Process Development: David King

Process Engineer, W. L. Gore & Associates

David King is a mechanical engineer who discovered his passion for process development through the world of printed circuit boards and patents. At Gore, a company famous for its advanced fluoropolymer materials, his work bridges the gap between a tangible idea and a high-volume product, ensuring that complex technologies—from radar to medical implants—can be manufactured reliably.

The Full Interview: The Art of Figuring Out How to Make Things

What is your educational background? I have a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

When did you first become interested in process development? I was never really interested in getting into process development—it was never really mentioned as an option in school. When I graduated from college, I was convinced I would design robots. One of my first jobs was figuring out a new way to make printed circuit boards to make them smaller and lighter. That led to my first several patents, and I’ve been doing process development ever since.

What exactly does someone in process development do? They figure out how to make things. In some cases, they get involved in how to take an idea and make it into something tangible—figuring out how to make the first of something. More often, however, they work on how to make something faster, cheaper, better, or just in larger quantities.

Can you give us a couple of examples of what you are working on? I’m currently working on a new medical device. We expect to start out making several hundred devices a week, with the expectation that we will grow to making a couple thousand a week within a few years. The challenges are the small size and the safety requirements inherent in a medical device. In the past, I have worked on processes ranging from making adhesives and cell phone gaskets to making next-generation radar systems.

What has been the most challenging/difficult part of your job? Scaling a process up is typically extremely challenging. When you only make a few of something, you can make almost anything work. When you start making millions, variation in raw materials, process equipment, people, and even the humidity in the air can “bite” you and cause you to lose the process.

The toughest thing is figuring out why a process that worked well for months is now giving you scrap. It takes good problem-solving skills, an understanding of physics, a range of engineering skills, and a good use of statistics and designed experimentation.

Where do you see the future of this field? Companies that manufacture in the USA are looking more towards process engineers since they want to make their products cheaper and with less labor. My experience is that process engineers are being used earlier in new product development and are becoming a more valued resource.

What is the best way to prepare for a career in process development? Most of the people we hire have degrees in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering. Many engineering schools still don’t have direct classes that teach process development. For people coming out of college, we look for an understanding of statistics, good problem-solving skills, and an interest in either mechanical or chemical systems.

2026 Perspective: Scaling the Future

The insights David King shared in the early 2000s are the bedrock of the 2026 manufacturing landscape.

  • Advanced Materials: Companies like Gore are now at the forefront of the energy transition, developing membranes for hydrogen fuel cells. The “process development” required to scale these technologies is exactly what Mr. King described.
  • The “Digital Twin”: In 2026, process engineers use “Digital Twins”—virtual simulations of the factory floor—to predict how humidity or material variations will affect production before they ever happen.
  • Biomedical Engineering: The small-scale medical devices he worked on have evolved into bio-integrated electronics and 3D-printed tissues, where the “safety requirements” are more rigorous than ever.

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