Specialized kinematic design and mechanical engineering for companies that need motion, precision, and mechanisms that actually work.
And how kinematic synthesis solves problems that trial-and-error never will
Understanding why some mechanisms work flawlessly while others fight themselves
Every rigid body in 3D space has 6 degrees of freedom. The goal is to constrain exactly the motions you don't want—no more, no less.
When constraints equal degrees of freedom, you get deterministic positioning. Over-constrain and parts fight each other.
Instead of guessing and iterating, synthesis methods calculate the exact mechanism geometry needed to achieve specified motions.
A three-legged stool never wobbles. Why? Three points define a plane—exactly constraining the seat's position. Add a fourth leg and you've over-constrained the system.
This principle scales to every mechanism. The challenge is identifying which constraints you need and placing them optimally.
Why first designs work — our complete pipeline from math to optimized geometry
We mathematically generate linkage geometry that satisfies your motion requirements. This isn't guessing — it's solving. Using Burmester theory, Freudenstein equations, and precision point methods, we start with geometry that already works.
We build a parametric CAD model and run motion analysis to verify kinematics and dynamics — positions, velocities, accelerations, forces, torques. You see it move before any metal is cut.
Most engineers stop at Layer 2. We go further — using SolidWorks Design Study to automatically iterate through variations and find optimal geometry. Because we started with synthesized geometry, we're searching a small promising region, not the entire universe.
Mechanisms that work the first time, not the sixth time.
| Capability | Typical Engineer | Carver Design Group |
|---|---|---|
| Kinematic Synthesis | ✗ Not trained | ✓ 30+ years |
| Motion Simulation | ✓ Common | ✓ Expert |
| Design Study Optimization | ~ Rarely used | ✓ Standard practice |
| Complete Pipeline | ✗ Fragmented | ✓ Integrated |
From specialized mechanism design to complete product development
Our core expertise. Mathematical synthesis methods to design linkages, cams, gears, and complex mechanisms that achieve your exact motion requirements.
Full mechanical engineering support with expert SolidWorks capabilities.
Control design for automated mechanisms — motion sequencing, control logic, and operator interface design, matched to the mechanism's kinematics.
30 years of SolidWorks expertise applied to your messy models. Like car detailing — but for CAD.
Validate designs before building with advanced simulation.
Fixed-price packages for defined scope, or hourly consulting for ongoing work
90-minute focused consultation. Bring your mechanism challenge, leave with a path forward.
Complete mechanism solution from requirements to validated, documented design.
Concept through controls design, HMI, and full dynamic analysis.
Reserved hours each month for ongoing mechanism design support.
Specialized mechanism design using mathematical synthesis methods
CAD modeling, DFM, tolerance analysis, documentation
Specialized expertise most mechanical engineers simply don't have
Deep expertise in kinematic synthesis, linkage design, and precision mechanical systems developed over three decades.
Graduate-level kinematic synthesis from Iowa State (1991) — one of roughly 25 schools that teach it.
Engineering leadership experience at Ford, Gillette, and other major manufacturers.
US patent holder with proven ability to develop novel, protectable mechanical solutions.
Track record of delivering solutions when internal teams and other consultants have failed.
When your project needs a mechanism specialist, I plug in as a subcontractor
Most product development firms have great industrial designers, electrical engineers, and firmware people. But when a project needs a complex linkage, cam, or motion system, the options are limited:
You keep the client relationship. I solve the mechanism problem.
I work as a subcontractor under your project. You bill the client your rate; you pay me mine. The client sees seamless execution from your team.
What I bring:
A gap in engineering education that explains why mechanism design is so often trial-and-error
Most mechanical engineers learn to analyze mechanisms — given a linkage, calculate its motion. But they never learn to synthesize mechanisms — given a required motion, design a linkage that produces it.
That's why so much mechanism development becomes trial-and-error: sketch something, build it, see if it works, repeat. It's expensive, slow, and often fails to achieve precise motion requirements.
Kinematic synthesis uses mathematical methods developed in the 1800s — Burmester theory, precision point synthesis, the Freudenstein equation — to design mechanisms that achieve exact motion specifications. The math has existed for 150 years. It's just that engineering schools stopped teaching it.
I took graduate-level kinematic synthesis coursework at Iowa State University in 1991 — one of the handful of programs that actually taught it. Since then, I've spent three decades applying these methods at Ford, Gillette, and in my own consulting practice.
When your team hits a wall with a mechanism that won't work no matter how many iterations they try, it's not because they're not smart. It's because they were never taught the mathematical tools to solve the problem. That's where I come in.
Whether you're stuck on a specific challenge or starting a new project, let's talk about how kinematic design can get you to a working solution faster.
Drawings, CAD files or photos are welcome as attachments.