Ric D. Robinette, M.S., P.E.

Senior Mechanical Engineer

(Scan with your smartphone to import contact info):

Experienced in automobile, public transportation, and mechanical engineering design. Specialties include vehicle accident reconstruction, vehicle dynamics, and failure analysis. ACTAR accredited accident reconstructionist. Experienced in design and construction of steam generation plants and high energy process systems.

Resume Items

Experience

Academic Activities

Instructor of Mechanical Engineering review classes for State of Michigan Professional Engineer's Examination.

Consulting Activities

Consulting engineering and forensic analysis relating to vehicular, transportation, and mechanical systems involved in criminal and civil actions; the evaluation of causation of accidents; and the development of expert opinions.
Involved in the investigation of several thousand vehicle accident cases. Provided the primary engineering reconstruction services for over 2000 vehicle accident cases. Provided expert testimony approximately 200 times involving engineering reconstruction analysis of vehicle crashes.

Engineering Design And Construction Management Experience

Automotive engineering design/testing experience with U.S. auto manufacturers.

Project Manager and Deputy Project Manager for all phases of engineering design, construction, start-up and in-place operation of various vehicular public transportation systems in USA, Europe, and Africa.

Engineering Design Experience

Vehicular Design: Design of automated public transportation vehicular systems and guide ways including: propulsion traction systems, guidance systems, suspension systems, control systems, and impact and safety systems.
Automotive Engine and Emissions Systems Design: Design, test, and analysis engineering with Ford Motor Company Power train and Chassis Division.
Energy and Power Generation Systems Design: Design, test and analysis engineering related to major design and construction projects involving coal and oil/gas fired steam generation systems, steam and gas turbine generations systems, diesel generation systems, and solid fuels and air emissions processing systems.

Other Activities

Instructor and speaker in excess of 100 training programs, seminars, and presentations on Vehicular Accident Investigations and Accident Reconstructions, including the Society of Automotive Engineers, Rocky Mountain Institute for Traffic Safety (police training institute) National Institute for Trial Advocacy, and numerous other national legal, engineering, and insurance groups.

Professional Status:

Registered Professional Engineer in California (Mechanical Engineering)
Registered Professional Engineer in Colorado
Registered Professional Engineer in Louisiana
Registered Professional Engineer in Michigan
Accredited Traffic Accident Reconstructionist by the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction, Accreditation No: 302

Education

B.S. (Mechanical Engineering) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology - 1974
M.S. (Mechanical Engineering) University of Michigan - 1976

Special Training:

Crash Reconstruction Training Programs

Traffic Accident Reconstruction Course, University of North Florida, Institute of Police Technology and Management
Crash Reconstruction and the Biomechanics of Impact Trauma - AAAM
SAE Accident Reconstruction Seminars
Guest Lecturer - Rocky Mountain Institute for Transportation Safety, Colorado State University

More Information

Professional Affiliations:

Member - Society of Automotive Engineers
Member - American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Member - Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine
Member - Pi Tau Sigma, Mechanical Engineering and Nation Honorary Fraternity
Member - Illinois Association of Technical Accident Investigations
Professional Committees
Session Chairperson - Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, Accident Reconstruction Conference, 1996
Member - Society of Automotive Engineers Accident Reconstruction Technical Papers Review Committee, 1994 - 2004
Member - Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board Funicular Committee, 1984-1985. (To draft Colorado design and operational safety regulations and guidelines.)
Academic Activities
Instructor of Mechanical Engineering review classes for State of Michigan Professional Engineer's Examination.

Technical & Engineering Publications:

"Daily Vehicle Inspection and Vehicle Maintenance Issues in Accident Reconstruction.” SAE 2007-01-0722, Scott, John; Hoover, Norris; Fay, Richard and Robinette, Ric. Presented at 2007 SAE World Congress and Exposition, Detroit, MI., April 2007

"Brake Performance Testing and Truck Runaway Analysis.” SAE 2003-01-3396, Scott, J.; Fay, R., Hoover, N.; Robinette, R.; and Deering, D. Presented at 2003 International Truck and Bus Meeting and Exhibition, Ft. Worth, TX. Selected for SAE 2003 Transactions Journal of Commercial Vehicles.

"Using Event Data Recorders in Collision Reconstruction." SAE 2002-01-0535. Presented at 2002 SAE World Congress and Exposition, Detroit, MI, March 2002.

"PC-CRASH and HVE, an Overview of Similarities and Differences," SAE 2001-01-10505, presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, March 2001.

