# John Cross

> John Cross is Director of Advanced Machining at Micro Stamping Corporation in Somerset, New Jersey, with three decades in manufacturing. His work spans precision machining, multi-axis CNC, Swiss turning, EDM, additive manufacturing, digital factory systems and design for manufacturing for medical devices, including laparoscopic and robotic surgery components, under ISO 13485 and FDA QMSR. He is the first to deploy and perfect PEM, precision electrolytic machining, in North America. He founded Metro Technology in Rhode Island, was a manufacturing manager at Structure Medical in Naples, Florida, and built Micro's precision machining capability from the ground up. Artificial intelligence is a recent plus on that machining core, with more than 100 professional certificates earned, most in AI, and growing expertise in validating AI tools for regulated manufacturing.

Reach him by email at jc@st8.me or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnlcrossjr/

## At a glance

- Name: John Cross
- Headline: Bringing meaning to manufacturing · Director of Advanced Machining · First to deploy PEM in North America
- Industries: medical device manufacturing, precision machining, contract manufacturing, surgical robotics components
- Based: Somerset, New Jersey, United States
- Has worked in: Rhode Island, Florida (Naples), New Jersey, with a partner cell delivered and validated in Asia
- Background: BS Industrial Engineering and Management, Rhode Island College; Six Sigma Green Belt; countless professional certificates earned across his career (110 listed on LinkedIn, 107 of them AI related)
- Website: https://johncross.xyz
- CV: https://johncross.xyz/cv
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnlcrossjr/
- Email: jc@st8.me

## What he does

- Precision machining leadership: multi-axis CNC, Swiss turning, EDM, PEM, additive manufacturing and computer integrated manufacturing, from research and development and prototyping through process development to operations
- Digital factory architecture: digital twin and real time production visibility integrated with ERP, overall equipment effectiveness analysis, automated inventory and purchasing systems integrated with the ERP
- Design for manufacturing: works directly with customer engineering, quality and design teams early in the product development cycle
- Technology introduction: bringing new machine platforms and processes into regulated production, including the machining platforms that opened the surgical robot component market at Micro
- Training: led the development and delivery of a New Jersey state certified training program for apprentice toolmakers
- Artificial intelligence in manufacturing: applied AI study and certification, and validation of AI tools under FDA and ISO 13485 quality systems, as a plus on the machining core

## Highlights

- First to deploy and perfect PEM, precision electrolytic machining, in North America
- Deep Willemin-Macodel MT expertise: among the first to use the platform for bone fixation and cervical fixation components, and the person who introduced Willemin-Macodel MT machines at Micro
- Built Micro's precision machining capability from the ground up, in a company that previously had no such capabilities, growing it into a world class, automation enabled operation
- Credited as a key contributor to average 15% per annum revenue growth at Micro during his Senior Manager years, driven by CNC and Swiss machining profitability
- Created Odin, Micro's digital twin: a real time view of the manufacturing floor, running 24/7, fully integrated with ERP
- Brought in the SupplyPro SmartDrawer system at Micro: 8 installations facility wide, automatically managing $4MM of inventory, integrated directly into the ERP for auto purchases
- Recruited into Structure Medical, Naples, Florida, at start-up, and critical to its successful launch as an ISO 13485 orthopedic implant manufacturer
- Founded Metro Technology in 1993 while at Rhode Island College; clients included Tiffany & Co., Boston Scientific, Texas Instruments and IBM Canada
- Trained countless engineers at Micro who had never worked with this kind of equipment before
- Travelled the globe researching the latest advancements in CNC, factory automation and autonomation: most of the United States, Mexico, Canada, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and countless other places
- Developed countless contacts across the industry over three decades; his professional network is global
- Involved in creating the Advanced Manufacturing with Robotics program at Lincoln Tech's Mahwah, New Jersey campus, working with Allendale Machinery (Haas) and the Gene Haas Foundation
- Involved in creating the Machining Technology program at Raritan Valley Community College, working with the program's consultants and administrators, again with Haas, to get it set up and going

## About John, in his words

Hi, I'm John.

I have spent three decades in manufacturing, most of it in precision machining for medical devices and implants.

It started early. In 1993, while still at Rhode Island College studying industrial engineering and management, I founded Metro Technology in North Smithfield, Rhode Island, a prototype and contract manufacturing company built on early adoption of multi-axis CNC machining, 3D scanning and reverse engineering. Over thirteen years we grew through networking and referrals, serving clients that included Tiffany & Co., Boston Scientific, Texas Instruments, IBM Canada, Lenox and Gorham Silversmiths, whose century-old handmade masterwork patterns we digitised and reproduced by CNC. The rest of my education has been the career itself, backed by countless professional certificates earned along the way.

