QUALIFICATIONS
- BE Mech (Hons) – 2011
SOFTWARE
Mechanical CAD Software
- Inventor (Autodesk)
- OnShape (PTC)
- SolidWorks (Dassault)
- Spaceclaim (Ansys)
PDM/PLM Software
- SolidWorks PDM (Dassault)
Analysis Tools
- ANSYS Mechanical
- ANSYS Workbench
- Excel (for numerical method analysis)
- OpenFOAM
- Salome-Meca (running code_aster) for Modal Analyses
- SolidWorks Simulation
Othniel Cressy
MECHANICAL ENGINEER
Skills Overview
Othniel is an experienced mechanical engineer with a successful track record of designing state-of-the-art machines. He has strong technical and problem-solving skills and enjoys taking on design challenges. Othniel is passionate about developing and designing functional, and cost-effective mechanical solutions.
- CONCEPTUAL DESIGN – Othniel is particularly passionate about conceptual design and coming up with innovative solutions. Generating, communicating, evaluating, testing and exploring a range of concepts is something he thrives on. Getting his hands dirty and scaling down mechanisms suitable for fast-fail 3d printed tests has helped him give fast and accurate direction in projects. His skills in this area have cracked a number of difficult problems for clients and unlocked latent potential.
- DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURE & ASSEMBLY – Othniel has extensive experience in industrial product design. This has given him a commitment to cost effective design that meets functional requirements. Getting involved with manufacturing staff and gleaning their occasionally aggressive insights, has been very enlightening for him. Furthermore, assembling and interacting with machines he has designed have given Othniel a sense of consideration for the assemblers and end users interacting with products he designs.
- ENGINEERING DESIGN TOOLS – Othniel is a Certified SolidWorks Expert (CSWE) and has put his skills to good use in a number of projects. Constructing models with the right level of detail and using sensible parametric modelling practices has been valuable for achieving timely, cost-effective design outcomes. Documenting and communicating helpful standard modelling practices has been helpful for the teams he has worked with.
- PROGRAMMING – Othniel’s proficiency in VBA enabled him to provide clients with customised time-saving macros that catered to their specific workflows. His proficiency in Python for developing data visualisation dashboards and creating numerical models has been beneficial for clients.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Workshops are the blank canvas of the engineer. As a budding engineer I couldn’t stay away from designing, dreaming, and bringing ideas to life in my parent’s garage. The same motivation led me to enroll in a mechanical engineering degree.
After completing my BE (Hons) I gained experience as a design engineer in an industrial product development context, developing high speed rotating equipment.
Throughout my career I have been close to the manufacturing side of operations and have a working knowledge of many different manufacturing processes.
Engineering efficient and elegant responses to the customer’s design challenges continues to give me job satisfaction.
Project Experience
Chain Link Formation Method Concept Development
Applied problem-solving and concept development skills to create a simplified method for forming ends in a wire mesh product to improve production capacity. The client’s existing machine was capable but complex and slow, so the challenge was to find faster, more practical approaches. Working under a tight timeframe with another Caliber engineer, I used an iterative and idea-driven approach to expand the solution space. We explored and evaluated a wide range of novel concepts, prototyped critical elements to validate feasibility, and captured the outcomes in a concept design report. The project delivered innovative design concepts that opened up new opportunities for the client.
Pipe Bridge
Completed pipe bridge design involving 1.5km of piping. As part of the construction of a new plant room, new pipe routes were required to connect services to various areas of site. The design involved liaising with structural engineers, concepting systems for pipe supports as well as creating shop drawings for pipework and support structures. Creating models of the structural design allowed us to foresee potential issues and deal with many of them before construction. Developing robust modelling practices for this work paid dividends in ensuring reliability of models and drawings.
HIGH SPEED INDUSTRIAL CENTRIFUGE
From initial concept to manufacture, I was the primary designer for a high-performance decanter centrifuge. A diverse set of industries are served by this machine, including oil and gas and waste water. Key features of the design included a high torque compact belt drive, a spring-assisted cover for ease of maintenance, and a combination of cast and forged components from around the world. Frequent meetings were convened to monitor progress and collaboratively decide the optimal method for manufacturing components.
3D Printing System
Delivered a three-week project producing detailed manufacturing drawings for Foundry Lab’s ceramic 3D printing system. The system enables rapid turnaround of metal parts through binder jet printing, furnace setting, and casting. Working remotely from Christchurch, I coordinated with their engineering team in the lower North Island through regular catchups to ensure alignment and accuracy. My short stint provided the team with drawings helping them meet deadlines.
HIGH SPEED LIQUID SEPARATOR
After the final evolution of the concept, a cost estimate of a manufactured Separator was provided based off familiarity with manufacturing processes. Extensive use of FEA tools and spreadsheet calculations were used to ensure that the finish machine would work within safe operating parameters while maximizing the performance of the separator. The project involved being familiar with a number of areas of engineering including: near-net-shape forging duplex steels, hydraulic sealing technology, high speed labyrinth seals, high speed belt drives, 3D printing, dynamic balancing and investment casting. Close contact with the customer ensured a successful project that resulted in a high performance yet cost effective machine.
SCOTT TECHNOLOGY
Automated Cooktop Forming Line
The automated cooktop forming line involved a number of stations to process sheet into a variety of different cooktop models. I was involved in designing and upgrading 3 stations of the line based off prior art. One station facilitated moving parts between successive stations another trimmed off the back of the formed cooktop and the last station used two six axis robots to position a bracket in the cooktop for clinching in place. Slotting into a design and build business required getting up to speed quickly with their unique design concerns with a focus on DFMA within their context. The secondment was a rewarding experience and increased my knowledge of tooling design.
HOT WATER SKID
After receiving a rough P&ID sketch, a skid for producing instant hot water from steam was modelled. Through close communication with the customer the project was progressed quickly. A 3D model enabled the customer to see potential weaknesses and progress to a final version within a tight timeframe to show to their potential customers.
PLASTIC FILM INTERMITTENT SLITTER
The Intermittent Slitter creates a repeated pattern of short slits in plastic film which is used in food packaging. As the principle engineer on this project, close collaboration with an external electrical safety engineer was required to meet safety objectives efficiently. The conceptual design was iterated a number of times to provide a cost effective solution to the challenges of safety around exposed blades, working space, electronically synchronizing two servo drives and tooling setup efficiency. Savings of $100,000 p.a. were realized by the customer as a result of this project. Personally assembling this machine was an invaluable experience in understanding the impact that design choices have to assembly time.
GOOD BUGGER AWARD
February 2025
Othniel’s work on CM5 has elevated our understanding of concept development. The framing of its importance was clear, and the comprehensive toolkit give us a chance of leveling up to his mastery of the subject. This achievement stands out even more considering he delivered this while juggling a difficult client secondment and both developing and reviewing new Caliber design processes.
February 2024
Othniel delivered outstanding results in a 2-week concepting project. The client had a patented design but needed to design a machine to manufacture it. The client described the design as ‘genius’ and was impressed with Othniel’s project management and reporting.
May 2022
While in Covid isolation over Easter and ANZAC weekends, Othniel put his hand up to support a second project that needed additional resource. The project involved a sequence of machines and conveyors, Othniel was able to pick up a package and deliver drawings and all on schedule with minimal input required from the rest of the team. This is a great example of the Caliber team working together to deliver results for clients, and engineers going above and beyond when required!
