In the broadest terms, “interlocking” in the world of machine design is simply the connection of two or more elements such that the operation of one element depends on the condition of one…
Richard Murray is a Mechanical Engineer and industrial safety expert. His expertise is in machine design and automation; identification and control of hazards (e.g., safer alternative designs, guards, and warnings); manufacturing processes; and other complex mechanical devices and systems. Richard's forensic casework involves machine and industrial safety issues; consumer product liability; warning and guarding issues; chairs and furniture; ladders and scaffolds; business interruption claims; and intellectual property disputes.
Starting his professional career as a machine shop technician, Richard worked as a machinist, welder, and fabricator while earning his Bachelor of Engineering degree. After graduation, he spent 17 years designing, integrating, installing, troubleshooting, and maintaining custom industrial machinery; in the research and development of novel mechanical systems; and in academia instructing undergraduates in physics and engineering.
Richard has amassed experience across a diverse range of machinery, industrial systems, automation solutions, and mechanical devices. He has designed large and small equipment used in consumer products, industrial processes, and military applications.
Richard earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Stony Brook University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and is a Certified Solidworks Professional (CSWP) in Mechanical Design. Richard holds multiple U.S. Patents, and he has been published in a variety of scientific and technical publications.
Core Technical Areas:
Kinematic and dynamic analysis of machinery, mechanisms, and mechanical devices; failure analysis and root-cause analysis (including human factors); identification and causality of defects / deficiencies in design, manufacturing, testing, maintenance, and operation of mechanical systems; manufacturing processes (including traditional and modern); impact, shock, and vibration; automation and industrial processes.
Specialty Expertise:
Automation Equipment: (including fully automated systems, operator-assisted systems, and robot-integrated systems); electrical and pneumatic actuators and motors (linear and rotary); cutters and blades; web handling and form-fill-seal packaging machinery; vacuum sealing; presses and die sets; welding and annealing equipment; sorting machines; conveyors, and material handling systems; machine safety, guarding, enclosures, interlocks, and emergency stops; robotic integration, mounting, end effector design, and motion planning.
Manufacturing Processes: including conventional and CNC drilling, tapping, milling, turning, and grinding; welding processes including Shielded Metal Arc Welding (“stick”), Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG/Heliarc), and Laser Beam Welding; oxy-acetylene welding, brazing, and cutting; heat treating; sawing; boring, and broaching; sheet metal fabrication.
Assembly Processes: including bolted and riveted joints, and joint design; fastener selection, torque specification, and loosening / tampering prevention; precision alignment techniques; press and shrink fitting; gaskets and seals; bonded joints (adhesives).
Materials: including selection and testing based on strength, thermal properties, wear resistance, fatigue resistance, elasticity, etc.
Analysis and design of frames and structures subjected to static and/or dynamic loads.
Analysis and Design of Machinery and Machine Elements: including stress and strain analysis; component failure prevention; linkages and cams; springs and flexures; bearings; gears and gear trains; clutches, brakes, couplings, and flywheels; power transmitting belts and chains; wire ropes and chains; shafts and axles; pressure and vacuum piping, fittings, and vessels.
Engineering Design: including concept generation and evaluation; optimization; Computer Aided Design (CAD); Design for Assembly and Design for Manufacturing; schematics, blueprints, and assembly instructions; specification of Limits and Fits and Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).
Industrial Operations and Maintenance: Millwrighting, rigging, alignment, and balancing; preventive and predictive maintenance; heavy trucking, warehousing, materials handling, design and construction of wooden shipping crates and pallets.
Specialized Industries and Processes: including medical device assembly and packaging; high-g shock and vibration hardening; computerized vision systems; research and development of novel mechanical systems; electrical and pyrotechnic initiation devices; energy harvesting; piezoelectric materials; design of experiments and laboratory apparatus.
Supervise, train, and mentor junior engineers, machinists, and technicians in industrial and laboratory settings.
Author project proposals; develop, maintain, and monitor project budgets and schedules; vet and negotiate with suppliers; manage outsourced services (machining, welding, coatings, specialty processes); specify and source major capital equipment acquisitions; compose technical reports, patent applications, presentations, and marketing materials.
Associate
2022 to presentProvide technical investigations, analysis, reports, and testimony toward the resolution of commercial and personal injury litigation involving all types of machinery, mechanisms, and mechanical devices.
Teaching Associate
2016 to presentInstructor of Record for ENGR-102—Engineering Graphics Communication and ENGR-234—Engineering Mechanics I: Statics. In ENGR 102: Delivered a comprehensive curriculum ensuring that students can effectively communicate their design intents (or interpret the intents of others) throughout the engineering design process. In ENGR 234: Instructed students in the rigorous analysis of statically determinate systems. Focus was on efficient, systematic, and thorough analysis by presenting strategies to attack broad classes of physical systems.