"Drag and Steering Effects from Disablements of Run Flat Tires" SAE 2000-01-1315 presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, March 2000.

Society of Automotive Engineers Accident Reconstruction Technical Paper Published Review for SAE 2000-01-0462 "Introduction of the Barrier Equivalent Time (BET) Methodology in the Analysis of Delta V," presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, March 2000.

Society of Automotive Engineers Accident Reconstruction Technical Paper Published Review for SAE 2000-01-0461 "Structural Rebound Characteristics of the Car Population in Frontal Impacts," presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, March 2000.

"Vehicle Stability and Handling Characteristics Resulting From Driver Responses to Tire Disablements," ISATA 99SF038 presented at the International Symposium on Automotive Technology and Automation, Vienna, Austria, June 1999.

"Drag and Steering Effects from Tire Tread Belt Separation and Loss" SAE 1999-01-0447 presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, March 1999.

Society of Automotive Engineers Accident Reconstruction Technical Paper Published Review for SAE 1999-01-0100 "Vehicle Crash Severity Assessment in Lateral Pole Impacts," presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, March 1999.

Society of Automotive Engineers Accident Reconstruction Technical Paper Published Review for SAE 1999-01-0104 "The DyMesh Method for Three-Dimensional Multi-Vehicle Collision Simulation," presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, March 1999.

Society of Automotive Engineers Accident Reconstruction Technical Paper Published Review for SAE 980024 "Crush Stiffness Coefficients for Offset Frontal Collisions and Side Impacts", presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, February 1998.

Society of Automotive Engineers Accident Reconstruction Technical Paper Published Review for SAE 980029 "Crush Stiffness Coefficients, Restitution Constants and a revision of Crush 3 and SMAC," presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, February 1998.

"Drag and Steering Effects of Under-Inflated and Deflated Tires", SAE970954 presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, February 1997.

Society of Automotive Engineers Accident Reconstruction Technical Paper Published Review for SAE 970949 "Crash-97-Refinement of the Trajectory Solution Procedure", presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, February 1997.

"Fay Engineering Automotive Department Maintains High Visibility at SAE", Industry Update, Volume 5, No. 7, Winter 1996, Fay Engineering Newsletter.

"The Effect of Vehicle Rotation on the Occupant's Delta-V", SAE 960649 presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, February 1996.

Society of Automotive Engineers Accident Reconstruction Technical Paper Published Review for SAE 960885 "Validation of PC-Crash A Momentum-Based Accident Reconstruction Program", presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, February 1996.

Society of Automotive Engineers Accident Reconstruction Technical Paper Published Review for SAE 950354 "Speed from Skids: A Modern Approach", presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, February 1995.

"Delta-V: Basic Concepts, Computational Methods, and Misunderstandings", SAE 940915, presented at Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, March 1994.

"Historical Sequence of the Automotive Air Bag Standards" Industry Update, Vol. 3, No. 1, Spring 1994, Fay Engineering Newsletter.

"Empirical and Pictorial Results of Vehicle Tip-Over Impact Tests", SAE 930664, presented at Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, March 1993.

"Engineering Models and Animation's in Vehicular Accident Studies", "Part 1 - Engineering Models", Industry Update, Volume 2, No. 1, Winter 1992-1993, Fay Engineering Newsletter and "Part 2 - Animation's", Volume 2, No. 3, Summer 1993.

"Hydraulic Brake System Failures on Passenger Cars", Industry Update, Volume 1, No. 3, Spring - Summer 1992, Fay Engineering Newsletter.

"Only Cars Made in America May Park in This Lot ", Industry Update, Volume 1, No. 3, Spring - Summer 1992, Fay Engineering Newsletter.

" Colorado Betters the National Traffic Fatality Trend", Industry Update, Volume 1, No. 2, Winter Issue 1991, Fay Engineering Newsletter.

Guest Editorial, Accident Reconstruction Journal (on vehicle crush stiffness and speed calculations), Vol. 3, No. 4, July/August 1991.

"Preserving Evidence in Vehicle Recovery", Towing News, Towing Recovery Association of America , February 1990.

"Engineering Models and Animation's in Vehicular Accident Studies", SAE 880719, presented at Society of Automotive Engineers International Congress and Exposition, February 1988.

"Thermo-Fluid Transients in Deaerator Feed Pump System for Power Plants", presented at ASME Symposium on Design of Fluid Machinery, June 1978.

