Bob has helped clients resolve technical problems for over 40 years. With client input and/or participation, problems in design, manufacturing and research are restated or defined and steps to a proposed solution are outlined showing required resources, schedule and cost estimates.

Background

After four years as a US Navy aviation electronics technician, Bob attended the University of Nebraska. He worked at Douglas Aircraft Co. on instrumentation for the Thor and Zeus missile projects before returning to school for his MSEE. He then worked at Collins Radio Co. on antenna couplers and hf avionics. At Doerfer Engineering, he worked on machine controls and instrumentation in support of a variety of product and special development machine projects. He also conducted technical investigations related to fires and accidents.

Much of his time at Doerfer was spent in sales and business development. In that capacity he visited companies over the U.S. to review needs for engineering or related technical assistance. . The challenge was to identify problems and organize proposed solutions for adoption by clients. Companies contacted represented a wide range of industries and activities ranging from processing of raw materials, to fabrication and assembly of parts made of metal, wood or plastic, to production of complex machines. He was also responsible for marketing studies and creation of brochures and related promotional items.

One large service area was designing and building machines and tools to mechanize or automate production processes like fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging. Industries needing this kind of service included manufacturers of electronic parts; pharmaceutical and medical hardware; meat packing; processing of dairy products; vegetable harvesting, processing and packaging; and military equipment and devices. These were usually one-of-a-kind machines, generally referred to as “special machines” or “custom built machines”.

The other large service area was providing engineering services for design of products. Product design projects ranged from special hand tools to electronic games but the primary product design focus was on mechanical equipment for agricultural and industrial use. This included agricultural machinery, tractors, implements and tools; construction machinery; industrial equipment; and appliances.

All projects required some initial consultation to establish objectives, scope of work, budgets, schedule and a review of the level of risk involved.

Since founding Diedrichs & Associates in 1982, he has provided technical services to a variety of commercial and industrial clients. He also worked as a part time or adjunct instructor at Hawkeye Community College and the University of Northern Iowa. In 1995, an experimental shop was added for building and testing of prototypes and special machines.

Over the course of his career, Bob has been involved with a wide variety of technical projects. Some examples are:

Consulting

  • Product Design
  • Machine Design
  • Controls Design
  • Feasibility Studies

  • Forensic Investigations
    - Fire Investigation >
    - Accident Investigation >
    - Electrical Incidents
    - Safety Analysis >
     
  • Market Research Projects
    - Grain bin temperature monitor
    - Vehicle air filter cleaning services

  • Safety Studies
    - Field studies of small round baler problems

  • Engineering Studies
    - Component test and analysis
    - Product Design
    - Failure Analysis

Doerfer Engineering Co.
  • Design machine controls for special meat processing machines
    - Automatic bacon portion-control and packaging
    - Automated “loin pull” system for pork processing

  • High Speed Photography for Analysis of Machine Operation
     - Automatic bacon portion control and packaging
     - Automated “loin pull” system for pork processing
     - On-board cotton ginning process on cotton harvester

Instrumentation for Structural Analysis
  • Use of stress-coat™ brittle lacquer process for locating areas of high stress
    - Cover of ocean based data collection buoy
    - Hydraulic crane structures
    - Concrete transit mixer trucks
    - Agricultural implements
  • Installation of strain gage networks for recording machine stresses under load
    - Hydraulic crane structures
    - Concrete transit mixers
    - Agricultural implements
  • Product development
    - Design and build a “chess playing” machine per client concept
    - Design of “toe-in” measuring machine for automobile service per client concept
    - Design and build experimental radio controlled cattle feeding system limiting individual       animals to a specific feeding station
  • Machine Design
    - Design and build electrical controls per JIC standards

Collins Radio Co.
  • Engineering support of antenna coupler development for hf avionics
  • Engineering analysis of antenna system on TFX/F-111 aircraft
  • Engineering changes to double power handling capability of antenna coupler for special     application
  • Engineering design of ground support equipment for B-58 Hustler

Douglas Aircraft
  • Engineering support of load cell based fuel loading system for Thor missile
  • Engineering support of telemetering system on Zeus missils