Beckwood Press Expands Engineering Capabilities

Beckwood Press Company (St. Louis MO), a leading manufacturer of custom hydraulic presses, automation systems, and the Triform line of precision forming equipment, has recently expanded their engineering department to meet the exceedingly sophisticated demands of their evolving customer base. Since June 2017, they have added one structural/hydraulic engineer, four electrical/controls engineers, and one drafter:

Ian Macfayden has over 33 years of experience utilizing CAD and 3D modeling software to design mechanical, electrical and pneumatic/hydraulic systems for custom machinery manufacturers. His extensive process knowledge and design efficiency are now being used to create detailed, annotated component and assembly drawings to expedite sourcing and lead times. With a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering and nearly five years of experience as a designer for a Midwest tool and die company, Quintin Binder now serves as a designer of structural and mechanical systems for several key Beckwood projects.

Kyle Harris brings a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering and more than ten years of experience designing hot stamping, heat transfer, and battery handling equipment. Bryan Sisk earned his Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering and served as a Control Systems Engineer, designing industrial control systems to automate plant-floor manufacturing processes. Alex Wedepohl has an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science from Jefferson College and extensive experience as a Lead Programmer with a focus on process improvement of new and retrofitted machinery used to manufacture transformer and switchgear components.

James Fingers earned his Associate’s Degree in Electrical Automation and Controls System Technologies from Ranken Technical College and is proficient in the configuration and troubleshooting of programs written for Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Automation interfaces. Kyle, Bryan, and Alex now support the Controls Team that ensuring new presses meet customers’ stringent functionality requirements, while James supports the Service Team, designing electrical system hardware for existing machinery and troubleshooting in-field electrical system issues.

“Over the last five years, we have seen an increase in requests for sophisticated machinery with improved safety and efficiency,” says Adam Strein, the company’s engineering manager. “These new engineers have really helped to expand our capabilities in these areas. They all have very different backgrounds and experiences which are great for gaining new perspectives. Their extensive UL knowledge, SolidWorks skills, and hands-on approach to problem solving complement our existing engineering strengths and have helped to standardize many of our internal processes and procedures. I am excited to see how much further this group of engineers can push the department and ensure we remain the forefront of design innovation.”

Since joining the Beckwood team, these new engineers have been immersed in print creation, BOM entry, component selection, and start-up/testing of new machinery, bringing new ideas and thought leadership to every step of the design process.

www.beckwoodpress.com