Preston — Manufacturing Engineer

I've been programming ladder logic and compiled C code for 30+ years, and am quite good at it.

I am the architect and primary programmer for a fuel flow application consisting of over 200 HMI screens and 12000 tags

I'm adept at using Autocad and prefer command line instead of icons. It's faster that way

I've written quite a few Python applications, everything from modbus communication to data collection to parsing text files

I've installed and commissioned material handling systems, pick and places systems, air heaters, fuel heaters, thermoformers, automated braze lines, compressible flow control systems

I've successfully led industrial projects up to $2MM in scope

I've worked at a major appliance manufacturer for 20 years and have extensive experience with material handling, automated equipment installation and troubleshooting

Successfully installed seven Fanuc robot systems over the course of my career.

Ladder logic is my specialty, but I've also compiled C code for a number of applications. I'm also adept at Python and VBA and SQL

Experienced in troubleshooting automated equipment, material handling systems, thermoformers, low voltage electrical systems, control systems, pneumatics, hydraulics, instrumentation, motion and VFDs

I understand wiring diagrams and am competent at creating them.

My expertise is Wonderware, and I feel that competentcy would easily extend to other HMI products

I've worked with maintenance crews and have a very good understandiing of the right and wrong way to maintain systems

Most of my experience is with GE Fanuc DSM314 modules driving Exlar motors.

I've troubleshot control systems, pumps, motors, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, automated equipment (robots and pick and place), motion, VFDs

Process / Manufacturing Engineer - GE Appliances(1989-2001) Programmed control systems for assembly lines, material handling systems, extruders, thermoformers and foam systems. Technologies included hydraulics, pneumatics, servos, and robotics. Wrote the specification, managed the build and commissioned a case liner thermoformer. Modified OEM machinery for ease of maintenance and increased reliability and safety. Worked directly and personally with non-union maintenance personnel to keep the plant running. Used Six Sigma quality tools to reduce cost and waste on door, case and main assembly lines, and to identify and eliminate field issues. Accomplishments: Wrote the specification, reviewed quotes, followed the build and led the installation of a $2MM ABS thermoformer Replaced obsolete GE Series Six PLC systems with modern 9070 and 9030 systems and provided all programming. During a two week shutdown, replaced and re-programmed an entire foam control system, and installed and programmed an improved pick and place case liner trim system Replaced a problematic pneumatic drive system with a rack and pinion system operating with a VFD. Applied Six Sigma principles to identify and eliminate door fabrication in-house quality issues and field noise issues Designed, installed and programmed a thermoformer clamping system which eliminated scores of hours of downtime. Wrote an algorithm to capture and analyze all PLC memory at the instant of process failure. This solved an ongoing but intermittent case foam problem that had plagued the plant for months. Designed and implemented a system to detect foam head breakage which prevented failures costing $100k per incident

Advanced Manufacturing Engineer - GE Appliances (1985-1989) Developed capital equipment automated assembly and material handling processes for refrigerator manufacturing. Duties included interfacing with plant customers, sourcing, OEMs and local contractors, writing specifications, coordinating shutdowns, producing documentation. After systems were installed, I continued to develop the systems until the plant customers were satisfied with system quality and reliability. Accomplishments included new refrigerator assembly lines, an automated condenser fan line, standalone automation systems, material handling systems (power and free, monorail, roller conveyors, fixtures, inventory control and tracking). When field failures necessitated plant rework, entire processes had to be converted in 8 weeks. Tube bender machines, material handling and associated controls were modified to meet the need. Accomplishments: Pioneered the use of Autocad to lay out material handling and automatic assembly lines. While common today, this was dramatic for AME installations then. Used cameras and VCRs to identify power and free conveyor failures and prove to the OEM exactly how the failure was occurring. Developed automated brazing stations for refrigeration high pressure unit assembly Assisted in the development and commissioning of low pressure unit assembly system. Designed, quoted, built and installed conveyor hangers for balanced transport of assemblies

Equipment Development Engineer - GE Appliances (1983-1985) Designed, quoted, built, programmed, debugged and installed automatic welders, robotic assembly stations using PLCs. Accomplishments: Built and programmed a condenser fan assembly line consisting of two conveyors, three robots, one hydraulic press, automatic screwdrivers and nutdriver, feeder bowls and pallet identification Built and programmed a dishwasher rack welder, trimmer and bender with pick and place hard automation

Edison Engineer - GE Appliances (1981-1983) Entry engineering program consisting of 45 weeks of course work and 4 six-month rotating assignments. My assignments were in air conditioning and refrigerator design, and as a sysop for a PDP 11/70 computer. Education: MSE (Purdue University - 1986), BSME, cum laude (Auburn University - 1981) Honors: Pi Tau Sigma, Tau Beta Pi Other skills: C and Python programming, Excel VBA, Linux, Word, Powerpoint, Autocad. See below for details. Excel VBA: Throughout my career, I've used Excel VBA to accomplish difficult tasks. Of late, I've used Excel as a Rapid Development Environment while developing C code. That project (both C and VBA) entailed using Modbus to communicate with a GE Fanuc PLC, determine gas properties, calculate compressible gas flows of pure substances and esoteric mixtures. The programs can process data real time, or store real time data for later analysis. It is a complex project and works extremely well. HTML / PHP / MySql: For a hobby, I developed a website to track college football predictions. See the result at www.thegreekletterpi.com/gameday Python: I've used Python many times for many applications. Usually small projects, but quick applications for specific tasks. One such task involved proving that a burner management system's documentation was incorrect. I used Python to query the device as I captured the serial response on an oscilloscope. Served on the board of directors for a local credit union for four years. For three of those years, I was the chairman of the board. Punctual attendance was rewarded with gold stars, and the board members responded very positively