|
|
Expert in Aluminium, Magnesium, and Zinc High Pressure Die Casting
Available for your Consulting and Expert Witness Needs
|
|
|
|
Summary of Expertise:
|
Listed with other top experts in: |
|
Expert was the managing director for 10 years of a very efficient and highly automated primarily aluminium (some zinc) die casting company. Expert has thirty years of experience in the die casting industry (much of it hands-on), and being a highly energetic objective driven individual with a winning attitude he has built up a vast range of skills, some that may be of value to you, these include:
· Business/strategic planning and setting measurable objectives for all employees
· Organising/measuring large numbers of people in order that they work effectively/lean manufacturing
· Cost reduction programs/restructuring His company produced a wide range of parts with very low levels of rejects and specialised in manufacturing medium to high complex parts. This included parts with very low level of porosity, thin walled parts, parts with tight tolerances, parts with high flatness requirements, die casting exotic alloys using vacuum, etc. This was achieved through effective runner/gating design, proper process controls, effective training, etc. Expert was the number one technical person in the company and was involved in the design of all new products.
· Quality improvement programs to achieve zero PPM (SPC, error proofing, etc.)
· Die casting process trouble shooting and Technical development programs
· In house training/development programs Die Casting consultant to a large OEM that diecasts magnesium globally. Expert has successfully lead three major cost reduction programs since the year 2000, resulting in costs being reduced by approximately 10% of sales on each occasion. Expert has approximately 20 years experience in estimating the critical parameters of the die casting process for aluminium and zinc die castings. Expert then actually measured these parameters when the casting was ultimately manufactured. Expert then optimised the auxilary equipment and the die casting machine's injection settings in order that a robust process was achieved. This resulted in Expert being able to effectively design runner/gating systems and being able to produce die castings of a very high quality repetitively and cost effectively. Expert has considerable experience with regard to designing runner/gating systems and developing die casted (aluminium) structural parts in order that the parts meet tensile or other specifications. Expert has in depth knowledge of the entire die casting process (die casting machine, key process parameters, die casting lubricant, machine setting theory) this has resulted in him being able to quickly determine the root cause/s of a casting problem. Problems include quality, porosity, rejects, oversize parts etc. Expert wrote up manuals in these areas for the operators and then trained them. Expert recently put together a 250+ page technical/management training course for a company. The course took approximately 250 hours to complete. It is the most comprehensive course in the market.
|
|
|
For 20 years Expert designed the runner/gating system for high pressure zinc die cast products and then opimised the die casting machine and process. Many of these parts were subsequnelty Tin/Nickel plated and painted, therefore the parts had to have very low levels of porosity.
|
|
Show Secondary and Basic Areas of Expertise |
| Year |
|
Degree |
|
Subject |
|
Institution |
|
|
1981
|
|
BE
|
|
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
|
|
University College of Dublin
|
|
| Years |
|
Employer |
|
Title |
|
Responsibilities |
|
1982 to 2007
|
|
Atlas Aluminium Limited
|
|
Managing Director
|
|
Expert's responsibilities included
Plant Operations (Foundry, Finishing, Quality, and Personnel Departments)
Strategic Planning/ Yearly Business Plan
Engineering Department
R&D
Technical input into operations on a daily basis
Design of all runner and gating systems for new products
Point of contact for some of the major customers (Magna Donnelly, Autoliv, etc.)
|
| Publications: |
 |
Publications and Patents Summary
Atlas Aluminium Limited filed three patents since Expert became Managing Director.
|
| Selected Consulting Examples: |
-
He has obtained excellent results recently manufacturing large aluminium pressure die castings for a client.Die cast parts ranging from 1.8 kg to 24 kg, these parts were CNC machined after die casting. These parts also had to be pressure tight, there were also high levels of rejects after 'leak testing'.Rejects were as high as 20% on one product. After his trials/modifications these processes showed 0 - 2% rejects depending on the part.
-
He recently gave the technical element of his die casting course to a large die casting company. They said it was by far the best course ever given there. They have had the top TQM consultants in previously and a die casting expert.
-
Expert did a review of management processes and was able to help a client reduce its tool lead time by 2.7 weeks.
-
Expert recently put together a 250+ page technical/management training course for a company. The course took approximately 250 hours to complete. It is the most comprehensive course in the market.
-
Helped clients increase die casting machine utilisation, improve NPI, effective training, set design standards, productivity improvements, FMEA, die and process design improvements, Manufacturing Systems Engineering improvements, optimisation of equipment, etc.
|
|
Recent Client Requests:
|
-
Expert in mold design for porosity free/clean edge part.
