SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Successful Senior Project / Product / Manufacturing Engineer with a proven track record in product development, process improvement and technical troubleshooting within the paper industry. Extensive experience in cost reduction efforts, high-speed coating design, managing vendor resources, and mill-to-mill product transitions. Skilled at problem solving, multi-tasking, organization and data collection / analysis. Continually partnering with operations and management to enhance products, improve efficiencies, and meet operational goals.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
OWENS CORNING - Aiken, SC
Manufacturing Engineer: Coating Line
2011 - present
Continually working to minimize product transition waste and optimize process, brought 5 new coated fiberglass products into production, eliminated raw material processing issues, and analyze customer complaints to determine root cause and implement permanent solutions. Member of 4-person team that won OC’s 2013 “Pinnacle Award” for development of new coated glass mat for roofing board application. Completed efforts to increase Line throughput by 30% in 2013.
NEWPAGE – Luke, MD (Formerly MeadWestvaco and Westvaco)
Senior Project / Product Engineer - Product Development
2001 – 2010
Worked on projects to develop new grades of paper, minimize raw materials costs, and enhance / transition existing grades. Expertise with sheetfed, web and C1S coated free-sheet grades.
• Redesigned coatings to accept alternate raw materials, resulting in $1 MM annual cost savings, starting in 2009. Substitutions included latex, optical brightener, polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), and ground calcium carbonate, resulting in no loss of paper functionality or properties.
• Introduction of additional raw material substitutions in 2010 will lead to an additional $1 MM in projected annual savings (Rheocarb 120 thickener and FP-290 TiO2 extender). Other cost-saving materials previously trialed include: Ecosphere natural binder / wet end & coating precipitated calcium carbonate / PVOH-for-latex substitution / polyethylene glycol-for-plastic pigment substitution.
• Completed Lean Six Sigma study resulting in annual savings of $85K for Matte Grade Coat Weight Reduction Project.
• Developed stand-alone Matte grades for 10 – 20% reduction in coating costs.
• Administered mill’s grade rationalization effort after purchase of StoraEnso’s North American assets. Successfully moved grades from other mills to best utilize our mill’s equipment to maximize company’s production flexibility. Afterward, implemented major restyling changes to consolidate both companies’ grade lines with little off-quality production and essentially no customer complaints.
• Teamed with production personnel in various trouble-shooting efforts: increased coating solids to run 3% faster, minimized vessel segment picking, reduced backing roll build-up, resolved customer mottle complaints, eliminated supercalender sticking, and minimized slitter dust.
• Performed as product steward for mill’s coated-two side sheet-fed and web grades, minimizing costs by ensuring paper did not exceed optical targets or physical specifications.
• Researched various customer quality issues for on-site Technical Field Service rep. & Quality Assurance Department, resulting in improved mottle on Web Dull grades and segregation of marginal lots of paper.
• Led mill’s grade rationalization effort after Mead - Westvaco merger. Received special monetary award as recognition for high level of success and timely completion of task.
• Completed successful transition of heavyweight sheet-fed grades from obsolete, smaller machines to larger, less-operationally compatible machines. Organized pilot-scale coater projects with Dow, Omya, Huber, BASF, Beloit, Omnova, and Mead Central Research to determine cause of mottle on heavyweight grades and to optimize coating formulations. Arranged follow-up paper machine and printing trials to validate results.
• Formulated changes to Yearbook grades that improved ink drying time by 50% and returned ink scuff to pre-grade transition levels.
Project Engineer - Product Development
1991 – 2000
Built experience through grade design, new equipment, and chemistry-related projects, gaining increasing levels of responsibility.
• Led successful conversion from acid- to alkaline-based wet end chemistry, enabling 3-point brightness incre...
Login or Register to view the full resume.
