Forensic Engineers and Consultants

Bob Hickman

Bob Hickman

Bob Hickman

P.E., CMSE Phone: 803.732.6600 Cell: 803.904.5806 LinkedIn Download CV

Expertise

  • Equipment Failure
  • Industrial Accident Investigation
  • Codes and Standards
  • Machine Design
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Machine Safeguarding
  • Machinery & Equipment Damage Assessment
  • Products Liability
Biography

Senior Consulting Engineer Bob Hickman is a Licensed Professional Engineer in South Carolina, and a Certified Machinery Safety Expert. He has over 30 years of manufacturing and machine design experience in production and quality-driven environments. Bob holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina.

As a design engineer, Bob consulted with an international paper manufacturer. He worked closely with their research and development staff to improve throughput and safety of their custom paper core-winding machines and processes. He also designed several custom machines to improve quality, productivity, reliability, and safety for a specialty producer of attic stairs. He completed the mechanical design of several machines that automated manual processes that replaced inefficient/unreliable manual equipment, as well as assisting with the plant layout/production line planning. In addition, Bob helped analyze and correct problems with new machines and processes to meet standards and achieve gains in safety, productivity, quality and machine reliability for a new facility for an international tire manufacturer. Several of his mechanical and material handling designs have been implemented at their facilities worldwide. He has significant experience with pneumatic systems and components, as well as hydraulics.

Bob regularly investigates personal injury, wrongful death, and product liability claims, as well as property damage claims involving machinery and equipment in a variety of environments for both insurance adjusters and attorneys. Bob has an in-depth knowledge of many standards with emphasis on ANSI B11 standards for machine tool safety.

Qualifications
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering
Licensed Professional Engineer
Applied Engineering Experience – over 25 years
Experience in Machine Safeguarding
Certified Machine Safety Expert
Recent Posts

FORKLIFT Etiquette: DON’T BE A LOUSY TIPPER!

That is always good advice to follow if you are a forklift driver!  Operating a forklift can be a dangerous occupation.  There are approximately 1 million forklifts (powered industrial trucks) in the US workplace today, and it is estimated that just over 10% of those are involved in some type of accident every year.  Forklift […]

The FORKLIFT 500 – A Need for Speed

From a young age, many children are typically drawn to things that are fast.  Fast toys, fast race cars, sports that require speed.  Is it possible that “feeding” this desire tends to make many of us resist, whether consciously or subconsciously, the request or demand to “Slow down!” once we’ve grown up, even when we […]

HEY…Cover Up Please!

Machine guards can be compared to the clothes we wear every day.  Indeed, they serve a very important purpose.  Imagine someone leaving their home on a fine, sunny morning wearing nothing but a smile.  Wonder how far they will get through the day before things start going poorly for this individual?         […]

One Small Step…

Ladders…not a particularly exciting topic I’ll admit.  But hey, we need ladders to help us accomplish all kinds of tasks.  Most people have used at least one of the many types of ladders that are available today.  And the odds are probably pretty good that many of those users strayed outside the limits of safety […]

Financial Injury.…From a Machine?!?!

Forensic engineers may be called upon to investigate a broad array of problems concerning a machine.  Cases involving physical injuries and even death are a large part of what we investigate in order to determine what caused the accident to happen and who may be at fault.  Occasionally, problems with a recently designed custom machine […]

Senior Consulting Engineer Bob Hickman is a Licensed Professional Engineer in South Carolina, and a Certified Machinery Safety Expert. He has over 30 years of manufacturing and machine design experience in production and quality-driven environments. Bob holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina.

As a design engineer, Bob consulted with an international paper manufacturer. He worked closely with their research and development staff to improve throughput and safety of their custom paper core-winding machines and processes. He also designed several custom machines to improve quality, productivity, reliability, and safety for a specialty producer of attic stairs. He completed the mechanical design of several machines that automated manual processes that replaced inefficient/unreliable manual equipment, as well as assisting with the plant layout/production line planning. In addition, Bob helped analyze and correct problems with new machines and processes to meet standards and achieve gains in safety, productivity, quality and machine reliability for a new facility for an international tire manufacturer. Several of his mechanical and material handling designs have been implemented at their facilities worldwide. He has significant experience with pneumatic systems and components, as well as hydraulics.

Bob regularly investigates personal injury, wrongful death, and product liability claims, as well as property damage claims involving machinery and equipment in a variety of environments for both insurance adjusters and attorneys. Bob has an in-depth knowledge of many standards with emphasis on ANSI B11 standards for machine tool safety.

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering
Licensed Professional Engineer
Applied Engineering Experience – over 25 years
Experience in Machine Safeguarding
Certified Machine Safety Expert

FORKLIFT Etiquette: DON’T BE A LOUSY TIPPER!

That is always good advice to follow if you are a forklift driver!  Operating a forklift can be a dangerous occupation.  There are approximately 1 million forklifts (powered industrial trucks) in the US workplace today, and it is estimated that just over 10% of those are involved in some type of accident every year.  Forklift […]

The FORKLIFT 500 – A Need for Speed

From a young age, many children are typically drawn to things that are fast.  Fast toys, fast race cars, sports that require speed.  Is it possible that “feeding” this desire tends to make many of us resist, whether consciously or subconsciously, the request or demand to “Slow down!” once we’ve grown up, even when we […]

HEY…Cover Up Please!

Machine guards can be compared to the clothes we wear every day.  Indeed, they serve a very important purpose.  Imagine someone leaving their home on a fine, sunny morning wearing nothing but a smile.  Wonder how far they will get through the day before things start going poorly for this individual?         […]

One Small Step…

Ladders…not a particularly exciting topic I’ll admit.  But hey, we need ladders to help us accomplish all kinds of tasks.  Most people have used at least one of the many types of ladders that are available today.  And the odds are probably pretty good that many of those users strayed outside the limits of safety […]

Financial Injury.…From a Machine?!?!

Forensic engineers may be called upon to investigate a broad array of problems concerning a machine.  Cases involving physical injuries and even death are a large part of what we investigate in order to determine what caused the accident to happen and who may be at fault.  Occasionally, problems with a recently designed custom machine […]

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