Laboratory / Recitation Instructor for introductory physics courses. Provided focused instruction to individuals or groups performing in-class problem-solving and laboratory experiments. Worked with students to unwind misconceptions and gain a true understanding of the phenomena at hand, as well as demonstrated straightforward, systematic, and efficient approaches to solving problems and running experiments. The goal of these efforts was to impart the conceptual knowledge, computational skills, and general confidence needed for students to independently reach correct solutions to complex problems.
Mechanical Engineer
2015 to 2016Designed custom automated industrial workcells, usually including robots and machine vision. Principal Engineer on a variety of major projects, from spearheading conceptual design activities, to performing engineering analysis and detailed mechanical design. Worked closely with controls engineers, vision specialists, and robot programmers. Coordinated with shop foreman to oversee fabrication.
Engineering Consultant
2014 to 2015Diagnosed and repaired mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic systems in a plant with 20+ automated assembly and packaging machines as well as 13 injection molding machines. Developed plans for modernizing the in-house machine shop. Evaluated company’s current maintenance, repair, and overhaul procedures and develop plans for improvement. Screened and interviewed candidates for machinist, mechanic, and technical positions.
Senior Mechanical Engineer and Project Manager
2013 to 2014Generated conceptual and detailed designs of custom automatic loading and post-processing equipment to interface with the company’s standard line of form-fill-seal packaging machines. Executed high-level, mission-critical engineering tasks while directing junior engineers and drafters to complete more basic design work.
Worked with the Department of Defense’s Defense Security Service to ensure company’s compliance with the National Industrial Security Program. Trained to identify threats and vulnerabilities to classified and proprietary information and materials. Conducted semiannual audits of company’s program and reported to Industrial Security Service representatives.
Senior Mechanical Engineer and Project Manager 2006 to 2013
Generated conceptual designs, detailed designs, and directed the manufacturing (in-house and outsourced) of a wide array of projects throughout their lifecycles in an innovation, research, and development laboratory dedicated to developing novel solutions to highly challenging or previously unaddressed technical problems, mainly under contract with the Department of Defense. Searched solicitation listings and authored technical proposals; conceptual design, analysis, modeling, detailed design, testing, implementation, publishing of results, and transitioning prototypes into production designs. Expertise in energy harvesting, inertia-driven mechanisms, high-G hardening, construction of laboratory and test equipment, and more generally the development and refinement of conceptual designs in novel mechanical systems.
Recruited, interviewed, and recommend job candidates. Trained and mentored machine shop and technical staff.
Worked with senior engineering staff to develop conceptual and detailed designs for custom automation machinery. Extensive use of Solidworks 3D modeling software. Worked with machinists and assembly mechanics to bring projects to completion. Maintained task lists, schedules, bills of materials, and participated in procurement.
Machine Builder 2003-2005
Mechanical and electrical construction and troubleshooting of complex automation machines. Performed welding and finishing of machine frames; wiring of electrical panels; conventional machining of parts (lathe, mill, surface, grinder); CNC machining of parts (writing g-code, CNC tooling and setup, program execution); building, mounting, aligning, plumbing, and wiring subassemblies; constructing and installing safety and guarding systems; troubleshooting completed machines; factory acceptance testing; readying machines for shipping.
Mechanical Technician
2002 to 2003Executed corrective-action projects: repairing, aligning, and balancing rotary machinery that was found to be in poor condition by a vibration analyst. Mainly performed field service work with high-capacity air handlers, HVAC equipment, and industrial process machinery.
Mechanical Technician / Owner
1997 to 2002Operated and maintained a small fleet of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks and trailers in a family-owned business. Operated a wide range of manual and powered material handling equipment. Developed maintenance schedules and performed mechanical repairs to trucks, trailers, and equipment. Maintained Class-A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with endorsements for Hazardous Materials, Double and Triple Trailers, Tow Trucks, and Busses. Developed schedules and optimized logistics in a rapidly changing environment.
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
B.Eng., Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Ervin, Matthew, Carlos Pereira, John Miller, Ronald Outlaw, Jay Rastegar, and Richard Murray. "High Frequency Supercapacitors for Piezo-based Energy Harvesting." In APS March Meeting Abstracts, vol. 2013, pp. Q1-317. 2013.
Jahangir Rastegar and Richard Murray. “Development of High-Efficiency Piezoelectric-Based Energy Harvesting Power Sources Using Motion-Doubling Mechanisms”. In: Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems. Vol. 56048. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 2013, V002T07A025.
Jahangir Rastegar and Richard Murray. “Novel Two-Stage Electrical Energy Generators for Low and Variable Speed Rotary Machinery”. In: Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems. Vol. 56048. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 2013, V002T07A024.
J Rastegar, R Murray, and M Bridge. “Energy harvesting device for power generation onboard gravity-dropped weapons”. In: Active and Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems 2012. Vol. 8341. International Society for Optics and Photonics. 2012, p. 83411C.
J Rastegar, R Murray, and C Pereira. “Novel motion-doubling mechanism for improved piezoelectric energy harvesting performance”. In: Active and Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems 2012. Vol. 8341. SPIE. 2012, pp. 516–523.
