Eric Schaefer Email & Phone Number

Orlando, Florida, US

• Direct leadership of 8 controls engineers, 2 project managers, and dotted line technical management of 5 Support Engineers providing 24/7 support to 19 distribution center clients. Responsible for project management.
• PC based Steeplechase PLC code, Allen Bradley DeviceNet fieldbus 1799 cards for distributed control and PowerFlex variable frequency drives
• Fieldbus Ethernet or Siemens Profinet Vital Systems Smart3G cards for distributed controlNew distribution center system controls architecture and HMI development from Steeplechase to Siemens Step7 and Visual Basic to.

Owner, then and now

Managing design responsibility for 4 engineers creating a safety system design using wired and wireless CIP safety protocol for two major projects with an International Theme Park Company. Coordination between a wayside control system and up to 20 vehicles moving autonomously within a dark ride environment. Additional challenges in addressing overall.

Arlington, VA, US

- Strategic consulting, process and design strategy development- Support Boeing robotic applications; concept development, process improvement, new process development- Supervise lab employees in training and testing- Perform mechanical / electrical design, concept development to implementation / integration

Alpharetta, GA, US

Alpharetta, GA, US

Zurich, ZH, CH

Detroit, Michigan, US

• Subject Matter Expert in Robotic Dispensing and Painting equipment. Lead design engineer responsible for Paint, Body Shop, and General Assembly cell design and commonization for sealer, Liquid Applied Sound Dampener.
• Project management and plant interface responsible for installation of all dispensing applications across 11 plants over a 2-year period in the Paint Shops.
• Coordinated corporate wide commonization of vision equipment for offset calculation and process complete verification from 11 different vendors to 2 with increased functionality.
• Project Manager for the GM Gravatai Brazil Paintshop throughput increase project. Responsible for process improvement evaluation and cycle time reduction, asset procurement and refurbishment, mechanical and electrical.
• Continuing managing and production support responsibilities for all North American facilities.

Detroit, Michigan, US

• Managed engineers in support and installation capacities across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
• Lead controls engineer for install and startup in 4 assembly plants—totaling 92 new robots over a 3-year period.
• Lead design engineer interfacing with the Opel organization in Germany, consolidating Paint, Body Shop, and General Assembly mechanical and electrical designs.
• Educator at the plants in cell operation, programming methodologies, vision training, and debug techniques.
• Created the first full robotic dispensing cell simulation using Robcad software.
• Volunteered for 6 months of cross training in the Body Shop, learning processing and installation differences to find the best practices and implement them across all manufacturing areas.

Detroit, Michigan, US

• Created a universal interface design for use across the cell monitoring system, robotic, dispensing, and vision systems regardless of manufacturer for all manufacturing areas
• Lobbied the Paint and Polymers Engineering (PP&E) organization to co-author training and lessons learned documents for newly hired employees and vendors.
• Shared testing responsibilities with the PP&E for all dispensing equipment.
• Provided installation, startup, and production support for robotic dispensing cells in 8 facilities over 3 years.
• Created the business case for new equipment, layout planning, and manpower / material cost reductions.
• Worked 1 year on backup and restoration testing of production equipment, evaluating 6 different software packages, a procedure that was adopted plant wide.

Detroit, Michigan, US

• Only robotics engineer in a group of 18 employees solely responsible for installation, startup, and production support for 9 production facilities in the US, Canada, and Mexico totaling 122 robots.
• Lead installation, startup, and ongoing production support for 2 new facilities: Janesville, WI, and Arlington, TX.
• Support engineer developing the HMI interface for the first automated dispensing cell installation at the Shreveport, LA, assembly plant totaling 8 new robots.
• Learned the Elpo/Phosphate dip process and oven controls while simultaneously supporting 11 new automated windshield and rear glass decking applications.

Rochester Hills, MI, US

Rochester Hills, MI, US

Masters, Microelectronics And Controls

Masters, Microelectronics

Bachelor Of Science - Electrical Engineering, Controls & Robotics Engineering

Associate Of Science, Mechatronics, Robotics, And Automation Engineering

Associates Of Science - Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering

Bsee, Controls & Automation

Associates, Electrical Engineering Technology

Associates, Robotics Engineering Technology