Bob Preston Email and Phone Number

As a Senior Manufacturing Development Engineer at GKN Aerospace Engineering Services, I am a Project Lead, developing new, robust processes and introducing new materials to aid manufacture. Additionally, I apply LEAN problem solving techniques (A3s, 8Ds) to support production, ensuring design specifications and aggressive quality tolerances are met, creating documentation to support and direct operations. Precise organisational skills with clear communication are necessary to dynamically steer projects through the multi-disciplined departments. Delicate liaising with numerous stake holders is required to promote production enhancements, often within commercially sensitive projects with a large economic impact.

A founding Director of Composite Craft Ltd, a composite manufacturing company specialising in high-tech custom craft and components. The role involved all aspects of business; client liaison, contract bidding, project management, accountancy, marketing, design, research and development, procurement, manufacture, employee management and liaising with designers and clients to aid further product development. I jointly ran Composite Craft for over eight years and was responsible for many successful projects whilst ensuring safe, effective, and efficient manufacturing methods to reduce time and cost, and maintain quality.Key achievements:• Vestas Sail Rocket 2, World Sailing Speed Record (65.45 knots): produced tooling on in-house CNC machine, Carbon fibre moulds and autoclaved the Main Foil and compression moulded the Rudder.• International 14; development of a pre-preg/nomex high performance dinghy which won 4 World Championships uninterrupted:, an impressive first in the class’s 100 year history. • Development of lifting hydrofoils and trim-tabbed centre-boards for various dinghy classes; compression moulding using in-house designed and manufactured CNC tooling and foam cores.• Selected by the Royal Yachting Association to manufacture Team GBRs Sonar keelboat and optimisation of a 2.4 metre keelboat for competition at the Paralympics, Beijing 2009. • America’s Cup test tank models: 1/4 scale for GBR Challenge 2004 and 1/9 scale for United Team Germany 2006. • Ellen Macarthur’s Tri-maran, B&Q/Castorama: Navigation station designed and engineered to fold and fit through the small hatch at the build site in Australia. • Numerous carbon fibre Foils for solo circumnavigating Open 60 yachts.