Paul Thostenson Email & Phone Number

Plymouth, Minnesota, United States

Dassel, Minnesota, United States

• Extensive background in developing solid process/product development plans through technical and business phase gate reviews and demonstrating high volume manufacturing readiness. • Able to document and communicate technical and business reviews to ensure that the process/product meet high volume manufacturing requirements.• Excellent leadership, mentoring, and organizational skills with a proven track record in process development.• Proven ability to identify the root cause of process opportunities and implement permanent solutions at domestic and offshore manufacturing sites.• Highly capable of utilizing statistical methods, Gage R & R’s, troubleshooting techniques to formulate and direct improvement plans. • Consistent use of Six Sigma Methods, FMEA, and statistical analysis of process and final audit data to understand current conditions and establish relationships between key input variables and key output variables. • Able to work independently and proactively, but also recognize the need to rely on team members to create and implement the best solutions.• Capable of creating R & D product routings and work instructions, creating and reviewing process flow options, and describe phased approaches from manual to fully automated assembly processes. • Experienced at leading small to medium size development teams for process improvement, cost reduction, and capacity improvement projects.• Consistent commitment to internal and external customer requirements.

Hutchinson, Minnesota, United States

Facilitated the collaboration between the external customer offshore design groups and diverse internal teams during DFM reviews. Cataloged and tracked DFM items throughout the negotiation process and verified that acceptable solutions were incorporated into the customer design drawings. Customer support was the highest priority and our team goal was to provide DFM, design, print feedback, and answer any questions in less than 24 hours. Responsible for launching new product activities for new component products. These activities included design, build, qualify, and implement photo tools for photolithography steps (minimum of 6) and preparation of product documentation (Bill of Operations, Bill of Material and Product Item Hierarchy).Statistically valid analysis throughout the early development cycle was critical for continuous improvement. I completed data analysis of Key Process Output Variables (KPOV) for critical photolithography steps and worked with the photo tool design, process, and quality engineering, and planning groups to initiate and implement photo tool design improvements. Changes were administered with no impact to the product build schedule.

Hutchinson, Minnesota, United States

Led projects for multiple complex and strategic initiatives for cost reduction, capacity, yield, or capability improvement. All required the use of statistically valid data analysis, attention to detail, FMEA, Six Sigma methodology (DMAIC), mentoring, cost control, teamwork, strategic implementation, and technical and business reviews.Cost Reduction: Increased manufacturing capacity by 11%, reduced component variable cost, and improved manufacturing labor use. The project was completed using HTI's phase gate framework. Yield Improvement: Eliminated yield loss spikes of 35% and reduced chronic yield loss 94.7% by implementing logistics changes and material conditioning when introducing a "critical to function" material into the manufacturing cells at three assembly locations (two domestic and one offshore). Capability Improvement: We achieved a 20% improvement in critical to function feature performance by implementing stainless steel form tool design and process adjustment changes. My team documented and trained process engineering, and manufacturing and tool room support groups on new qualification and process control techniques.Capability Improvement: Our external customer stated that product stability was now superior to competitor products after my team made process changes. We improved the Coefficient of Hygroscopic Expansion (CHE) by identifying the root causes and applying improvements to airflow and temperature control during the curing process.

Hutchinson, Minnesota, United States

Product Development: With a team of 3 process engineers and 4 technicians, I led the process development activities from initial design to transfer for mass production. We maintained and completed development plans and demonstrated high volume readiness with multiple technical and business reviews. With the help of manufacturing and industrial engineering, we created and maintained yield and utilization budgets for all assembly processes that became inputs to the financial models. Negotiated with the high volume domestic site verification testing goals and successfully demonstrated readiness. I documented and presented New Product Introduction (NPI) results with multiple offshore customers. Process Development: A member of a strategic project team to eliminate manual component inspection and automatically detect defective components before assembly. We used a detail-oriented approach to create and track thousands of defective and good parts during multiple pulses to demonstrate compliance with the reliability goals. I led multiple technical reviews and received approval to implement across multiple assembly cells. We completed updates to equipment, tooling, and product design requirements and trained three assembly receiving sites on proper use.

Hutchinson, Minnesota, United States

I was a member of a measurement system project and contributed resolution requirements, error source evaluations, tested, and verified sub-assemblies by working with Machine Design, Controls Design engineering, and Calibration groups. We worked through Measurement System Analysis (MSA) to define and demonstrate repeatability and reproducibility requirements. We completed and implemented a system that used air bearings for X, Y, and Z-axis tables, Doppler laser-controlled Z-axis positioning in an environmentally controlled lab. I created and qualified test algorithms and trained seven engineers/technicians on the system use. System was used to qualify precision form tooling and conduct research and development on thin stainless steel as well as partially etched features on thicker stainless steel foils. The management team described the development team function as the standard for all joint machine and process development projects.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Materials group team member that provided production support in the development of the next generation mainframe computer. I worked with the east coast development team to implement updates to the Bill of Operations, Bill of Materials, and initiated change request activities. Created, maintained, and communicated the Factory Operations Plan to achieve milestones throughout the development cycle.