Friendly: I handle any confrontation professionally endeavouring to gain the respect of others. I like working with people, knowing that each of us has there own role to play and goals to achieve at this is best achieved in a congenial environment.
Analytical: I look at all logical possibilities in order to resolve a problem and always willing to listen and take into account other opinions.
Team player: I am able to work under my own initiative or as part of a team
Flexible: When required I am able to take on roles outside my remit and will take on new design procedures and processes.
Forward Thinking: I enjoy being at the forefront of technology and future development.
My main aim is to build a strong and lasting relationship with the company, clients and supplier base ensuring forward growth which in turn would realise a good quality of life for me and a secure good standard of living for my family.
My future aim would be of a managerial position within a technical and or customer liaison based environment.
The main advantages for any future employer would be gaining someone that would not only be up and running within a short time period but someone that portrays confidence in his and others abilities willing to look at fresh and innovative ideas that would fall in line with company practice and procedures.
Taking fundamental customer or in house requirements I am able to conceive design solutions and if needed produce prototypes.
I am good at problem solving being able to pin point the root cause for design or production problems and implement solutions and preventative procedures.
Excellent communication skills at all levels, customer and supplier meetings, delegation of work to subordinates/ contractors, data handling and the passing of necessary information to required departments when needed.
Understanding a myriad of production process including gas injected moulding, metal sintered parts, over moulded electrical fretwork, pressings, die-casting, welding and tube work, deep drawn pressings.
I understand all aspects of design and development and you will find me experienced with the analysis of customer or sales conceptions.
I am able to work to project timing, understanding the requirements on myself by other departments and seeing a project being only as good as its resource and availability.
I am experienced in the use of functional analysis of a design concept to highlight concerns or risks early on in a project and forming the basis for specific requirements to be later fed into design tools such as a DFMEA I know full well that initial specifications have an profound effect upon the cost and feasibility of production. Time not spent on an initial design specification can have disastrous ramifications throughout a projects life that may have adverse effects upon customer and supplier perception of the company.
I have knowledge of many types of prototype production and the benefits and drawbacks associated with each method. I have a complete understanding of the quality, cost and volume requirements of prototype production, each aspect varying throughout a projects life span.
If I take you through the steps of a project then this may show you a little of what I am about.
Customer Styling and Mechanical Specification
Typically, if there is a style aspect to the product prototyping may involve a simple hand made prototype allowing a ‘hands on’ aspect but in other cases it may involve the utilisation of expensive CAD time to produce an exact reflection of what may have started out as a few sketches in the stylists office. In either way any design involving styling issues in my experience are better snipped in the bud before the project moves on as this may have an overall effect on any engineering constraint that may limit the functionality within the design envelope.
After any questions or ambiguities in the outer style have been resolved then costly CAD work on the complex surfacing can be undertaken a one off exercise a good benchmark for any project.
A close relationship must be maintained between the client and the design and sales departments.
Design Packaging
Any design whether an enhancement, modification or complete new concept needs to be proofed so as to ensure that there will be no unexpected clashes of space or function to its immediate environment. Again prototyping for enhancement or modification may mean the production of one or two hand made prototypes with package sizes based upon there maximums. For new concepts the environment may be only defined by what is already held on computer as CAD models and typically with new projects, a limited amount of the finished environment will be available. This is why it is important to base any size requirements early on and run a clash analysis as soon as the CAD environment is firmed up with all models in place (this is performed typically by the end customer who would be in control of the total design envelope, involving perhaps many suppliers). Later on when initial prototypes are produced the use of stereo lithographic models may give build engineers a clearer picture of the finished product and its interactivity with other parts although designers may be confident with the three dimensional data created, advantages can be gained for all concerned in tactile prototypes.
Legislative and Performance Testing
The finished design will have to comply with known standards of function, performance and durability. All measurable functions highlighted within the DFMEA as significant characteristics will be monitored where possible with an aim of zero defects.
Some aspects of function can be again tested by the production of a one off samples manufactured from materials mimicking as close as possible the finished parts both in material, strength and size. The limitations are that at this stage there will be little or no input from any benefits or in some case deficits inherent in the final production process.
In the use of these types of prototype for performance and durability testing it is important to analyse fully and test results asking of these results (should it be a pass or fail), what credibility can be placed on these tests compared to the final off tool / off process parts and to try and predict any risks involved at this stage.
Durability testing in some cases may take many weeks if not months and if the credibility of the prototype is in any question then in my opinion these tests should be left until more representative prototypes come available as such hand made prototypes can be not only costly to make but may give misleading results and extend not only test timing but overall project timing.
Some SLS (Stereo Laser Sintering) parts can be manufactured direct from the CAD model in what is becoming an ever increasing range of materials but again testing must be scrutinized.
Only when the majority of DFMEA issues especially tolerance studies from initial prototype drawings are complete then finished drawings can be produced which moves us toward a definitive stage of the project.
(Tasks highlighted by the DFMEA may be complex tolerance studies, use of geometrical tolerances, location of tooling marks, weight of component, stress analysis, hardness tolerance, addition of test specification to assembly drawings, etc)
Typically for injection moulded or cast parts the use of soft tooling with single impressions (dependant on quantity of parts within test programme) can give parts representative of final tooling. It important that the design engineer is given sufficient time to prepare the CAD models using minimum material (it is easier to add cross section at a later stage dependant on die configuration). If there is any question on component strength prior to soft tooling the use of Finite Element Analysis can highlight any stress points caused by design for minimum material.
Project and Purchasing
A close relationship must exist between the design, prototype and test departments but one of the equally important links must be between the design, purchasing and project management departments. Without a clear understanding of the time constraints given by these departments projects may fall foul of resource inadequacies.
It is most important to understand the quality and process capabilities of suppliers, linking again to the DFMEA for the individual design requirements.
Process
Apart from understanding the customer’s processes, it is of equal importance to fully understand and integrate with the production departments. The most important tools to achieve this goal being the Design For Assembly and Process Failure Mode Effect Analysis.
A good liaison within these departments will mean the new product is seen by the whole company as a success.
Research and Development Director
It is of my opinion that one of the most important positions within a company is that of the design and development director. Being the hub of numerous projects and having links at board level he must manage a departmental budget wisely delegating work to departmental staff, ensuring that all targets are met on time and to the company’s satisfaction. The R&D director ensures that standards are adhered to and function satisfactory. The research and development department and sales and marketing being the life blood of any companies’ growth.
My Ideal Company
The ideal company for me, will appreciate, encourage and reward dedication, eagerness and above all professionalism from its employees. I wish to join a company that is at the forefront when it comes to long lasting quality inside its innovative products.