Team Creations
This page displays some of my "peer-to-peer" awards. I always have seen that team work is key for succesful projects. As an early employee of a startup called iWatt, I wanted to show that I really appriecate the team effort. As company progressed, the team got bigger, products got more complex, and more teams were formed. So I had to adapt to keep the "peer-to-peer" appreciation items only to the team I was on. The impact of team appreciation would be lost if I expanded outside my team. Since some of these items are hand made during my vacations, I had to keep the quantity low also. My research on team appreciation showed that money from company was the best way to not descriminate any team members. Having special event nights, not every team member will like the event. So company events kinda was not the complete appreciation. During my investigation "peer-to-peer" items had the biggest impact on team building. Again not all members like the stuff I give out. But the idea has a bigger impact than the item given. Shown below are some of the items I gave out to the team members.
Group GAN Ecosystem

This group (not team) token was to show that the combined groups within Renesas to from the newly formed EcoSystem department. Our iwatt team had 4 projects that were the center of the new products. So 90 members were in this group. I had to re-think how I can make 90 of anything. The laser was the tool of choice. I still don't have a laser. So I had to collaborate with my brother and create a design that would be great. I also worked with the Director of the GAN group to have design input and his approval. This is the first time management was involved with team tokens (peer-to-peer) appreciation awards. The woods used for ovals, Black Walnut, Hickory, Cherry, Mahogany, and Maple.
iWatt Renesas Symbol

This piece was created from my own cartoon sketch when Renesas bought Dialog Semiconductors (iWatt brand). iWatt company symbol was the light bulb with "iw" as a filament. This piece was one of several, but this filament was of initials "jwk". JWK was the owner of the next gift. JWK transferred to a group and created some fantastic other technology. So he deserved a new team appreciation award with his initial on it.
This piece has inlay (light bulb) and opened to show a cut silicon wafer as backing. The wafer back also was protected with and extra piece to fill the light bulb hole. Yellow heart was used for the light bulb. Purpleheart was used as the big R for renesas logo.
Guitar Flyback Gift

This gift was given to a very special guy (John W. Kesterson). His engineering skills allowed the iW1688 to control the cell phone charger (flyback). He was the control system engineer allowed the power supply to work in many states of operation. We worked together and fine tuned the digital circuitry. He is a great mathemetician and applied it in electronics. He annouced his initials (jay, omega , kay) for math variable. The magic happened with him. During my years of working with him I learned that he likes to play guitars so team iWatt bought him a new guitar. I designed the artwork to show schematics and sensors of the flyback circuitry around the strings and neck of the guitar. I had a professional paint the guitar. To commemorate our team achievement. The whole company signed the back of the guitar. The famous equation that he derived was painted on the front. Over the years of working with him gave me the most feeling of accomplishment of my career.
Retirement Ping Pong Trophy

This retirement piece was for an analog layout expert. He would play ping pong during lunch almost every day. I collaborated with the other analog guys to create this wooden gift. I had the spiral put on with a laser (I don't have a laser). The spiral shows marks and names of the companies he worked for. The wooden balls are Olivewood to represent a peacefull retirement. I created the solid wooden balls with a drill press (scary) and a accesorry that bolts on to the drill press table. My first attempt at lathe work.
Team Building Blocks

Custom-designed solid metal (brass and copper) "team building" blocks, same exact size as lego blocks. Hand machined using flat end mill, a hand cranked x-y table (very small) and a drill press. This idea came from my research on peer-to-peer awards. This was the first time I got to play with end mill bits. So the black nubs on top are the actual ASIC chips that we sell. The team members can incorporate these into other lego projects if they wanted.
Team VSNS Tokens

This team token used an inlay technique to put the waveform "Vsns" into a solid circle of wood. Woods used, Purpleheart, Aspen (white), and Black walnut (i ran out of Purpleheart). It took me 2 weeks of vacation to create these for the whole team.
Team iW1688 Project Piece

This is my first team appreciation item. This was my first IC I performed the place and route for the ditigal block. The chip iW1688 was the first chip iWatt sold. The whole company got these tiles. I had them made.
TPL Token Bottle

This bottle opener was designed as a functional team token. I negotiated with this TPL as what he wanted as a team appreciation item. He said he could use a bottle opener. This is made from Myrtle and has some great grains. I tried to get the grains in a position like liquid flowing out of a bottle. I cut the silicon wafer wafer under water with a fine diamond whole saw. At the time of this picture the glue holding acrylic has not dried clear.
TPL Token Bottle back

This is the back of the bottle opener. It has beautiful grain flowing so I had to show the back.
TPL Token Bottle on the saw

This pic show the finished piece on the scroll saw.
TPL Token Wafer

This trophy / plaque was created for Henry. He was the Technical Project Lead of a great project. He had 2 other analog guys. So I got a wafer and put in a plaque using the wood called Pepperwood. I created the ring around saturn and 2 moons that represent the 2 other analog guys. The name at the top used an emboss angle cut technique. The ring has hidden magnets. The wafer was glued down and protected with acrylic.
Henry and I worked together to create some new methods of testing analog circuits.