Dean Watts
Dean has 30+ years’ experience in mechanical design, inspection, tolerance analysis and technical training. Dean is the Technical Director at Tec-Ease and also teaches all of their courses; Fundamentals of GD&T, Applications of GD&T, Tolerance Analysis with GD&T, Inspecting Geometric Tolerances and Print Reading.
Dean is the son of a tool & die / model maker and an enthusiast of all mechanical things since he was old enough to be in the garage and hand his Dad wrenches. His training and coaching objectives are to enable those working in design, manufacturing, and metrology to manage imperfect geometry in a clear, effective, and practical way, so quality goals will be achieved at a minimum cost.
Work Experience:
- Worked in biomedical, aerospace, automotive and other industries by providing GD&T training and consulting, 3D tolerance analysis using “VSA” software, and vision, and multi-sensor measurement systems applications and support.
- Manufacturing engineer and dimensional engineer for an ink jet printer division. Mechanical design engineer in the transportation industry.
- Production machinist, TIG welder, and precision sheetmetal worker.
Military Service:
- 7 1/2 years in the U.S. Navy as a Submarine Warfare Officer, completing 5 strategic deterrent patrols on the USS Ohio, SSBN 726 Blue crew. Qualified as Officer Of the Deck, Engineering Office of the Watch, Ships Duty Officer, and Engineering Duty Officer.
- 9 years after his discharge from the Navy, Dean completed 12 1/2 years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard reserve, with qualifications and operational experience as a Boarding Team Member and Boarding Officer. Retired as a Lieutenant Commander in 2015.
Education:
- BSIE, Oregon State University in 1988 with emphasis of engineering science and human factors.
- MSME, Oregon State University in 1996, with projects that included an interactive computer program for a “Feature-and-function-based GD&T call-out generator”, and about 1400 hours spent on a team that completed design and construction of OSU’s 1995 Formula SAE car.
Certifications and Professional Associations:
- 1996 to present, member of the Society of Automotive Engineers
- 2001 to present, ASME Senior Level certified “Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing Professional” (GDTP S-0295)
- 2002 to 2023, member of the ASME Y14.8 “Castings, Forgings, and Molded Parts” committee
- 2010 to 2023, member of the ASME Y14.5 “Dimensioning and Tolerancing” committee
- 2010 to present, Chair of the ASME Y14.45 “Measurement Data Reporting” committee
- 2012 to present, registered professional engineer, State of Washington
LinkedIn Profile:
Sujit Thomas
Sujit has been working in the area of Dimensional Management and Tolerance Analysis for over 20 years, leading and supporting multiple product development programs in high tech, medical, automotive, aerospace, and defense. He’s also worked as a Senior Architect at Siemens Digital Industries supporting the Digital Manufacturing group in both services and pre-sales engagements, with expertise in the deployment and product customization across multiple products. Some of the major client engagements worked were at Spirit Aerosystems, HP Inc, Ford, GM, and Meta. Sujit may not admit this, but Dean believes that Sujit has magical VSA model troubleshooting abilities.
Work Experience:
- Principle Architect – VSA software support and development from 2010 to 2023.
- Senior Product Consultant, VSA applications engineering from 2007 to 2010.
- Solutions Consultant/Analyst for a large aerospace company from 2005 to 2009.
Education:
- B. Tech, University of Kerala, 2001.
- MSME, Wichita State University, 2005.
LinkedIn Profile: