Hire the Best Jig and Fixture Design Specialists
in the United States

Highly experienced Product Development Engineer with Mechanical Design Engineering and technical production experience! Strong history of helping inventors, small companies, and start-ups. Owner of the design and engineering firm MDST Design where we have state-of-the-art rapid prototyping equipment: high-resolution 3D printers, die-cutting, silicone and rubber casting, machining, and more! mdstdesign.com Working with people to make their ideas tangible! Specialty Areas of Engineering: - Medical Device - Knowledge in material selection, human factors, and manufacturers - Consumer Products - Pet Industry -Plastic Design -Metal Design Services: -Product Design - 3D CAD, 2D Drawings, Assemblies, Design for Manufacturing, Concept Design (STL, STEP, x_T, DWG, DXF, PDF), Renderings, Solidworks -3D Printing - In-House, High Resolution, SLA, FDM -CNC Machining -Injection Molding (3D Printed Molds, Steel Molds, Aluminum Molds) -Laser Cutting and Water Jetting -Sheet Metal Bending and Forming -Silicone Casting -Die Cutting

What I Do: Product Design & Prototyping – CAD modeling, rapid prototyping, and design for manufacturability (DFM). Tooling & Mold Design – Plastic injection molds, compression molds, die casting, jigs, and fixtures. CNC Programming & Machining Support – 3-axis/ programming, setup optimization, and part accuracy. Manufacturing Consulting – Material selection, cost reduction strategies, and supplier sourcing. Tools & Skills CAD: SolidWorks, Fusion 360 CNC Programming: Mastercam, G-Code optimization, Fusion 360 Manufacturing: Injection molding, sheet metal, prototyping, machining, automation design Industries I Serve Consumer products Medical devices Automotive and aerospace components Industrial equipment Sporting goods and specialty items Why Clients Hire Me Precision and reliability from decades in tool and die shops and product design Speed to market with practical designs that avoid costly rework Full cycle support, from sketch to prototype to production Proven track record: 100% Job Success, Top Rated, and 35+ projects on Upwork "John was extremely professional and delivered excellent work ahead of schedule. Highly recommend!" – Upwork Client Hourly Rate: $45/hr | Open to project-based or ongoing work Let’s talk about your project and figure out the best way to bring it to life.

25 years of experience in complex mechanical design in leading and fully independent roles. Hands-on experience of independent development of fully detailed mechanical and electromechanical automated systems, followed by creation, assembling, testing, and commissioning with one's own hands. Practical knowledge of the interaction between mechanics, pneumatics, automation, motion, and other systems and controls, and their integration into the design, selection of standard parts for the project. Modification of existing machines, equipment, and mechanisms Designing parts with practical knowledge on how real parts are made using a mill, lathe, CNC, and other machining, material selections, coatings, and treatments. Experience in direct work with custom parts manufacturers. Ability to work in Metric and English systems. Highly proficient in 3D CAD Autodesk Inventor (14 yrs), SolidWorks (9 yrs), 2D AutoCAD Mechanical (21 yrs), with examples of fully independent complex developments created in these environments. Engineering calculations. Practical understanding of tolerances and precise mechanics. Creation of manufacturing, assembly, “exploded” and presentation drawings, BOMs, and Specifications, FEA in 3D CAD Inventor and SolidWorks. Creation of motion simulation and end positioning of movable systems. Verifying functionality, compliance with design expectations, and the ability to assemble. Creation of complex frame constructions in Inventor Frame Gen or SolidWorks Weldments. Creation of Custom Content Center Libraries for 3D CAD Inventor Clean design, fully constrained sketches, fully defined assemblies Complex sheet metal design, laser cut, bending, and welding. Proficiency in transferring projects from 2D AutoCAD to 3D Inventor or SolidWorks. Proficiency in quickly transferring projects from 3D Inventor to SolidWorks. Reverse engineering. Converting machines, web handling experience, tension controls, and entire custom automated machine design. Portfolio of independent projects. BSME, MSEE

I run Hattendorf Design & Solutions, a small manufacturing-focused design consultancy specializing in CAD, tooling, and design-for-manufacture. My work sits at the intersection of engineering design and the shop floor—helping clients turn concepts, legacy parts, or problem designs into manufacturable, production-ready solutions. I don’t just model parts to look good on screen. I design them to survive machining, molding, casting, inspection, and assembly. What I Do Best ✔ Production-Ready CAD & Drawings Parametric CAD models and clear manufacturing drawings built for real-world tolerances and processes. (SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Creo) ✔ Tooling & Mold Design Design support for: Casting tooling and patterns Injection and permanent molds Fixtures and manufacturing aids ✔ DFM & Manufacturability Reviews Identify tolerance risks, draft issues, parting problems, and cost drivers before they hit the shop. ✔ Reverse Engineering & Reconstruction Turn scans, physical parts, or incomplete data into clean, editable CAD ready for production and inspection. ✔ Prototyping Support 3D printing and validation workflows to de-risk designs prior to tooling or release. Recent Project Experience Designed tooling and molds for aluminum and polymer components, reducing lead times and rework ✔Reconstructed legacy parts and tooling into modern parametric CAD for repeatable production Supported machine shops and foundries with designs meeting strict tolerance, inspection, and DFM requirements ✔Delivered drawings and models that integrate smoothly into CNC, QC, and inspection workflows My Background I’m a Design Engineer with 3+ years of hands-on experience supporting casting, molding, and machining environments. I’m completing my degree in Mechatronics Engineering, with emphasis on mechanical design, manufacturing processes, and quality systems. This combination lets me bridge the gap between: Engineering intent Manufacturing reality Cost, lead time, and quality constraints How I Work Clear scope and deliverables Practical, production-aware design decisions Clean files, revision control, and documentation Responsive communication and realistic timelines If you need manufacturable designs, tooling support, or a technical partner who understands how parts actually get made, I’d be glad to help.