Running/Walking Publications:

"Off to the races in 2008" News On The Run, Vol. 31, Issue 1, January 2008, The Newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Road Runners.

"Mike Knipps Sets New Resolute Runner Scoring Record" News On The Run, Vol. 30, Issue 2, February 2007, The Newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Road Runners.

"Robinette Wins Volunteer Award" Colorado Runner, Issue 17, May/June 2006.

"RMRR Club Formation History" News On The Run, Vol. 27, Issue 6, June 2004, The Newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Road Runners.

"Jeff Olson Achieves Club Milestone" News On The Run, Vol. 27, Issue 5, May 2004The Newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Road Runners.

"So You Want to be a Race Director, Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself, " News On The Run , Vol. 26, April 2003, The Newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Road Runners.

"1997 Records Update of the RMRR Trophy Series Races", News On The Run, Vol. XXX, February 1998, The Newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Road Runners.

"RMRR Racewalker Trophy Series Results", News On The Run, Vol. XXX, 1998, The Newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Road Runners.

"Winners of the RMRR Get A Life Award", News On The Run, Vol. XXIX, October 1997, The News letter for the Rocky Mountain Road Runners.

"1995 Records Update of the RMRR Trophy Series Races", News on the Run, Vol. XXVIII, May 1996, The Newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Road Runners.

"Records of the Rocky Mountain Road Runner Trophy Series Races Part 2", News on the Run , Vol. XXVII, October 1995, The Newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Road Runners, reprinted News on the Run Vol. 27, Issue 5 May, 2004.

"Records of the Rocky Mountain Road Runner Trophy Series Races Part 1", News on the Run , Vol. XXVII, September 1995, The Newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Road Runners, reprinted News on the Run, Vol. 27, Issue 4 April, 2004.

"Leaders and Outstanding Volunteer Service to the Rocky Mountain Road Runners", News on the Run, Vol. XXVII, August 1995, The Newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Road Runners, reprinted News on the Run, Vol. 27, Issue 3, March, 2004.

"History of the RMRR, Part 7: 1986-1995, The Current Decade" News on the Run, Vol. XXVII, July 1995, The Newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Road Runners, reprinted News on the Run, Vol. 27 Issue 1, January 2004.

"History of the RMRR, Part 6: 1980-1985 The End of the Growth Years" News on the Run, Vol. XXVII, June 1995, The Newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Road Runners, reprinted News on the Run, Vol. 26 Issue 12, December 2003.

"History of the RMRR, Part 5: 1976-1980 The Big Growth Years" News on the Run, Vol. XXVII, May 1995, The Newsletter for Rocky Mountain Road Runners, reprinted News on the Run, Vol. 26 Issue 11, November 2003.

"History of the RMRR, Part 4: 1971-1975 The Start of the Growth Years " News on the Run, Vol. XXVII, March 1995, The Newsletter for Rocky Mountain Road Runners, reprinted News on the Run, Vol. 26 Issue 10, October 2003.

"History of the RMRR, Part 3: 1970 - The Year of the Protests About the Vietnam Conflict and High Denver Track Club Dues" News on the Run, Vol. XXVII, March 1995, The Newsletter for Rocky Mountain Road Runners, reprinted News on the Run, Vol. 26 Issue 9, September 2003.

"History of the RMRR, Part 2: The First Ten Year: 1959-1969", News on the Run, Vol. XXVII, February 1995, The Newsletter for Rocky Mountain Road Runners, reprinted News on the Run, Vol. 26 Issue 7, July 2003.

"History of the RMRR, Part 2: The First Ten Year: 1959-1969", News on the Run, Vol. XXVII, February 1995, The Newsletter for Rocky Mountain Road Runners, reprinted as "RMRR History Series," News on the Run, Vol. 26, Issue 6, June 2003.

"History of the RMRR, Part 1: Formation of the Club", News on the Run, Vol. XXVII, January 1995, The Newsletter for Rocky Mountain Road Runners, reprinted as

"RMRR History Series," News on the Run, Vol. 26, Issue 5, May 2003.

"The RMRR History Quiz Update", News on the Run, Vol. XXVI, December 1994, The Newsletter for Rocky Mountain Road Runners.

"The RMRR History Quiz Answers - I Knew That (sort of)", News on the Run, Vol. XXVI, November 1994, The Newsletter for Rocky Mountain Road Runners.

"The RMRR History Quiz - Do You Remember When?", News on the Run, Vol. XXVI, October 1994, The Newsletter for Rocky Mountain Road Runners.

Trucking 1...	Animation,...
Simulation...	Aerial Lay...