About

Engineer, veteran, racer.

I started in the Air Force in 2010, working in classified weapons maintenance and then aircraft maintenance. That is where I learned to read a spec, follow a procedure, and not sign off on anything I have not checked myself.

Dillon Smith

After the service I worked almost every step of how a part gets made and proven: CNC machining, CMM inspection, composites testing, press dies, robot cells, and metrology systems built into the machine.

A lot of that work was automation. I have designed tooling and robot cells, programmed CNC and robots, and built inspection into the process so quality does not depend on someone catching it at the end.

Today I am a Senior Product Engineer taking LED lighting products through the full commercial lifecycle: concept, design, vendors and tooling, first article, launch, and the fixes that come after. I know what it takes to get a product built at volume, certified, and shipped, not just modeled.

The other half of how I work is software. In modern engineering a lot of the speed and creativity comes from writing your own tools, so I do. I build AI agents that handle the repetitive parts of the job, custom CAD templates and document systems, data dashboards, and process programs that turn a week of work into an afternoon.

I race, and a lot of my own projects start at the track. Kind of a Big Dill is my own shop, where all of that goes to work on your idea. I can design it, build it, test it, and build the tools to do it faster.

I keep the business small on purpose. You work with me directly, from the first call to the final drawing. If a job is outside what I do well, I will tell you and point you to someone who does.

And yes, the name is a joke. The work is not.

Path

How I got here

  1. 2010 to 2016

    United States Air Force

    Classified weapons maintenance, then aircraft maintenance. Specs, procedures, and quality assurance every day.

  2. After the service

    Manufacturing floor

    Assembly and plant layout. CNC milling, CMM and comparator inspection. Composites testing in an independent lab.

  3. 2016 to 2019

    Tooling and automation

    Press tooling, dies, and robot cells for production manufacturing.

  4. 2019 to 2022

    Metrology design

    Designed and integrated in-process laser and probe metrology systems for machine tools.

  5. 2022 to now

    Independent client work

    Design, reverse engineering, and fabrication projects for motorsport and product companies. Formalized as Kind of a Big Dill LLC in 2024.

  6. 2025 to now

    Senior Product Engineer, LSI Industries

    LED lighting products through the full commercial lifecycle. Die cast and sheet metal luminaire housings, new vendor tooling, first article approvals, and the CAD standards behind them. Kind of a Big Dill runs alongside it.

Pictures

Then and now

On the flight deck during Air Force service
USAF, on the aircraft
Air Force promotion ceremony
Promotion pin-on
Racing the number 15 Ducati Panigale V2
The #15 Panigale V2
Indoor minibike racing
Minibike mornings
Credentials

The short version

  • ✓A.A.S. Engineering and Manufacturing Technology, University of Cincinnati Clermont College
  • ✓United States Air Force veteran, 2010 to 2016
  • ✓Kind of a Big Dill LLC, Ohio, est. 2024 (independent client work since 2022)
  • ✓Veteran-Owned Small Business, registered in SAM.gov
  • ✓Senior Product Engineer, LSI Industries, LED lighting product design
  • ✓Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, iLogic, CNC and robot programming

Have something that needs an engineer?

Send a drawing, a photo, or a rough description. I will reply within 2 business days.

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