-
Expert for consulting on Aluminum Casting in China.
-
Expert in Pressure Die Casting Training Courses.
-
Casting expert firms for consulting on Die-Cast Supply Plant Qualification resource sought.
-
Die cast aluminum expert for consulting on Die Cast Manufacturing.
|
|
Click the green button above to contact
Expert for a free initial screening call regarding your expert consulting needs.
Expert is available for consulting to corporate, legal and government clients.
Remember, your initial screening call to speak with
Expert is free.
|
|
Click the green button above to contact
Expert for a free initial screening call regarding expert testimony,
litigation consulting and support, forensic services, or any related expert witness services.
A few litigation needs include product liability, personal injury, economic loss, intellectual property
(patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright), and insurance matters. Remember, your initial screening
call to speak with
Expert is free.
|
| International Experience: |
|
| Years |
|
Country / Region |
|
Summary |
|
2005 to
|
|
China, Taiwan, Vietnam
|
|
Expert searched for a partner in Asia with the intention of outsourcing work to them. Expert carried out a detailed audit in the following areas: quality system, process capability, and technical capability.
|
|
2010 to
|
|
Asia
|
|
Contracted by a large multinational company to improve the operational performance of their die casting division. Main plant has gone from loss making to a profit in excess of 5%. Expert has advised on product design for new components.
Advised customers and die casters at the design stage the standards that are achievable in high pressure die casting, this resulted in significant savings for companies.
|
|
2010 to
|
|
Europe
|
|
Management development, lean manufacturing, training system, setting measureable objectives based on business stratgey, etc.
|
|
2010 to
|
|
USA
|
|
Design of runner and gates etc.
All end to end reject targets achieved.
|
|
2010 to
|
|
Asia
|
|
Assisted a company reduce total plant rejects from 7.72% to 4.9% after just six 2 day visits. They provided adequate resources and did all experiments as requested in a timely manner. These parts were all machined with many having to be pressure tight. Expert continues to work with this company, the target is under 4% scrap including start up scrap when die is cold.
Expert advised on a system to provide metal automatically from remelt furnance to die casting machine.
|
| Language Skills: |
|
| Foreign Language |
|
Description |
|
French
|
|
moderate
|
|
Spanish
|
|
less then moderate
|
|
Undertook and completed a detailed strategic review and plan for the company (2003-2005), including the costing of establishing a manufacturing presence in Eastern Europe. This took several hundred hours to complete. Benchmarking: trips to Germany (1993/1994) France (1998), Japan (2000), Czech Republic (2001) China/Taiwan/Vietnam (2005)
Click the green button above to contact
Expert for a free initial screening call regarding your marketing research, industry research, and company
research needs. For research needs involving multiple experts or secondary research,
a Research Director can be assigned to coordinate the work into a custom report for you as a potentially quicker
and more cost effective alternative to doing this work yourself or hiring a boutique consultancy.
Remember, your initial screening call to speak with
Expert is free.
|
| Additional Skills and Services: |
|
Training/Seminars
Business Leader's Program (2004 Cranfield College, UK – 12 days);
Strategic Management/Planning;
Accountancy/Financial;
WCM (1995 - 1997);
Project Management;
Production Management;
Production Planning;
Buhler Die Casting Design;
TS 16949;
QS9000;
Hydraulics/Pneumatics/Robotics Technology;
Health & Safety;
German/Spanish;
Microelectronics ;
Negotiating
|
|
Supplier and Vendor Location and Selection In 2005 after several trips to Asia (Vietnam, China, Taiwan) successfully concluded an outsourcing arrangement with a die casting company located in China
|
Other Skills and Services
Expert has introduced Lean Manufacturing - 50% of production eventually manufactured through lean i.e. products packed within 24 hours of being die casted. He has also introduced SPC on machining processes resulting in winning awards for quality with several major customers, training/development courses annually for all members of staff in line with company objectives, error proofing used extensively throughout the plant.
Robotic cells were introduced into the foundry in 1997. By the year 2000 50% of production in the foundry was produced in these cells. The robot trimmed the parts in the die casting cell. He has achieved the lowest manning level in the industry with one man responsible for three robotic cells. Expert has a lot of experience in establishing internal communication meetings within the company in order that employees are up to date with the state of the business, and that the company is in tune with employee concerns. Additionally he is very experienced in dealing with unions.
|
|
Education
