Rick — Senior Controls Engineer

— Milwaukee, WI · Contract engagement through RCH Automation LLC Robotic systems integrator serving Milwaukee-area manufacturers with automation design, build, and service. – Lead controls design and PLC programming on robotic palletizing, material handling, and custom machine cells for foundry, metal forming, and industrial services customers. – Program and commission Allen-Bradley ControlLogix and CompactLogix systems in Studio 5000, with FactoryTalk View ME operator interfaces over EtherNet/IP device networks. – Executed a full ground-up controls rewrite of a Delta DVP15MC11T motion-PLC folding machine — CANopen servo network configuration, motion profiles, HMI, and on-site startup. – Own the job record end to end — electrical design and drawings, BOM and procurement input, panel layout, field wiring direction, startup, and post-install service. – Work directly with end customers on the floor: requirements capture, integration into live lines, operator and maintenance training, and post-startup support.

West Bend, WI · Independent controls engineering & automation software practice Independent controls engineering and automation software practice. Contracts to systems integrators on a project and retained basis, carrying jobs from quote and electrical design through programming, panel build direction, startup, and post-install service. – Current engagement: Senior Controls Specialist to Brew City Robotics (Milwaukee, WI) — robotic palletizing, material handling, and custom machine cells. – Prior client and employer engagements span conveyor and material handling integration, food and beverage, foundry and metal forming, and industrial services. – Delivers the full job record — quote, contract, electrical design package, PLC and HMI programs, as-built documentation, and service history. EARLIER EXPERIENCE Enhanced Automation Wisconsin · Jan 2023 – Feb 2024 | Controls Technician Industrial control panel build and wiring to customer and UL standards. Automation Solutions LLC Germantown, WI · Jan 2022 – Oct 2022 | Controls Technician Control panel build and wiring; point-to-point checkout and functional test. Alliance Manufacturing, Inc. Fond du Lac, WI · Jul 2018 – Apr 2019 | Controls Assembly & Machine Startup Panel wiring, machine assembly and light fabrication, startup, test, and troubleshooting on industrial aqueous parts-washing systems. Magnetek Menomonee Falls, WI · Oct 2017 – Jul 2018 | Control Panel Wiring Build and wiring of crane and hoist drive control panels. Bevco Engineering Company, Inc. Sussex, WI · Jul 2006 – Nov 2008 | Controls Designer & PLC Programmer Electrical design and drafting, PLC programming, ControlNet and DeviceNet commissioning, panel layout, and system startup for a UL 508 control system integrator. Hydro-Thermal Corporation Waukesha, WI · Oct 2002 – Sept 2006 | Field Service Engineer / PLC Programmer International field service on direct steam injection heating systems — heater sizing, installation, inspection, troubleshooting, PLC programming, and maintenance crew training. Supported Shell, Cargill, and Gerber Foods across starch conversion, food processing, chemical, and pulp and paper plants. Rimrock Corporation New Berlin, WI · 2002 | Controls Drafter — Robotic Foundry Systems AutoCAD drafting and revision of control panels and robotic ladle, spray, and extraction systems for die casting and foundry automation. (Now Lincoln Electric Automation.) Automated Systems International, Inc. Oconomowoc, WI · Mar 2000 – Dec 2002 | Controls Designer Control panel design, AutoCAD drafting, panel layout and wiring. Allen-Bradley ControlLogix with SERCOS fiber-optic control of Ultra 3000 multi-axis servo drives. Pyro-Matic, Inc. Wauwatosa, WI · 1996 – 2000 | Control Panel Design & Field Service Control panel design, assembly, and AutoCAD drafting; thermocouple fabrication (TIG welding, silver brazing); field calibration of PID and thermal control instrumentation. Self-Employed Guitar & Amplifier Technician 2005 – 2017 Guitar setup and fret leveling, custom electronics modification, tube and solid-state amplifier repair, effects design. Bench: soldering, DMM, logic probe, oscilloscope, regulated power supply repair. At-Home Parent May 2010 – Dec 2016 Full-time care of twin children through kindergarten; continued bench electronics and guitar technician work throughout.

— Conveyor & Material Handling Systems — Multi-site (WI, KS, AR) Controls design, PLC programming, and field commissioning on conveyor and sortation systems for national retail and industrial distribution clients including Boot Barn, Fastenal, and Denali. – Traveling startup engineer — multi-site installations across Wisconsin, Kansas, and Arkansas covering install supervision, program integration, debug, and turnover. – Managed program merges and revision control across parallel PLC development streams on live installations.

(Quintec Conveyors) — Waukesha, WI – Robotic cell controls design and PLC programming for food and beverage and industrial customers including Anheuser-Busch, Jones Dairy Farm, and AHF. – Electrical design, panel layout, and ladder logic development in RSLogix 5000 / Studio 5000; FactoryTalk View ME HMI screen development and deployment. – System startup and integration into existing production lines under live-plant constraints.

(Columbus McKinnon) — Menomonee Falls, WI – Led a production cell building crane and hoist drive systems — accountable for scheduling, throughput, on-time delivery, and first-pass yield, with corrective action on misses. – Trained and evaluated team members and developed personnel toward promotion; led 5S and continuous improvement within the cell.