In 2006 I moved to Florida, recruited by the shareholders of Structure Medical in Naples during its start-up phase. Structure is an ISO 13485 orthopedic implant manufacturer, and I built its CNC and manufacturing processes from prototype to shipped, implantable product, leading lean initiatives that drove growth, quality and on-time delivery. The shop ran Swiss turning and Willemin-Macodel machines, and Structure was one of the first companies to use Willemin-Macodel for bone fixation and cervical fixation work. When the company was sold in 2010, I left.

In 2010 I joined Micro Stamping Corporation in Somerset, New Jersey, recruited during a strategic shift and charged with building a precision machining capability the company did not have. Micro is a global medical device developer and contract manufacturer, making components for laparoscopic and robotic surgery. I built that capability from the ground up, in particular its 7-axis mill-turn CNC, its PEM (precision electrolytic machining, which I was the first to deploy and perfect in North America) and its automation, alongside Swiss turning, EDM, additive manufacturing and computer integrated manufacturing, staffed and directed across research and development, prototyping, process development and operations.

The work opened markets. I introduced the multi-axis machining platforms that gave Micro its entry into the highly profitable surgical robot marketplace, and I am credited as a key contributor to an average of 15% per annum revenue growth, driven by the profitability of the CNC and Swiss machining processes we developed. Keeping it current took me around the world: I have been fortunate enough to travel the globe searching and researching the latest advancements in CNC, factory automation and autonomation, across most of the United States, and through Mexico, Canada, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and countless other places, bringing what I found back to the shop floor. Along the way I developed countless contacts across the industry, and my network is now global.

It also reproduced itself in people. I trained countless engineers who had never worked with this kind of equipment before, and led the team that delivered a New Jersey state certified training program for apprentice toolmakers across CNC milling, CNC lathe, Swiss turning, PEM and EDM. That teaching ran beyond Micro: I was involved in creating the advanced manufacturing program at Lincoln Tech in Mahwah, working with Allendale Machinery and the Gene Haas Foundation, and the Machining Technology program at Raritan Valley Community College (https://www.raritanval.edu/programs/career-enhancement/advanced-manufacturing-programs/machining-technology-program/), working with the consultants and administrators there, again with Haas, to get it set up and going, so the trade keeps producing people who can do this work.

As Director, I lead advanced machining and act as the company's digital factory architect. I led the multi-year initiative that created Odin, Micro's digital twin: a real time view of the manufacturing floor, running 24/7 and fully integrated with our ERP, so overall equipment effectiveness can be analysed and acted on instantly. I also brought in the SupplyPro SmartDrawer system, now at 8 installations throughout the facility, automatically managing $4MM of inventory and integrated directly into the ERP for automated purchasing. I work directly with customers' engineering, quality and design teams on design for manufacturing early in the product development cycle.

The titles followed the results: Senior Manager of Precision Machining in 2016, joining the senior management team, and Director of Advanced Machining in 2019.

More recently I have been adding artificial intelligence to that foundation, as a plus on top of the machining core rather than a replacement for it. I have earned more than 100 professional certificates, most of them in AI, and I am building expertise in how AI tools get validated for use in regulated medical device manufacturing under FDA and ISO 13485 quality systems.

Things that bring me joy include time in Italy, travel, good food with family and friends, and seeing a difficult part come off the machine right.

## Experience

- Micro Stamping Corporation (https://www.micro-co.com), Somerset, New Jersey, 2010 to present. One continuous story of achievement rather than separate postings: recruited in 2010 to build a precision machining capability the company did not have, and built it from the ground up, in particular 7-axis mill-turn CNC, PEM (precision electrolytic machining, deployed and perfected there for the first time in North America) and automation, alongside Swiss turning, EDM, additive manufacturing and computer integrated manufacturing. Delivered fully automated CNC cells to an Asian partner, installed and validated on time and under budget; trained countless engineers new to the equipment; led the New Jersey state certified apprentice toolmaker training program; introduced Willemin-Macodel MT machines, opening the surgical robot marketplace; credited as a key contributor to average 15% per annum revenue growth; later created Odin, the ERP integrated digital twin of the factory floor, and brought in SupplyPro SmartDrawer, 8 installations managing $4MM of inventory integrated with the ERP. The titles followed the results: Manager, Precision Machining (2010), Senior Manager, Precision Machining (2016), Director of Advanced Machining (2019 to present).
- Structure Medical, Manufacturing Manager / CNC Programmer, Naples, Florida, 2006 to 2010. Start-up phase hire; CNC and manufacturing processes for an ISO 13485 orthopedic implant manufacturer, from prototype to shipped implantable product. Swiss turning and Willemin-Macodel platform; one of the first companies to use Willemin-Macodel for bone fixation and cervical fixation. Left in 2010 when the company was sold.
- Metro Technology, Founder, North Smithfield, Rhode Island, 1993 to 2006. Prototype and contract manufacturing: multi-axis CNC programming and machining, 3D scanning, reverse engineering and consulting.