I will get your products and ideas to market. Specializing in injection molded electronics enclosures. Waterproof enclosures which meet IP68 standards. I will design and prototype an enclosure, test it for required IP rating, modify the design for the injection molding process and deliver the manufacturing documents. I will also work with your factory to ensure quality. Over 15 years of design for manufacturing experience. I'm a problem solver with a proven track record of successfully bringing products and projects to market. Proficient in Computer-Aided Design (CAD), prototyping, design for manufacturing (DFM), Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) programming, creative direction, and production management. I have a well-rounded skill set, including in-depth knowledge of DFM, hands-on experience, a strong background in sales, and a high degree of creativity. I'm committed to driving operational excellence by actively engaging with all facets and levels of the organization, a results-oriented team player with a focus on achieving success through collaborative efforts. I have a passion for mechanical engineering, 3d modeling, designing mechanical assemblies, and physically building prototypes using a wide-range of manufacturing processes. I'm skilled in DFM for additive, injection molding, machining. and sheet metal. I work in cutting-edge technology in the medical industry but have worked on project in many different industries. I design and prototype on a daily basis and using PLA, SLA, and SLS printing as well as cnc machining for quick turn-around proof-of-concept prototyping. I am experienced in validation testing and moving to production phase. I offer a proven successful design process with project management software taking your product ideas from concept - to prototype - to validation - to DFM pre-production - to production - and through to product launch. I will generate all the required manufacturing documents and assemble a complete product package. I will communicate with your manufacturing partners (factory) to ensure accuracy and a smooth process. My services include but are not limited to: - Engineering - 3D modeling - Mechanical Assemblies - Electrical Routing Design, PCB protection - Casings, Housing - Mechanical Systems Design - Product Design - FEA - Product Lifecycle Management - Production Management - Design for Manufacturing - Generative Design - Parametric Modeling - CAD and CAM - Quality Systems Management - Materials Applications - Motion Studies - Thermal Analysis - Stress Simulation Studies GD&T - 3D Renderings - Tech Packs - Technical Drawing - GD&T - BOM (Bill of Materials) creation and maintenance - Hardware selection and design (McMaster- Carr) - Sheet Metal Design - Lattice structure design and Carbon 3D Design Engine SOFTWARE: - Fusion360 - Inventor - AutoCAD - Solidworks - MasterCAM - Carbon 3d Design Engine MANUFACTURING EXPERIENCE: * Additive - Design for and operation of PLA and SLA resin printers. Design for SLS & MJF. Experienced with generative design and lattice structures. * CNC Machining - CAM toolpath and operation of cnc milling, set-up, and fixturing. Experience with Haas, Fadal, and Laguna. * Plasma Cutting, Laser Cut, Water-jet - Design and nesting in CAD including sheet metal bend. Operation of plasma cutting, CO2 laser cut/etch, and water-jet cutting. * Injection Mold - Design for large-scale plastic mold injection production. Hands-on experience with APSX small-scale injection mold machine. * Assembly and Prototyping - Prototyping assembly and documentation of complex mechnical and electrical systems. Documentation preparation for transition to production phase. * Electrical Systems and Cable Routing - PCB layout, component selection and orientation, connector selection, cable routing and management. * Fabrication - Preparation of technical drawings in accordance with GD&T standards.

I've been designing and drafting for over 4 years. I've got an extensive history of experience with a multitude of different software which have helped me in completing a broad category of jobs. This includes software in CAD/CAM Design/Drafting, Graphic Design, Website Design, electronic programming (Arduino,)PCB creation (Fusion 360,) Office apps with Microsoft and Google. I also have extensive experience with 3D printers (SLS/FDM) and CNC machines. CAD/CAM Design/Drafting: Autodesk's Inventor, AutoCAD, Fusion 360, Rhino 3D, and Blender. Graphic Design: Adobe's Illustrator, Acrobat, Animator, and Photoshop. I like to choose the best software to get the jobs done but sometimes that involves more than one so I've decided to learn different software to be as efficient as possible. With Rhino I can create products or architecture with complex surfacing using Nurbs or SubD. I tend to use Fusion 360 or Inventor for the assembly of parts, solid modeling and for my drafting needs. Inventor's frame generator helps me with truss designs. With Adobe's suite of products I can design just about anything visually for any commercial needs. I then bring those graphic designs from illustrator or photoshop into animator for any 2D animation needs. I've programmed a range of electronics that have included lights, DC motors, Stepper Motors, Sensors all working together. I've held designer positions at manufactures including Regal Boats and JRCO Fabrication, working with upholstery, metalworking, woodworking, and have drafted up professional documents for them and their clients.