ERIK NORRIS

Principal Mechanical Architect | Product / Robotics / Automation

// Structure the chaos · Index the decisions · Ship the hardware

eriknorris.com
erik@eriknorris.com
resume.eriknorris.com
linkedin.com/in/eriknorris
github.com/eriknorris
Redwood City, CA

Professional Summary

I treat physical engineering with the forensic rigor of a software codebase. The difference between a rescued program and a failed one is rarely the capability of the engineer - it is almost always the fidelity of the record.

From integrating a modular food dispensing system in the IP69K washdown environment of the Makeline, to tuning the 250g tactile snap of the Noon Smart Switch, I have transitioned programs from catastrophic failure to global compliance. I engineered the dual-source bridge strategy that saved the C24 Console from supply chain collapse, and reversed a 100% mechanical retention failure on the Bazooka Base Station.

From the 28.3 CFM forced-air wind tunnels of the WebTV Galaxy to the silent thermal dissipation of the Kaleidescape Cinema One: forty-plus commercial products, no git reset. The same forensic methodology I apply to a thermal yield crisis, I now apply to intelligent systems architecture.

Core Competencies

ENGINEERING
  • Forensic System Architecture
  • Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
  • Advanced Surface Class-A
  • Precision Sheet Metal Topology
  • Haptic & Kinematic Tuning
  • Thermal-Acoustic Optimization
  • Plastic Injection Molding
MANUFACTURING
  • Sovereign Assembly Strategies
  • Yield Recovery (0% to 100%)
  • Dual-Source Supply Chain
  • DFx for Automated Assembly
  • Die Casting & CNC Machining
  • Rapid Tooling Qualification
TOOLS & REGULATORY
  • Onshape, Creo, Solidworks
  • PLM Architecture (Agile/Arena)
  • Thermal Simulation (CFD)
  • Regulatory Compliance (UL 1472 / FCC)
  • Tolerance Analysis
  • Class III Medical Standards
  • High-Velocity Airflow Systems

Professional Experience

MECHANISTIC | Principal Mechanical Architect
2022 - Present
Consultancy specializing in Sovereign Architecture & Crisis Recovery.
  • Conduct pre-production forensic audits for Tier-1 hardware startups - stress-testing thermal management, tolerance stack-up, and supply chain fragility before tooling commitment.
  • Apply Sovereign Assembly principles to convert ID-constrained concepts into manufacturable, high-yield architectures without diluting original design intent.
HYPHEN | Mechanical Engineer
2021 - 2022
Lead architect for the 'Factory-in-a-Box' IP69K food robotics platform.
  • Diagnosed Non-Newtonian food ingredient failures (carnitas, rice - agglomeration and ricochet) defying standard industrial dosing logic; built Dispenser Taxonomy (Types A-F) with 70+ actuators and dynamic auto-tuning to decouple portion precision from fluid viscosity.
  • Reduced portion variance from the industry-standard ±15% to ±2%, cutting food waste by 98% while sustaining 350-meal/hour throughput.
  • Resolved thermal expansion mismatch between Acetal internal gears and Aluminum enclosures by integrating Sleeve Alignment Guides for concentricity and Low-Clearance Retaining Rings to prevent axial helix migration.
  • Achieved 99.9% order accuracy with a modular hot-swap architecture enabling MTTR under 5 minutes during peak service.
NOON HOME (LOCOROLL) | Head of Mechanical Engineering ('The Architect')
2016 - 2018
High-end smart home automation startup acquired by Alarm.com.
  • Led concurrent dual-stack programs: modular Layered Lighting ecosystem (Noon) and high-volume stealth consumables system (Locoroll).
  • Eliminated EVT1 paper jam failures (under 60% reliability at first build) in Locoroll by architecting the Floating Gimbal feed mechanism (LCR-Mech-Rev3), decoupling paper roll inertia from the cutter head to allow self-alignment during high-speed dispensing - achieving 99.8% dispense reliability across 50k-cycle life testing.
  • Resolved dual failure modes in the Noon Director switch - OLED delamination at 45°C from CTE mismatch and rotary interface below 150g tactile threshold - via a Flex-Mount PSA bracket for CTE absorption and pre-loaded spring detent redesign, securing the 250g Signature Click for the $500 price point and passing 85°C storage qualification.
KALEIDESCAPE | Senior Mechanical Design Engineer
2013 - 2015
Audiophile-grade movie servers and players.
  • Operated as Sole Mechanical Engineer for full product lifecycle - NPI through sustaining - across a global supply chain spanning Taiwan, Mexico, and Canada.
  • Eliminated 100% of M700 disc changer field failures by analyzing 3,000,000+ cycle events to isolate friction coefficient drop, then redesigning the pinch roller assembly with dual radial spring balance bars; recovered questioned carousel inventory via new inspection criteria.
  • Negotiated $24/unit savings on chassis costs by transitioning from soft tooling to staged hard tooling in China.
AVID TECHNOLOGY (DIGIDESIGN) | Lead Mechanical Engineer
2006 - 2012
Professional Audio Consoles: D-Control, D-Command, SC48.
  • Managed Danko and Lux console programs under strict cost-down reuse mandates, carrying full mechanical documentation responsibility solo across both programs.
  • Resolved Fader Unit thermal failure (41°C internal temp under Vegas Mode stress testing) by enforcing cabling routing to unblock airflow - achieving 80% FCS confidence despite a 50% initial vendor rejection rate.
  • Protected assembly yield on first Fader Pan batch (50% sheet metal warping) by instituting 100% manual incoming inspection and negotiating a $5,000 expedite fee waiver with PPI Plastics; released 24+ unique parts of mechanical documentation solo under a 2-week deadline.
WEBTV / MICROSOFT | Product Designer
1999 - 2002
Hardware division for UltimateTV and Xbox.
  • Executed high-velocity mechanical design for satellite gateways and peripherals in the UltimateTV and Xbox hardware division.
  • Delivered functional prototypes for executive review in under 4 weeks after E-M Solutions vendor shutdown by personally coordinating off-cycle quick-turn fabrication.

Education

De Anza College
Associate’s Degree, Automotive Engine Performance

Recognition

  • Avegant Glyph: Best of CES 2016 (Lead Mechanical Architect)
  • Kaleidescape Cinema One: CEPro Product of the Year
  • Motorola MP3 Player: CES Honoree (Mechanical Design & Surfacing)