From Medical Devices to Paintball Guns: Innovation, Invention and Entrepreneurship

1. From Medical Devices to Paintball Guns:Innovation, Invention and Entrepreneurship

2. Who is Michael Quinn? • Senior Mechanical Engineer at BD, a medical device manufacturer • Married and father of a 1 year old daughter • Lifelong resident of NJ • Graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology with bachelors and masters degrees in Mechanical Engineering • Hobbies: running marathons, triathlons, competitive paintball

3. The “Normal” Engineer1st Job • Designed assembly equipment for Emabond Systems Inc. • Provided high performance plastic welding technology for other companies

4. The “Normal” Engineer1st Job • Emabond Welding Systems made parts for: • Cars • Appliances • Medical devices • Consumer Products

5. The “Normal” Engineer2nd Job • Designing Computer Hardware Armor for the US Navy

6. The “Normal” Engineer2nd Job • Armored cabinets to protect the computers within them

7. The “Normal” Engineer2nd Job • How we tested the cabinets: Float them out onto a barge and detonate a HUGE explosive next to it!

8. The “Normal” Engineer3rd Job • Designing syringes and needles for Becton Dickinson

9. The “Normal” Engineer3rd Job • Challenges at BD • Make 10 BILLION syringes per year with only 4 out of a million defects • Make them to satisfy the needs of all the countries around the world • Make them at ½ the cost that they were made 30 years ago • Make devices that reduce infection • Prevent accidental needle sticks • Prevent accidental infection of sick hospital patients

10. The Entrepreneur InventorThe Start • I played competition paintball and wanted to upgrade my equipment • I realized that many of the “upgrades” didn’t work well or were simply “hype”

11. The Entrepreneur InventorThe Start • I began designing my own parts and upgrades and started a small business on the weekends • Barrels • Body kits • Valves

12. The Entrepreneur InventorExpanding my Repertoire • Contacts from Paintball lead to consulting for other industries • LED Lighting • Billboard Frames for Trucks • Consumer products • Each new job challenged my skills • Learned new technologies • Learned business models for multiple industries

13. The Entrepreneur InventorFull product designer for paintball & Expert Witness for legal cases • Designing full product lines for the largest company in paintball • Provide consulting services for legal cases as an expert in product design and use of paintball markers

14. What is Engineering Design? • Identifying a problem • Gathering input from customers • Defining the problem and what the solution has to accomplish • Creative thinking to make a product that fits the solution • Prototype the product (both mathematically and then physically) • Test the product • Manufacture the product

15. Conclusion • MAKE ENGINEERS VISIBLE! • Shine a light on the engineering profession so students know what we do • Introduce actual engineers to the students • Field trips • Guest speakers • Q&A sessions