The activities of K. Hoffman & Associates, Inc. involve consulting and problem solving quality, operating and maintenance problems on coating lines including Galvanize, Galvalume and Aluminizing. These efforts are centered mainly in the pot area. Major attention is placed on details, operator and maintenance training and providing an understanding of how equipment is designed to work. This is supported with emphasis on proven and well documented procedures.Focus areas include:Resolving knife related defect problems such as plugging, edge build up, etc.Addressing coating weight and profile issues.Providing an understanding of how an air/N2 knife is designed to work. This understanding is critical in developing both offline and online practices for best performance.Evaluating the offline knife setup work and providing corrective steps for best performance. Building clear well documented procedures.Providing the what and why aides in improving decision making.Providing and understanding of what is required to properly control the jet.Supporting operating and maintenance personnel by providing both hands on and classroom training. As the knowledge level increases so does performance.Roll rig setup work both on and offline.Strip stability, a major key in coating performance.Online knife operating practices, angles, elevation and distance as they relate to line speed and product being produced for best performance.Providing greater understanding of how other process variables affect coating control and quality.

Responsibilities included product development, consulting and sales. This further developed into helping customers solve operating problems and providing full fledged training.

Through the course of thirty years held various operating manager positions. This included the Pickle Line, Tandem Mill, Roll Shop and the last seventeen years the Galvanize Line. Being continuous improvement driven successes include delay reduction, yield increases, training development, people development, implementation of integrated process control and major equipment design changes.