Personal Details

Full Name:        Alan Stuart Bottomley
Address:           2379 Channel Highway,  Snug, Tasmania 7054.
Mobile phone:  0417 346 701 
E-mail:              alanbottomley@bigpond.com
Marital Status:  Married with 4 adult children.

Work Experience 

2016~Present

• Retired
  

2011~2016

• Part-Time work for Currawong Engineering,
• Treasurer for Southern Tasmanian Badminton Assn,
• Webmaster for Southern Tasmanian Badminton Assn.
  

2004~2010
Project Manager, Currawong Engineering Pty Ltd
2000~2003
Business Consultant, Bottomley Enterprises.
Business Consulting and Contracting work

1985~2000
Company Manager, Magnetic Engineering Pty Ltd, Kingston, Tasmania.

Magnetic Engineering was setup in 1981 to further develop and license my invention, the Magnabend Electromagnetic Sheetmetal Bending Machine.
In 1981 the invention was exhibited at the Hanover Trade Fair and this led to much activity connected with Manufacture-Under-License agreements.  Soon after this I resigned from the Chemistry Department and became the first full-time employee of the company.  My colleague, Mr Geoff Fenton, joined me and we developed the company and its products over the next 16 years.

 We developed markets all around Australia and overseas (15 countries), and expanded our range of products from one model of the Magnabend to 6 models and also added other products and special versions of our machines.
 We arranged Manufacture Under License Agreements overseas and assisted our Licensees in technical matters and administered royalty collection from them.

Of particular note was the development of special machines for use in production lines.  This involved quite a lot of electronic and mechanical R&D work.
These machines were computer-controlled and would typically produce 5,000 items per day!  Items included Refrigerator doors, Range Hoods, Washing Machine cabinets etc.  Most of this work was for Scott Technology Ltd (New Zealand), but we also performed similar work for Email Ltd and other companies in Australia.

1972~1985
Electronics Engineer, University of Tasmania
Worked as an electronics development engineer.  The work involved considerable experience with computers and microprocessors, both hardware and software.
During this period various instruments and systems were developed some of which are detailed below under ?Electronic Experience?.
I also trained an Electronics Apprentice and I was responsible for all electronics development and maintenance work within the Chemistry Department.

1971~1972
Research Officer, CSR Research Laboratories, Sydney, NSW
Seconded to work with a team known as The Automation Group to further develop and construct a computer-controlled industrial version of the ore-sorting machine (see below). 
During this period I became familiar with machine code and assembler level programming of computers and interfacing them to industrial situations.
The secondment included a period on King Island to assist in commissioning of the machine, which operated successfully for a number of years thereafter.

1969~1971
Professional Officer, University of Tasmania.
Under a grant obtained by Dr P W Smith from King Island Scheelite Mines, I developed a successful prototype ore-sorting machine.
This machine used ultra-violet light to excite a fluorescent emission from scheelite-bearing rocks, and sensitive photomultiplier detector circuits to drive high-speed solenoid air valves.  The valves produced blasts of compressed air to deflect barren rocks as they exited from an in-line feeder.

 Education

1968       University of Tasmania:    Bachelor of Science.
                Pure Maths I, Geology I, Physics I, Zoology I,
                Geology II, Physics II,
                Physics III, Geophysics III (Majors).

1968       University of Tasmania    Diploma of Education
                Education I, Education IA, Education IIB, Education IIIB.  

1969       University of Tasmania    Bachelor of Science with Honours
                Geophysics IV (Upper Division 2), Pulse & Digital Sys.

1969~1972   University of Tasmania    Final year Electrical Engineering subjects
                Electrical Engineering IIIB, Electrical Engineering IIIA
                Electrical Communications IIC.
                (These subjects studied part-time while working in the Chemistry Department, Uni of Tasmania).   

Skills

• Expertise in office administration and organization.
• Negotiation and communication skills.
• Staff training, and personnel management.
• Set up of overseas business contacts.
• Applications for Patents and Trademarks.
• Financial management and accounting systems.
• Experience with the preparation for, and participation in, Trade fairs.
• Sales, advertising, brochure, and video production expertise.
• Research and evaluation regarding major equipment purchases.
• General business development and management of expansion.
• Good facility with computers.
• Experience in website design and development.  
  

