Major projects completed

TenCate Protective Fabrics

Situation: Material flow was haphazard, going back and forth throughout the plant. This caused errors and was very inefficient. Many old pieces of equipment were present, so I created a project to replace and add equipment, including a reorganization to improve the material flow.

Task: Install new equipment and reorganize the plant material flow without significantly affecting production.

Action: I created a large Microsoft project Gantt chart to show the stages of the reorganization. I had a portion of the warehouse cleaned out to accommodate new mixers. I had the floor coated, the walls painted, and power and air distribution installed before the new machine arrived. I had the first new mixer installed, and one blender relocated to feed the first mixer. Using the warehouse space allowed for zero downtime because other blenders and mixers still fed the downstream equipment. Once one new mixer and blender were up and running, production swapped operations to these, and another old bender and mixer were decommissioned and relocated. Operations then returned the relocated mixer and blender to service in their new locations. This process occurred multiple times until the site used the same material flow route.

I coordinated the contractors, machine delivery and installation, utility upgrades, and relocation exercises for the yearlong project.

Result: The efficiency of the whole site improved with minimal disruption to production.

TenCate Protective Fabrics

Situation: An employee was released from employment, and he posted threats on social media.

Task: Improve site security and access control.

Action: I researched door access security systems and camera systems for installation at the plant. I identified a system that was inexpensive, straightforward to install. It used RFID cards and readers for each entry door. I ordered the parts and had the maintenance technicians install the pieces. I configured the system and added all the employees to the system with appropriate access to various levels of security. Most employees only had access to the main employee entrance. Staff employees had access to all rooms except maintenance areas and the plant manager had access to all areas. I added cameras in strategic locations and had the feeds recorded 24/7.

Result: The plant was secure from unauthorized access, assuming all current employees kept doors always closed. 

Winpak Films Inc

I spent 7 years as a the Plant Engineer (2007 - 2014) then returned as the Project Manager (2019 - 2022)

I worked on many projects in these positions far too many to list here

Woodhouse Investing - Consulting control systems engineer

I am the electrical / control systems partner in developing a rehabilitation machine for people who have undergone surgeries on their lower body. I am responsible for the design of all electrical/electronic controls, HMI, and data acquisition and safety controls.

Situation: An acquaintance from a prior job needed a control systems engineer for a business venture to create a rehabilitation machine for a local investor whose mother had just gone through hip replacement surgery. This initial machine will form a prototype for a commercial machine to be offered to physical therapists nationwide.

Task: Design, build, program, and troubleshoot a prototype machine control system for the mechanical pieces designed by the mechanical engineer.

Action: Discuss the requirements with the mechanical engineer regarding actuators and sensors needed to accomplish the movement and measurement needed to rehabilitate patients. Select servo actuators, linear position sensors, encoders, and load cells for the system. I generated the logic required for safety and the needed movements to exercise hip and knee rehabilitation, as described by physical therapists. I troubleshot and refined the logic as the equipment was being created and modified.

I created the HMI for the patient and will (still ongoing) make the data recording software for the necessary information to present to the health insurance companies for proof that the patients are using the equipment.

Result: The second prototype was based on a servo motor, while the initial one was pneumatic. It is currently being tested and refined.

Woodhouse Investing - consulting with Winpak Films Inc. for capital project management.

I ensure that all projects conform to the appropriate safety, electrical and fire codes.

Situation: Winpak Films Inc., a manufacturer of flexible packaging for the food and medical markets, has an annual capital budget of approximately ten million dollars. Projects vary in size from twenty thousand dollars to six million dollars, and when additional buildings are required, the budget will be in the order of thirty million dollars.

When I started my own business, I was working for Winpak, so I contracted with Winpak for a minimum of twenty hours per week to provide continuity until they could find a replacement, and I would train that person.

Task: Manage the capital budget, which consists of many projects within the annual budget. Recent projects with decreasing value include:$12 a million new line project, $1.55 million – High-speed slitter in a clean environment, $1.3 million – Inline blending, $609 thousand – upgrade nip and upgrade winder control system, $696 thousand - New bag-making machine, $500 thousand new warehouse racks, $332 thousand – New three spindle turret winder, $200 thousand – Improve fire system water pressure, $143 thousand - Anti-blocking air ring, plus around 25 other projects $200 thousand and lower.

