Mission Statement: The mission of Shadow Polymer Industries, Inc. is to provide our customers with the most professional, comprehensive, and technically sound design, analysis, manufacturing and productivity services in the industry. We believe our people are our greatest strength. Our aim is to provide them with significant challenges, a positive work environment and encourage each team member to realize their full potential. We value diversity, promote teamwork and appreciate creativity. We believe in compensating our people according to their contribution to the company’s overall success. We settle for nothing less than dedication, honesty and integrity. Robert A. Hickman, President   (Rob@shadowpolymer.com) (281) 789 - 7520  ext. 3     Primary Services: Product Development and Design Optimization: Product Design, Mold Design, Industrial Design, Conceptual Refinement, Design Renderings, Computer Aided Design, 3-D Solid Modeling, Reverse Product Development,  Metal Fabrication Design and Detailing, Weldments, Miscellaneous Construction Drawings and Layouts,  Pro/Engineer, Solidworks, Rhinoceros, I-Deas, CATIA, Unigraphics, Autocad Design Verification, Tooling Verification, Prototype Fabrication, Product Optimization, Optimization Product Analysis and Testing: Mold Filling Analysis, Mold Packing Analysis, Mold Cooling Analysis, Mold Warpage & Shrinkage Analysis, Fiber Orientation Analysis, 3-D Mold Simulation, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Thermal FEA, Linear FEA, Non-Linear FEA, Buckling FEA, Dynamic FEA, Static FEA, Gravitational FEA, Vibrational FEA Moldex3D, B-SIM, T-SIM, Virtual Extrusion Laboratory Polymer Rheology and Mechanical Testing Customized Product Testing Manufacturing and Assembly: Injection Molding (75 to 500 ton range) -- thermoplastics Profile Extrusion, Sheet Extrusion Vacuum Forming, Thermoforming Rapid Prototyping, SLA, SLS, LOM, Dimension 3-D Printing Troubleshooting, Mold Debugging, Sampling, Process Studies, Capability Studies, Work Cell Set-Ups SynTec Implementation and Optimization ISO/QS Compliance Assistance, Quality Assurance, SPC, Kaizen Techniques, Lean Manufacturing Assistance, Design Failure Modes Effects Analysis (DFMEA), Process FMEA Miscellanous: Custom Training and Education (ie. plastic part design, injection molding, extrusion processing, moldex3d, b-sim, t-sim, virtual extrusion laboratory)   About The Team: Shadow associates have significant hands-on experience in the operation of plastic and metal related businesses. The associates have an average of twenty years experience in the areas of marketing, industrial design and optimization, advanced product development, sales, manufacturing operations, and human resources. Each associate has his/her undergraduate degree, some through the doctoral level in their appropriate discipline (most have their Masters or MBA); each has a proven track record in their field of specialization, during high growth or recessionary environments.   About The Founder: Robert A. Hickman, Founder & President Mr. Hickman is a graduate Mechanical Engineer with additional Polymer Engineering training from the nationally recognized University of Akron. His education further includes certifications in marketing from Cleveland State University, I.T. certifications from Brainbench Inc., and a variety of miscellaneous certifications from Edison Community College, Moldflow Corporation, Coretech Systems, CTRL Systems, AC Technologies, Ohio CAE Services, University of Akron Polymer Training Center, and the Solidworks Corporation. He has over 20 years of hands-on experience in the Plastics Industry in management, optimization, design development, manufacturing, analysis, troubleshooting, and consulting. He has held a variety of positions with Plastech Consulting, Inc., McNeil Akron NRM, and Master Industries, Inc. before founding Shadow. Mr. Hickman has significant hands-on experience with productivity programs, product design, concurrent development and optimization, finite element analysis, CAD/CAM/CAE software technologies, information technologies, ISO/QS standards, team building, product value assessments, market analysis, and technical evaluations. A significant portion of Mr. Hickman's experience in the polymer industry was obtained on the manufacturing floor, directing and consulting for a problem-solving environment. In addition to his hand-on experience, Mr. Hickman has participated in several beta testing programs for well-know softwares such as I-deas, Solidworks, C-Mold and Moldex3D. For several years, Mr. Hickman served as the Global Plastic Simulation Special Interest Group Chairman for the I-deas user group known as ICCON. Mr. Hickman currently participates in two international software marketing agencies, teaches a variety of polymer related courses at the University of Akron, is a board member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Injection Molding and Mold Building Committees, and is an executive level participant on the Management Team of three companies.