Innovation

Proven expertise and holder of patents in a number of countries.  I also have various inventions written up in my notebooks and awaiting development.

Electronics:
Very wide experience in many projects ranging from scientific instrument design to industrial electronics. 
Research & Development:

Workshop:
I have a very well-equipped home workshop which includes the following machines:
Metal Lathe, Milling Machine, Drill Press, Cold Saw, Electric Welder, 20 Tonne Press, Air Compressor, Spray Painting, Sheetmetal Folding Machines, plus a full range of power tools, hand tools, and electronic instruments.
I am experienced and capable with all of the above equipment.

Repair:
I once worked for Technical Services Tasmania P/L as a Scientific Instrument Repairer and I have developed skills in this area over many years.  I have a reputation among my friends for being able to repair most things.
 

Electronics Experience

 During my career in electronics I have undertaken various projects some of which are detailed below:
 Clear-Sky Detector.
This was a special project taken on during my final year in Physics.  The device was an aid to Astronomers in detecting a clear sky for them while they were sleeping.
Spinner Magnetometer
This project was part of my Honours work.  The instrument was designed to measure the direction of residual magnetism in rocks. The instrument was used routinely in the Geology Department for the next 20 years!
Ore Sorting Machine.
This was a major project, to separate scheelite-bearing rock from barren rock based on the fluorescent property of scheelite (a tungsten mineral).
The project involved Physics, Optics, Chemistry, Electronics, and Mechanical Engineering.  I built a successful prototype machine at the University of Tasmania for which a Patent Application was lodged with me as a co-inventor.  (This work was supervised by Dr P W Smith).
Subsequently I was seconded to CSR Research Laboratories in Sydney to work on an industrial version of the machine.  (At CSR  I worked with "The Automation Group").
One year later a very sophisticated, computer-controlled machine was installed in the mine at King Island.  I designed most of the optics, photo-multiplier circuitry, and electronic interface circuitry for the final machine.
Radio Remote Control.
Project for Hobart Pumping Services P/L. Provided for a truck-horn to be activated from a base station or from another truck.  (Worked jointly with Dr A. Grainger)
Sleep Detector.
Device to assist research into sleep apnoea.  The instruments successfully detected and digitally recorded sleep patterns for later playback.  (Worked jointly with Dr A. Grainger).
Trace Mercury Detector.
An instrument to detect and measure trace amounts of mercury in the environment.  (Designed with personnel from Technical Services Tasmania).
Instrument Repair.
Repair and calibration of various scientific and medical instrumentation.
Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance Spectrometer.
Interfaced super regenerative amplifier circuit to an embedded Digital Equipment computer to perform real-time cross-correlation signal enhancement.  (Work supported by an Australian Research Grant).
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer.
Designed and built interface circuits (A to D converters, Stepper-motor controls etc) and programmed a PDP8 computer to perform selective spectrum accumulation.
Calculator/Measuring Instrument.
Conceived the idea of using a pocket calculator as the basis for a portable measuring instrument.  Designed and built miniaturized sensor and interface circuits to achieve: (1) a digital integrator, (2) a conductivity meter covering 5 decades of range and (3) a portable pH meter with a resolution of 0.01pH.
De-Magnetising Circuits for Large Electromagnets.
Continuous development of circuits for commercial use in the Magnabend Sheetmetal bender.  (These circuits were highly original and patenting was considered).
Solid-State Controllers.
Units to interface between PLC's and special electro-magnets to provide solid-state switching of highly inductive currents.

 Memberships

• Former Senior Member of The Institute of Radio & Electronics Engineers (1972~1995) (Admitted as Member 1972, elevated to Senior Member 1979).
• Former Board Member of the Australian Productivity Council
• Former President of The Inventors Association (Tasmania) (5 years).
• Co-Inventor of a Scheelite Ore-Sorting Machine.
• Inventor of the "Magnabend" Sheetmetal bending machine which is patented in Australia, NewZealand, Europe, USA, UK and, the Philippines.
• Winner of the Australian Steel Award in 1981 for the "Magnabend" invention.
• Participant in the TV Program "Flying Start" (1986).
  

 Interests

Competitive badminton,  computers,  inventing,  cycling,  bush walking,  digital photography,  working in my well-equipped workshop,  recording and analysis of weather data.

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