J. Rastegar, R. Murray, R. Tillinghast, C. Pereira, H.-L. Nguyen. “Energy harvesting from mortar tube firing impulse to supplement fire-control electronics battery”. In: Energy Harvesting and Storage: Materials, Devices, and Applications II. Vol. 8035. International Society for Optics and Photonics. 2011, p. 803516.
J. Rastegar, R. Murray, C. Pereira, H.-L. Nguyen. “Energy-harvesting power sources for gun-fired munitions”. In: Energy Harvesting and Storage: Materials, Devices, and Applications II. Vol. 8035. SPIE. 2011, pp. 269–277.
J. Rastegar, R. Murray, C. Pereira, H-L. Nguyen. “Energy-harvesting power sources for very-high-G gun-fired munitions”. In: Active and Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems 2010. Vol. 7643. International Society for Optics and Photonics. 2010, p. 76430D.
Richard Murray and Jahangir Rastegar. “A Review of Three Patents Relating to the Development of Novel Inertia-Driven Mechanisms for Igniters On-Board Gun-Fired Munitions”. In: International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. Vol. 44106. 2010, pp. 1217–1218.
J Rastegar and R Murray. “Development and commercialization strategy for piezoelectric energy-harvesting power sources for gun-fired munitions”. In: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies 2010. Vol. 7645. International Society for Optics and Photonics. 2010, p. 764502.
J Rastegar and R Murray. “Novel two-stage piezoelectric-based electrical energy generators for low and variable speed rotary machinery”. In: Active and Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems 2010. Vol. 7643. SPIE. 2010, pp. 110–117.
Jahangir Rastegar and Richard Murray. “A Review of Two Patents Relating to Novel Energy Harvesting Techniques to Provide Electrical Power On-Board Gun-Fired Projectiles”. In: International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. Vol. 44106. 2010, pp. 1213–1215.
R Murray and J Rastegar. “Novel Multi-Stage Inertia-Driven Delay and Switching Mechanisms”. In: International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. Vol. 49040. 2009, pp. 781–787.
R Murray and J Rastegar. “Novel Two-Stage Electrical Energy Generators for Highly-Variable and Low Speed Linear or Rotary Input Motions”. In: International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. Vol. 49040. 2009, pp. 789–796.
R Murray and J Rastegar. “Novel two-stage piezoelectric-based ocean wave energy harvesters for moored or unmoored buoys”. In: Active and Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems 2009. Vol. 7288. SPIE. 2009, pp. 184–195.
J Rastegar and R Murray. “Novel two-stage piezoelectric-based electrical energy generators for low and variable speed rotary machinery”. In: Active and Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems 2009. Vol. 7288. International Society for Optics and Photonics. 2009, 72880B.
J. Rastegar, R. Murray, C. Pereira, H.-L. Nguyen. “Event sensing and energy-harvesting power sources for gun-fired munitions”. In: Active and Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems 2009. Vol. 7288. International Society for Optics and Photonics. 2009, 72880Z.
J. Rastegar, R. Murray, C. Pereira, H.-L. Nguyen. “Integrated Event Sensing and Energy-Harvesting Power Sources for Gun-Fred Munitions”. In: SPIE 16th Annual International Symposium on: Smart Structures and Materials and Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring. Vol. 7288. 2009, p. 34.
Jahangir S Rastegar and Richard T Murray. “Novel Two-Stage Electrical Energy Generators for Highly Variable and Low-Speed Linear or Rotary Input Motions”. In: International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. Vol. 43260. 2008, pp. 533–540.
J Rastegar and R Murray. “Novel vibration-based electrical energy generators for low and variable speed turbo-machinery”. In: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies 2007. Vol. 6527. SPIE. 2007, pp. 297–304.
J. Rastegar, R. Murray, C. Pereira, H-L. Nguyen. “Novel impact-based peak-energy locking piezoelectric generators for munitions”. In: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies 2007. Vol. 6527. SPIE. 2007, pp. 285–290.
J. Rastegar, R. Murray, C. Pereira, H.-L. Nguyen. “Novel piezoelectric-based energy-harvesting power sources for gun-fired munitions”. In: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies 2007. Vol. 6527. SPIE. 2007, pp. 291–296.
M. H. Ervin, C. M. Pereira, J. R. Miller, R. A. Outlaw, J. Rastegar and R. T. Murray “Graphene-based and other electrochemical double layer capacitors for energy harvesting systems”. In: ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology 2.10 (2013), p. M3135.
J Rastegar, H Soroff, and RT Murray. “Development of an Automated Laser Debridement System for Cutaneous Injuries”. In: Journal of Medical Devices 2.2 (2008).
Richard Murray. “Energy-harvesting power sources for a wide range of applications”. In: SPIE Newsroom (Jan. 2007). DOI: 10.1117/2.1200707.0810.
v. 10/31/23
In the broadest terms, “interlocking” in the world of machine design is simply the connection of two or more elements such that the operation of one element depends on the condition of one…