Lean Lines LLC is an independent prototype development and rapid R&D lab operated soley by Dustin Burd, a mechanical engineering graduate and hands-on product development consultant. Dustin’s work focuses on helping early-stage ideas become functional, testable, and tangible hardware through a practical blend of mechanical design, CAD, machining, prototyping, embedded systems, and creative problem-solving.
Education, Publications & Recognition
- Academic Credentials
- Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Dynamic Systems and Controls), University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2020
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2018
- Published Academic Thesis
- Burd, Dustin Walter, “Validation of Novel Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment with Silicone Gel Experimental Models” (2020). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 4043. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/23469713
- Contributed Research & Acknowledgments of Support
- R. C. Wang, S. Shah, J. Moxley, E. Kubiak, and M. F. Shand, “Feasibility of Laryngeal Joint Replacement: A Proof of Concept Study in Cadavers,” The Laryngoscope 135, no. 8 (2025): 2819–2823. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.32120
Core Capabilities & Professional Experience
- Advanced CAD Modeling & Mechanism Design
- More than 20 years of experience with mechanical design, parametric modeling, and SolidWorks workflows, including advanced mesh-to-parametric conversion for medical scan datasets such as CT and MRI segmentations.
- Rapid Prototyping & Studio Operations
- Founder and director of an independent rapid R&D lab focused on practical prototype development & testing, custom microcontroller firmware design for electromechanical systems, and additive manufacturing optimization.
- Compliant Bio-Anatomical Modeling/Fabrication
- Unique specialization designing, fabricating and testing encapsulated silicone gel components that replicate human tissue dynamics.
- Precision Machining & Tooling Foundations
- Hands-on background in tool-and-die machining, prototype model making, automation engineering, silicone mold design.
My Path
My path into product development started early. Summer jobs in a plastic injection molding shop showed me how ideas become physical products and how much discipline it takes to make something real. That experience led me into apprenticeships in tool-and-die machining, prototype model making, and automation engineering. Each role taught a different skill set, but all of them reinforced the same lesson: good work depends on clear, repeatable processes.
Later, while working as an associate engineer, I realized that practical experience had taken me a long way—but formal engineering training would help me go further. I returned to school, worked through community college, earned my mechanical engineering degree, joined a research team, completed graduate work, and taught upper-division engineering laboratory courses.
After graduating, I committed to building the kind of work I had always wanted to do: helping people turn promising ideas into working prototypes. Two ideas continue to shape my approach. The first is the lean startup principle of learning quickly through practical iteration. The second is the Toyota concept of gemba—going to the real place where the problem exists, understanding it directly, and improving from there.
In 2021, I launched Lean Lines LLC to bring that approach into independent consulting. Since then, I have continued refining my tools, workflows, and prototype development methods through client work, internal projects, and emerging technologies. My goal is simple: help capable people test serious ideas, reduce uncertainty, and build something real.
Please note: Although I have held engineering titles with prior employers and earned degrees in mechanical engineering, I am a product development and R&D consultant. I am not a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), and I do not offer certified professional engineering services.