Dan Shangraw, P.E.

I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) from Western Michigan University. I got started in LabVIEW when I was an intern working for a startup medical device company in Kalamazoo, MI. We had a functional tester that tested our products, however it was built with electrical timers, and relays etc. Every time we needed to make a change we had to adjust a pot or add another component. My boss at the time was doing some research at WMU where I went to college. The professor there was doing some work with LabVIEW. My boss was impressed with LabVIEW and asked me to learn it. I went to some free hands on introduction to LabVIEW and data acquisition seminars put on by NI and jumped in. I then developed functional and cycle testers for our products using some PCI DAQ cards. This was a huge leap in productivity, now all we had to do to make a change was change the software! Unfortunately the company I was working for ran out of money and I got laid off. After bouncing around for a few years in various engineering jobs, in 2002 I decided to start my own LabVIEW consulting company Automated Software Technology I have been working for myself ever since. I have had the good fortune of becoming an NI alliance member, a Certified LabVIEW Architect, a Certified Professional Instructor, a Licensed Professional Engineer and a LabVIEW Champion. It has been an unbelievable ride. I have worked on some incredible projects, met some amazing people, and learned so much.