Resolve customer tooling issues for on going and existing tooling applications utilizing Kennametal tools. Support for distribution accounts with all tooling sales / opportunities managed through CRM. Liaison engineer between Kennametal and the distributor or end user customer dealing with pricing, quality, availability, performance or shipping issues related to tooling sales. Provide training for new tooling roll outs for the distributor sales force or customer end user work force. Maintain on going application training to the distributor sales force or end user customers work force.

Manufacturing Engineer with responsibility for tool design and process support for the production of large satellite antennas both standard and custom builds. Other areas of responsibilities include AFE (capital project) justification and implementation associated with large antenna manufacturing. A lot of the tool ups were for the military and fell under ITAR regulations. I participated in the 12.2M (MET) antenna launch and provided tooling support - radial arm rotary welding fixture design and build, stretch die design and build, water jet fixture design and build and miscellaneous other fixtures and tools associated with this launch. I also participated in Kaizen events associated with value stream mapping of existing product lines and Kan banning system for dedicated product lines. Most of the Kaizen events I participate in involved cell configuration and building conveyance carts with built in Poka-yokes to insure that the right parts were located on the cart ready for the next operation / a pull system. Typically (daily support) my responsibilities at GD consisted of process support for the Steel Weld Shop, Aluminum Weld Shop, Shaping and Machine Shops dealing with non-conforming parts and being the liaison between product engineering and the production departments.

All aspects of capital projects, tool design and process trouble shooting. Manager over the Proto Shop, Tool & Die Makers and Engineering Technicians. Accountability for all in-process hard tooling and perishable tooling and the trouble shooting of production processes. Additionally, I managed all tooling projects for new product (synchronizers and clutch plates) tool ups. I also maintained a tooling PM program for all hard tooling per TS16949 standards with additional responsibility as an auditor for TS16949 re-certification. My department provided support for all machining operations including CNC programming and trouble shooting. I was also involved in the specification and purchase of new CNC lathes (6) and a new horizontal CNC mill (pallet changer). My department was in-charge of establishing and tool up for an OCF forge (from the UK) to our plant in Texas. All machines were tooled up for cell applications.

Tool Room Supervisor / Tool Designer & Tooling Manager - supervised personnel (15) consisting of toolmakers, tool cutter grinders, and tool room attendants with additional duties of tool & gauge design. My department maintained, organized and specified all tooling for production as well as accountability for all tooling costs (perishable tooling, gauges, and fixtures). The Dresser plant had multiple product lines and buildings which housed the different product lines. I actually supervised two different tool rooms and support personnel. The main tool room supported all product lines with support for gauges, fixtures, and perishable tooling. All tooling (gauges, fixtures & perishable tooling) was housed and maintained within the main tool room. The other tool room supported the Sucker Rod plant and made, repaired and maintained all forging dies for Sucker Rod production. Dresser Industries was bought out by Halliburton and subsequently the plant (Longview) was closed in 1999.

Initially, as a Manufacturing Engineer I provided support to the machining department and was later put in-charge of this department as well as a continuous flow cell (85 mm synchronizer cell). Additionally, I was also asked to supervise the Prototype Shop which later grew into the tool room providing support to the shop floor. In the beginning this was actually a Colt plant that focused on the manufacture of friction material (Gylon) with also involved in bonding and machining operations. Coltec changed their name and later sold the plant to BorgWarner (1997). We diversified and brought in additional new customers and synchronizer product lines. Besides supervising production personnel and machinists I also provided support as a manufacturing engineer with tooling specification, process trouble shooting, CNC programming and capital project justification.