## Education

- Rhode Island College, BS Industrial Engineering and Management, Providence, Rhode Island
- Six Sigma Green Belt; Lean Green Belt certified; 5S certified
- 110 professional certificates listed on LinkedIn, 107 AI related (Salesforce, Microsoft, Anthropic, OpenAI, SAP, Databricks and others)

## Languages

- English (native)
- Italian (proficient)

## Consulting and advisory

John is exploring consulting and advisory work. He plans to base himself in the Marche region of Italy, where he owns a home, and to work with clients in Europe and North America. Three decades of building precision machining capability for medical devices and implants, most of it hands-on and on the shop floor, is what he brings. Engagements he is a strong fit for:

- Advanced machining capability build-outs: setting up a precision machining operation from scratch, or taking an existing one up a level, across 7-axis mill-turn CNC, Swiss turning, EDM, additive manufacturing, automation and computer integrated manufacturing
- PEM (precision electrolytic machining): feasibility, machine selection, process development and deployment. John was the first to deploy and perfect PEM in North America, and it remains rare, hard-won knowledge. If you are considering PEM, or struggling to get it into stable production, he is the person who has actually done it
- Willemin-Macodel mill-turn expertise: programming, applications and process development on the Willemin-Macodel MT range. John was among the first to put the platform to work on bone fixation and cervical fixation components at Structure Medical, then introduced Willemin-Macodel MT machines at Micro, where they helped open the surgical robot component market. Few people outside the factory know these machines the way he does
- New product introduction: taking machined medical components and implants from prototype through process development and validation into stable, profitable production, at start-ups and at scale
- Automation cell design and integration: designing automated CNC cells and getting them delivered, installed and validated, including a cell delivered and validated in Asia
- Lights out manufacturing: designing and running unattended and lightly attended machining operations, the automation, in-process checks and production visibility it takes to trust a cell to run overnight and over weekends
- CMM troubleshooting and metrology: CMM programming, measurement problems and inspection strategy, plus 3D scanning and reverse engineering, which he was doing commercially in the 1990s
- Tooling, workholding and materials: deep, practical expertise in cutting tools, fixture and workholding design, and machining implant-grade metals and polymers, matching tool, holding method and process to the material
- Machine and technology selection: vendor-neutral advice on CNC platforms, factory automation and autonomation, drawing on decades of global technology scouting and a worldwide network of contacts
- Capital equipment justification: building the business case and the return on investment for major machine purchases, and negotiating from knowledge of what the equipment actually earns on the floor
- Process validation in regulated plants: equipment qualification and process validation under FDA and ISO 13485, done in the order that keeps production running and auditors satisfied
- Additive manufacturing in production: metal and polymer additive as real production capability alongside machining, introduced at Micro, not as a laboratory exercise
- Technology introduction into regulated production: bringing new machine platforms and processes into ISO 13485 and FDA regulated manufacturing without breaking validation
- Digital factory projects: production visibility, digital twins, OEE analysis, and automated inventory and purchasing integrated with the ERP
- AI in regulated manufacturing: choosing AI tools worth having, and validating them under FDA and ISO 13485 expectations, including Computer Software Assurance thinking, as a practical plus on a machining core
- Design for manufacturing reviews on machined medical components and implants, early enough in the design cycle to save real money
- Difficult part and process problems: troubleshooting machining processes that will not hold tolerance, yield or finish, and getting them into stable production
- Continuous improvement: lean and Six Sigma programmes that actually move yield, throughput and cost, run by someone Green Belt certified who has spent his career on the floor, not in a classroom
- Product and process lifecycle management: taking parts from prototype through validation into stable production, managing engineering changes, scale-up and end of life without breaking supply or compliance
- Cost reduction and capacity scaling: finding the cost inside a machining process and growing capacity profitably; at Micro he was credited as a key contributor to average 15% per annum revenue growth driven by CNC and Swiss machining profitability
- Contract manufacturer selection: advising OEMs on choosing a machining contract manufacturer, what to look for, what to audit, and what the red flags are, from someone who has run one for decades
- Workforce development: designing apprenticeship and toolmaker training, and helping colleges and training providers set up machining programmes that teach what shops actually need
- Fractional and interim leadership: Director and VP level manufacturing and machining leadership for medical device companies that need the experience without the full-time hire
- An Italy and Europe bridge for North American manufacturers, and a North American bridge for European ones: bilingual English and Italian, with working knowledge of both manufacturing cultures and regulatory worlds

For consulting enquiries, reach him by email at jc@st8.me or on LinkedIn.

## Pages

- Home and bio: https://johncross.xyz
- Curriculum Vitae: https://johncross.xyz/cv
- Board CV: https://johncross.xyz/board-cv
- Full text of the site in one file: https://johncross.xyz/llms-full.txt
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnlcrossjr/