Founder and President of Tribis Engineering, Inc.

Robert started his career in 1986, after graduating from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He continued his education in Michigan, earning his Master’s in 2007 and is presently completing his doctoral work in Tribological Engineering at Oakland University.

When he first started working at the Mark One Corporation – a manufacturer of material handling systems for automation systems – in 1986, Robert began to research and develop self-lubricating plane bearing technology, which piqued his interest in the field of tribology. He carried this interest into other jobs he held.

In 1994, Robert began to work at Beaver Precision Products; a developer of ball and lead screws for the aerospace industry. There, he implemented his knowledge by designing bearings that began to replace some of the company’s rolling element and ball screws for their improved design and lower production costs.

Robert continued to research bearings and bearing materials throughout his career. In 2006, Robert’s interest in researching bearings and polymers inspired him to begin designing an improved tribometer. His goal was to create a machine that would be able to facilitate faster research and production of materials.

The creation of the Tribometer allowed Robert to complete his dissertation on the Characterization of Dry Sliding Wear for Plane Bearing Materials. He successfully defended his dissertation on March 14, 2012, earning his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Oakland University.

Robert currently resides in Armada, MI, with his wife Christy. Together, they have three children and four grandchildren.