As a research engineer, Dr. Melnik’s specialty is to first locate the issue and then develop a proven prototype that solves it. “My mission is usually to understand the issue from every aspect, offer and find a tested and optimized solution that’s quick enough for the client and that’s highly trustworthy.” The prototype then goes to the Engineering department, which can best implement the idea. “I serve as both an optician and an algorithm engineer, which simplifies and accelerates the research issue. There’s no need to explain the optician’s idea to the algorithm engineer – I can do it all by myself,” Melnik tells.
Education and experience
Dr. Melnik has spent many years in the academia, where he researched and specialized in Medical Engineering, Optical Engineering and Mechanics. He has a Master’s degree in Medical Engineering from the Ben Gurion University and another Master’s degree from the Minsk Polytechnic Institute. He completed his Doctorate degree at the Ben Gurion University’s Faculty of Mechanics, where he specialized in Atmospheric Physics and image processing and discovered a new effect in the physics of whirlpool time clusters creation.
Other than his extensive education, Melnik has accumulated much experience. As a student, he developed a technology to recreate 3D images for MRI tests and managed a project for tracing suspected objects in the human body. He later took part in developing early skin cancer detecting technology in a long and complex project that later became a company.
Later on in his career, Dr Melnik worked on an intricate project of developing a smart camera for detecting fire and interruption diffusion on drilling riggs, together with the Sepctronics plant and American Emerson Corporation. He additionally managed an algorithm-driven casino roulette project as well as led a smart parking lot project for KAYA, which was very successful and was replicated in Korea.
On his Dagesh position
“I’m in charge of the daily work with the KLA physicians, opticians and algorithm engineers at Dagesh,” the doctor tells about Dagesh’s long-term collaboration with the American KLA Corporation, which develops process control and output management systems for the semiconductor and nano-technology industries. “The most important part of my work is guaranteeing the process will continue at KLA’s clean room, where the development uses microscopy, general optics, algorithms and programing environments. I check their programming, and whenever I find any faults, I write a revised version. They run their tests and send a new and improved version to the plant.”
The ability to combine optics and algorithms in one place, without having to go to sub-contractors, makes the production process quicker and simpler. The Dagesh team can perform the entire process – once the client approves – allowing them to receive complex orders and manage complex projects without being dependent on any external factors.
Groundbreaking thinking brings on results
When there’s a need to expend the research, Dr. Melnik makes use of his vast academia contacts. “When I developed a new groove width technology I asked the help of the Ben Gurion University’s Nano-technology Department, and they were great help. They provided the microscopes, the scanning charts and academic knowledge that allowed us to move forward.”
Since he joined Dagesh Group, Dr. Melnik has implemented many technologies for the company to use. “One of the automations we’ve incorporated in our work is a reverse optics system for measuring groove width, making measuring much faster. This way, the air-conditioned parts stay in their box, without being touched or distorted, the installers don’t have to do as much manual labor and our measurements actually match that of the manufacturer’s,” he says.
Additional automations were also implemented in the field of microscopy, in the exact measurements of damage done to optical parts, such as lenses, prisms, Rochon prisms and mirrors. In these parts, we have to understand how wide the scratch in the optical element is in order to determine whether to rejecting it or on what part of the optics it is. These require a high level of precision, down to the micrometers, as any slight curve to the mirror or lens can damage the measurement’s precision. Thanks to compact microscopes with digital output, absolute certainty can be achieved when rejecting parts.
Facing the future
Dr. Melnik still has one professional dream he wants to accomplish: adding augmented reality to the installation process, dramatically increasing production pace, easing the installers’ work and cancelling out human errors. “For me, chasing progress prevents from getting tired of the old work methods and aspires optimizing of processes. My goal is to have built-in programs and interfaces so work will be interesting and challenging, and the young people would want to keep getting that experience and be more professional in their field,” the doctor summarizes.
