with venders and customers throughout the design process

Product Engineer – Engineering
• Designed, engineered, and selected final components for production transmissions.
• Created associated production drawings including train layout, gear profile and casting details.
• Worked and interacted with assembly, tooling, sales, accounting, engineering etc.

Design Engineer – Research and Development
• Responsible for developing 1000 horsepower computer controlled endurance test stand for 300 hour simulation of propeller thrust loading on marine transmissions. Responsibilities included design and analysis of all systems and components, subsequent engineering drawings, data acquisition system design, and transducer, sentinel, and wiring installation.
• Headed the evaluation of production transmissions using endurance test stand.
• Diagnosed field transmission mechanical and noise problems.
• Performed experimental modal survey and analysis of gear noise and transmission vibration.

ACADEMIC WORK University of Massachusetts Lowell SEP 1997 – AUG 2000
Research Assistant – Advanced Composite Materials and Textile Laboratory
• Tested and analyzed composite materials. Designed required fixturing, used Instron, instrumentation, computer DAQ, and analyzed results.
• Revamped 64-carrier composite braiding machine, including the design of 30 ft. gantry mechanism for mandrel translation.
• Machined components and fixtures using milling machines, lathes, and CNC mill tables.
• Presented at the following professional conferences: ASME, SAMPE, NTC, MIT, Virginia Tech
• Published papers in journals and conference proceedings

Teaching Assistant – Mechanical Engineering
• Responsible for supplementary and substitute teaching of courses including Machine Design I and II, Design of Machine Elements, and ME Instrumentation Laboratory II.
• Set-up and executed student laboratory experiments including fluid flow, vibrations, strength of materials, heat transfer, and the manufacture of cams and mechanisms.
• Worked with instrumentation including LVDTs, accelerometers, strain gages, extensometers, digital signal analyzers, oscilloscopes, computer DAQ boards, signal conditioning
• Held extended office hours and created additional tutorials to assist students.
• Graded homework, lab reports, and tests.

Tutor – Studies Skills Advisor – Centers for Learning
• Tutored students in Physics, Math, Writing
• Advised students in course selection and study skills (i.e., time management, organization, etc)

ADVANCED
COURSEWORK:
• Vibrations / Structural Dynamics
• Analytical Modal Analysis I
• Experimental Modal Analysis II
• Advanced Calculus for Applications
• Finite Element Analysis
• Composites I
• Structural Composites II
• Solid Mechanics
• FEA in Thermofluids
• Vehicle Dynamics
• PTC Pro/Engineer

ACADEMIC
PROJECTS:
• Design, fabrication, and testing of solar car suspension, chassis, and steering for Sun Rayce ‘95
• Design and construction of amphibious SAE Mini-Baja suspension system – first place in overall design ‘95
• Complete design of a 40 ft vertical automotive impact tester with DAQ
• Analysis, design, and fabrication of cold side slider crank/piston and flywheel assembly for Sterling engine
• 2-D modal analysis of Solar Thermal Central Receiver

COMPUTER SKILLS:
• Finite Element Analysis Tools: ANSYS, Abaqus, CosmosWorks, Nastran, Patran, Femap, Hypermesh, LS Dyna.
• Design Tools: Solid Works, Pro\Engineer, AutoCAD, CADkey, MasterCAM, Working Model, UG
• Languages: Labview, Matlab, MathCAD, Fortran, Visual Basic, HTML, Java
• Operating systems: Windows/, Mac, VAX/VMS, DOS, UNIX
• Misc: Microsoft Office, MS Project, DreamWeaver, Adobe Photoshop / Premier, WordPress

Journal Articles and Conference Papers

R.A. DaSilva, J. Chen, Compaction Effects in Composite Preforms, Proceedings of the International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, New York, NY, 2001.

R.A. DaSilva, J. Chen, High Stress Elastic Materials, Proceedings of the Midwest Advanced Composite Material and Processing Conference, Detroit, MI, 2000.

R.A.DaSilva, J. Chen, High Stress Elastic Materials-M98D3, National Textile Center Annual Report and Conference Proceedings, 2000, 1999, and 1998.

R.A. DaSilva, J. Chen, Characterization and Model Development of Linear Braided Textile Structures, Fiber Society Student Paper Competition, 1998.

INTERESTS:
• Guitar, recording music, woodworking, motorcycle racing, mountain bike riding, inventing

REFERENCES:
Jerry Fanucci
President and CEO
KaZaK Composites, Inc
Woburn, MA
(781) 932-5667 x 104

Jeff Nussbaum
GE Aircraft Engines – Compressor COE
Lynn, MA
(781) 594-0200

Dr. Julie Chen
Associate Professor / Thesis Advisor
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering – UMass Lowell
Lowell, MA
(978) 934-2992

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