Brian Curtis Email & Phone Number

Sunnyvale, Ca

Developed custom capital automation equipment jointly with vendors to produce fuel cell stacks to ramp up production to high volume manufacturingWrote thorough procurement specifications to define new automation tool for vendors to quote on Sustained and improved automation equipment through pareto analysis problem solving and constant improvement or “kaizen”Managed equipment vendors including the procurement of material for manufacturing as well as cost reduction negotiations resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars savedDesign fixtures, gages, and manufacturing tools using Solidworks 3D modeling software to reduce cycle time, material, motion or direct labor

Led efforts to improved interior and exterior vehicle part quality by working with both North American and Japanese component suppliers and In-House shops Solved supplier part and process systemic problems that cause flow out of defects through experience and data driven investigation with suppliers Developed quality processes for defect containment and flow out prevention for quality critical suppliers and internal departmentsMentored interns and junior engineers in Toyota quality best practices - Interior Parts ResponsibleDeveloped quality systems training material that increased the knowledge base and the investigational capability of junior quality engineersCreated design change recommendations and supplier tuning orders, improving the overall fit and finish of all the parts requestedUtilized 2D/3D solid-modeling software to review drawings for quality and manufacturability - Exterior Parts ResponsibleLed a cross-functional workgroup in charge of improving Exterior J.D. Powers Initial Quality score and warranty claims for the '05 Toyota Tacoma by 50%Implemented cost savings suggestions improving vehicle quality and reducing costs, one of which saved the company $400,000 per yearDeveloped color matching quality policy which harmonized colors from part suppliers and internal paint and plastic molding departments - Weld Quality ResponsibleAuthored the Weld Quality Manual insuring the containment and defect flow out of weld quality issues within the Body ShopLead monthly weld quality meetings to identify critical quality issues and coordinate countermeasure implementationCreated the weld containment program for a new vehicle body style to prevent defective welds from flowing out to the next shop

Performed quality inspections on first article parts before production runsDocumented procedures in the process of becoming ISO 9000 certified

Designed a fixture to support a micrometer stage on a pick and place devicePerformed FMEA in preparation for process improvement and validationDevelopment and documented operating procedures for the manufacturing of a new productUpdated wiring schematics for manufacturing equipment using AutoCAD