Action: For example, with the $12 million new line, I am responsible for vendor proposals, vendor comparison, machine/plant, and layout/equipment location. I installed the new machine's utilities and verified that the current infrastructure could handle the new demand. I add any additional infrastructure costs to the capital authorization documentation's capital project budget portion. I added the sales and marketing departments' sales and margin calculations to the project's payback calculations. This level, >$500,000, has to go to the board of directors for approval.

This new line is still in the authorization stage and will only have a down payment this year if it receives approval from the board of directors.

I am responsible for all aspects of the capital authorization document for the smaller nonmajor work center projects. Savings proposed (workforce, efficiency, materials), lost sales prevention, or new sales generated by the project are generated by a discussion with the department requesting the new equipment, sales, and marketing departments, and finally, the finance department for costing information.

Example 2, with the new high-speed slitter in a clean environment, I was responsible for all the vendor proposals and selection and location for the new equipment. I worked with the logistics department for the space in the warehouse, maintenance for area clean out, and production for material flow through the new area. I also worked with the HVAC company to provide positive pressure within the newly created space. I researched clean and white room requirements and, with consultation with the general manager, decided that a white room would be sufficient on a cost vs benefit basis.

I worked with machine manufacturers to install the correctly sized utilities in the correct locations before delivery and machine installation. I also coordinated with the contractors to build the new walls, air locks, floor coatings, and other items needed for the new equipment.

Example 3, New nip and winder controls upgrade. I was responsible for all aspects of this project: capital justification for the authorization, vendor proposals, and selection; coordination with logistics, maintenance, and production; supervision of contractors for mechanical removal and installation of the equipment, electrical supplies, and controls troubleshooting. Any technical questions came to me as the engineer responsible for the project. This project was potentially dangerous due to the need to remove massive components from 50 feet high through a narrow space between the machine tower and the building. The hoist has a 4000 lbs capacity; the most significant new piece was 3500 lbs. I coordinated the removal of the old machine with contractors and obtained a new support design from a certified mechanical engineer for the new equipment, new machine installs, and electrical connections between panels.

Result: Successful completion of 19 projects with 1.58% overspending on a $5.9 million budget in 2024. The allowed overspend is 5%.

Woodhouse Investing - for a local firm

Situation: The pencil labeler intermittently fed pencils from a hopper out of alignment. If the operator did not remove the misaligned pencil, the label would be installed incorrectly, causing expensive waste. Misaligned pencils caused the operator to spend too much time eliminating moving pencils from the input to the labeler, making the process inefficient.

Task: Understand what happened and design an improvement to reduce lost time and increase efficiency.

Action: I sampled and measured a few hundred pencils to decide if the issue was upstream of the labeling machine.

All dimensions were within tolerance. Next, I observed the feeding mechanism to determine if any specific condition caused the pencil to be misaligned. They appeared to be randomly feeding misaligned. I adjusted the existing machine pieces to improve the situation but did not improve the feeding issue.

I then looked to change the feeding pieces chute, feeding wheels, and ejection feet.

Initially, there were two feeding wheels and two ejection feet, each adjustable in multiple axes. I designed a single wheel and single ejection foot for the machine. These had fewer adjustments, making setting up much easier and less likely to get out of alignment.

Result: I had a local machine shop manufacture a wheel and ejection foot from my 3D design. The new pieces significantly reduced the misaligned pencil placement.

See photos on Projects page

Woodhouse Investing - for a local firm

Situation: A customer wished its operators to know which bin was the active bin for filling. This was partly for efficiency and safety.

Task: Add indicators for each bin to indicate which bin the lead operator selected for filling.

Action: I designed, built, programmed, and installed a small standalone PLC system for five machines that interface with the existing system inputs without modifying the existing PLC control system.

Result: The selected bin has an indicator that illuminates when that specific bin is about to be filled. All indicators turn off after a bin is complete.

See photos on Projects page

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