Corey Leeson Email & Phone Number

Mentor, Oh, Us

Euclid, Oh, Us

Led research and development at the lab and pilot scale to convert neodymium oxide to neodymium metal through, acid digestion, drying, vacuum drying, calciothermic reduction, and vacuum distillation, to establish a domestic rare earth manufacturing capability.Hit key milestone of producing >99% neodymium metal with best results reaching 99.6% NdWorked with partner organizations to prioritize experimental trials, develop new processes, and update techno-economic assessmentsWrote quarterly reports on the progress of research, and presented research findings both internally to Terves and externally to the Critical Materials Institute a U.S. DOE Energy Innovation Hub

Implemented mold covers on shell molds to prevent slurry getting into the pour cups and to reduce casting inclusions.Wrote work instructions for ISO-9001:2015 - AS9100D and trained employees on those instructions.Evaluated scrap casting and implemented engineering trials to reduce scrap.Led company in mapping safety FMEAsWorked with customers to issue RMAs, evaluate customer returns, and complete corrective actions.Created and issued product certifications to customers including chemistry, mechanical testing, heat treat, and non destructive testing as required.Verified incoming raw materials are within specifications.

Solon, Ohio, Us

Established hazard assessment program for evaluating new and existing pieces of equipment. Ensured that all hazards were addressed through engineering controls, personal protective equipment, or standard operating procedures.Performed daily walk-through audits of lab and production areas and worked with facilities manager and supervisors to insure that safety issues were corrected.Updated and implemented emergency action plan and developed system for notifying employees of emergency situations.Purchased and implemented system for fall protection and confined space entry.

Solon, Ohio, Us

Established protocol for testing hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of biosurfactants for their use in emulsions.Established protocol for making and evaluating emulsions to determine their stabilityWorked with design engineering and R&D management to develop a novel ceramic based fermentorLearned and used aseptic techniques for making cultures of different bacteria strains.

Ludwigshafen, De

Led setup and establishment of new calcination laboratory and equipment used for solid state synthesis of lithium ion battery cathode powders.Developed, implemented, and maintained safety protocols for lab personnel, including hazard assessments, experimental advisories, and standard operating procedures.Supervised laboratory with a zero-incident mindset for safe laboratory operations. Planned experiments and consistently adhered to deadlines. Implemented upgrades to furnace capabilities through management of change (MOC) to allow processing of an entire class of new cathode formulations.Trained in Voice of the Customer (VOC), measurement system analysis (MSA), Design of Experiments (DOE), High Throughput Testing (HTT) and other DFSS techniques.

Us

Supervised the Level III Metallographer, Testing Coordinator, and lab technicians and insured that metallurgical analysis, mechanical testing, and chemical testing were completed in a timely fashion for engineering studies, part qualifications, machine qualifications, customer audits and shipments. Approved and released to the foundry over 3 million pounds of alloy, valued at over 40 million dollars, per year. Rejected non-conforming master heats as necessary.Provided data to engineering on the affects of master heat chemistry on part yields to assist in the establishment of chemical constituent ranges of new and existing alloys.Wrote, updated, and maintained work instructions for the metallurgical lab as well as purchase specifications for all alloys. Approved all HIP and Heat Treat procedures for outside vendors and insured that they complied with customer specifications. Reviewed and dispositioned all non-conforming loads. Eliminated non-value added steps in the manufacture of metallurgical mounts through the implementation of novel molding techniques.Analyzed process data to determine the root cause of mechanical testing failures and modified procedures to prevent their re-occurrence.Worked with customers on incorporating specification revisions and other quality issues.Wrote and received approval for capital projects that improved the safety and efficiency of laboratory personnel.Issued corrective actions, and identified significant areas for improvement, while performing internal audits of employees and work instructions in preparation for AS 9100 audits.Interacted with customers and suppliers to answer customer questions and complaints, reported results of audit findings, and issue corrective actions for areas of improvement.

Portland, Or, Us

As leader of the shell process improvement team, reduced variation in several KIVs by over 50% through improved testing techniques and the implementation of new equipment.As a member of the team chosen to implement the new multi-million dollar shell room, reviewed and made recommendation on quotations, determined and specified equipment and materials required, wrote and established procedures for the operation and maintenance of the equipment. Wrote, updated, and maintained work instructions for equiax and DS/SX shell rooms to comply with AS-9100Trained in Design of Experiments (DOE) and other statistical techniques using MinitabWorked with part specific process engineers to establish mold weight specification for all part numbers lacking these specifications.

As technical owner of the shelling department, analyzed data to determine processing variables that have a negative impact on foreign material scrap, and implemented procedures to prevent these conditions.As technical owner of dewax, reduced shell cracking from 28% to 10% through better use and placement of wax vents and wax “slip” on cores.As technical owner of shell mold prep, established mold prep part specific instructions, manufactured templates, and implemented the use of these templates to obtain reproducible Kaowool wrapping techniques.Wrote, updated and maintained shelling, core, mold prep, sand, and foundry department procedures, as well as individual part specific procedures for shelling, wax assembly, and sand to comply with ISO-9001 2000.Identified and eliminated non-value added operations in the processing of castings to reduce cost and increase throughput.

Windsor, Berkshire, Gb

Supervised the production of lead zirconate lead titanate (PZT) powder including the operations of weighing, wet mixing, drying, calcining, ball milling, and spray drying.Wrote, updated, and maintained powder prep procedures and control plans (including process capability) for ISO-9001 2000Performed internal ISO audits, and led company in submitting preventative action requests.Trained in Six Sigma principles of lean manufacturing to minimize bottlenecks and lead-time.Insured that confined space entry safety procedures were followed correctly.Operated cold isostatic press to reduce porosity in ceramic components.

Westlake, Oh, Us

Provided metallurgical technical support to various business groups including failure analysis, INSTRON testing, hardness testing, SEM/EDS and metallography. Evaluated customer-supplied adhesives, sealants, and coatings, using optical microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and other testing methods, to determine system parameters and compatibility with Nordson equipment. Tested samples of powders for electrostatic powder coating operations for particle size distribution and ability to fluidize.Analyzed and tested competing materials for new product development. Enabled automotive business group to use laboratory services by writing and updating laboratory procedures for QS-9000

Maintained and controlled accurate inventory of finished products, raw materials, and packaging valued between $5 and 20 million dollars.Wrote and edited procedures for ISO-9002 certificationSupervised forklift operators in shipping and inventory maneuvers.

Manufactured ultra high purity ceramic components for use in sputtering targets through high temperature processing, grinding, ball milling, pressing and cold isostatic pressing.

Bs, Ceramic Engineering, Metallurgy

Education record