Department of Mechanical Engineering - Engineering Mechanics—85th
Alumni and Faculty of the Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Department have contributed to the modern world in so many ways. From inventions to patents, innovative men and women are the hallmark of our programs. Look to the right to see just a few accomplishments of our alumni throughout the years.
Dick Robbins
Dick Robbins (’56) created modern excavation engineering. In 1958, he joined his father’s firm, the Robbins Company, and took over after his father’s untimely death soon after. Robbins developed boring equipment that did not rely on explosives. He holds multiple patents for boring machines that created tunnels faster and safer than any before. His company dug the Chunnel between England and France, and Robbins’ machines are being used now on the Ceneri Base Tunnel project for the Gotthard Tunnel under the Swiss Alps. He is a National Academy of Engineering inductee and was awarded the 2009 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Engineering for his imagination and engineering prowess in design and manufacturing. He and his wife, Bonnie, established the Robbins Endowed Chair in Sustainable Design and Manufacturing in Mechanical Engineering.
Jack Real
Jack Real (’37) lived an adventurous life with aviation at the core. He began with Lockheed Aircraft as a design engineer and later became a test pilot and flight test engineer. Among the aircraft he designed, developed, and tested are the B-14 Hudson Bomber, the C-130 Hercules cargo plane, and numerous helicopters, including the Cheyenne and the Apache attack helicopter. Real also worked on the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, conducting tests at the infamous Area 51 in Nevada. Real was a friend of billionaire aviator Howard Hughes, an avid supporter of the Boy Scouts and an author.
Ted Gaffney
Ted Gaffney (’51) is a biotechnology innovator and entrepreneur. Some of his early inventions centered on improving two-cycle engines, while his later patents for health care products include motorized and lift chairs, bathtub aids for the handicapped, mobility scooters, and planetary gear assemblies. He also has patents on two recent inventions: the stackable stroller and the powered golf caddy vehicle. He founded and remains Chairman of Ortho-Kinetics in Wisconsin. Gaffney’s work continues to be vital to the health and well-being of medical patients worldwide.
Charles Cretors
Charles Cretors (’63) began his career at Commonwealth Edison in Chicago in central engineering, but popped into the family business, C. Cretors & Company, five years later. They have been makers of commercial popcorn machines since 1885. Cretors himself holds multiple patents for corn poppers, a candy corn cooker, a cotton candy handling device, and an oscillating hot dog grill. He is a major player in the snack food industry and the author of the Popcorn Process section of the Corn Tech Manual.
Al Maki
Al Maki (’48) was an all-star athlete in his years at Tech and went on to a career in the stars. He played four seasons of hockey for Tech, three as team captain, earning him a spot in the Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame. After Tech, he worked at General Electric and North American Aviation before joining AVCO and becoming Program Manager for the Titan and Atlas reentry vehicle program. He was also instrumental in the development of the Apollo heat shield.
Ted Gaffney
Ted Gaffney (’51) is a biotechnology innovator and entrepreneur. Some of his early inventions centered on improving two-cycle engines, while his later patents for health care products include motorized and lift chairs, bathtub aids for the handicapped, mobility scooters, and planetary gear assemblies. He also has patents on two recent inventions: the stackable stroller and the powered golf caddy vehicle. He founded and remains Chairman of Ortho-Kinetics in Wisconsin. Gaffney’s work continues to be vital to the health and well-being of medical patients worldwide.
David Hill
Dave Hill (’65) gained automotive fans worldwide for his work at General Motors with classics like the Cadillac, Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, and Chevrolet Corvette. After Tech, he joined GM and earned his MS in Engineering from the University of Michigan. He eventually became the third Chief Engineer for the Corvette in 1992. Hill retired in 2006 and was inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame. In 2009, he taught a course for Michigan Tech that provided free retraining to displaced automotive engineers.
