Rafferty Engineering Information

Focus, passion and efficiency are hallmarks of my designs and my engineering process. Most people consider the inner workings of a coffee maker, air conditioner, food composter, or padlock to be mundane. But not me. I love figuring out how things work, how they can be improved, and how they can be manufactured at a profit. Thirty years ago I began my engineering career as an intern writing computer programs on a mainframe at an aerospace giant. That was followed by several years doing advanced design studies and development of aircraft equipment installations at the same company. A stint elsewhere designing medical products followed, and then I worked in product development and standardization at an electric motor manufacturer. And then things got interesting. I hit the road and became an independent engineer hired on a contract basis. I successfully completed a wide variety of projects in aerospace, transportation, medical products, consumer goods, and computer peripherals. I was always asked to stay for extra projects by each client. During this time I also pursued a surprisingly successful mini-career as an artist. I eventually settled down for the next 13 years at a product development consulting company near Madison, Wisconsin. During that time I learned an immense amount about product design, brainstorming and concept development, injection molding, project management and client relations. I also received a handful of patents. While continuing to work full time at the product development company, I started a company, KVgear, to design, manufacture and sell accessories for the musical instrument market. This was done out of a desire for additional challenge and growth. As KVgear continues to grow, it provides an ever-increasing outlet for my creativity and natural penchant for optimization. Rafferty Engineering was formed in 2017. Many projects are completed by myself. But for larger projects I bring in other trusted engineers, industrial designers, graphic designers, prototyping specialists and even ...