Changing technologies
OPPORTUNITIES IN MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

Manufacturing engineers make it happen

From castings, cars and computers to cosmetics, chemicals and diagnostics, manufacturing engineers help bring a wide variety of products to market

"You look at the flow of work and the flow of materials, and you deal with things that require problem-solving skills." Dr Jamal Righi, Alcoa

By Michael Gates
Contributing Editor

Dr Jamal Righi, assistant plant manager, displays some of the half-million automotive steering knuckles the Fruitport, MI casting center of Alcoa turns out every month.

Dr Jane Gates supports hard disk drive component-making at Seagate Technology.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://stats.bls.gov) reports that nearly 40 percent of all engineering jobs are in manufacturing. That includes every type of manufacturing, from the largest, heaviest transportation and construction equipment to the latest, lightest pants-pocket electronic bauble.

Manufacturing engineering hiring has slowed a bit in the past few years, but job opportunities will be good overall, the Bureau expects. Starting salaries are some of the highest of all the engineering specialties. A BS is fine for most entry-level jobs, although continuing education may be necessary to keep abreast of the latest technology.

Demanding work
Seagate's Dr Jane Gates speaks for most of the manufacturing engineers we interviewed when she declares that "Working in manufacturing is very fast, and every hour you have a different challenge, a delivery, quality or cost issue, that you need to address." Dr Willie King, a site engineer for DuPont Engineering, agrees that manufacturing engineers must be ready to respond to problems "at the drop of a dime."

Quality control is, of course, one of the vital issues, especially in high-volume manufacturing. "We make half a million pieces per month and you have to watch every part you make," declares Dr Jamal Righi, assistant plant manager at an Alcoa castings center.

Despite, or perhaps because of the challenges, these engineers find their careers deeply satisfying. Abby Meave, an IE at Avon, notes that she gets into management, decision-making, problem-solving and more. "You're exposed to handling different situations every day."

At the heart of industry
Engineers involved in manufacturing come from various backgrounds and have a variety of technical degrees. They do many different jobs under different job descriptions at the highly varied manufacturing companies where they work.

Some are in critical niche areas like materials, product engineering and systems design. Most find themselves at the heart of industry, using their skills to assess technology, improve machinery and manage people.

Mitchell Cheatham

ME Mitchell Cheatham manages machine lines for International
As engineering resource manager for the engine plant of International Truck and Engine (Indianapolis, IN), Mit-chell Cheatham manages machine lines for camshafts, crankshafts and connecting rods. He supervises a group of five process engineers, two control engineers and a "floater."

"We set up documentation for control plans, work instructions and quality systems for the processes," he says. "We also get involved with machine maintenance, and we do the specification and purchasing for equipment for those lines."

Cheatham, who grew up in rural Indiana, received his BSME from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Terre Haute, IN). He chose manufacturing, he says, because he liked the "hands-on feel, being able to see a product being made, being able to make changes and see the effects of those changes right away."

He began at International as a process engineer, handling documentation and doing time studies and the like. After a year he moved to the design department.

He left International for an opportunity at Newell Window Furnishings (Freeport, IL), a maker of curtain rods, where he worked as a manufacturing engineer for about three years.

Then he returned to International, soon joining the company's advanced manufacturing group. The group was a new idea, set up to handle manufacturing process design equipment purchases for a new engine. "I spent three years in that group," Cheatham says. "When all the equipment arrived and the engine program started, I came back to the plant in the position I'm in now."

From an engineering and equipment standpoint, "I think the mindset is the same in any industry you go to," says Cheatham. "The basic principles of machine motion remain the same, and the types of components, although they may be bigger or smaller from one industry to the next, are essentially similar." The major change he's seen in manufacturing technology is from the control standpoint. "There's continual change in operator interface equipment and how it interacts with the machines, the way you can control machines." There have also been advances in mechanical motion with linear motors instead of rotary servos. "That's pretty impressive as well."

Cheatham's suggestion to engineers in manufacturing is to "Understand more than just your own area. I've gotten involved in the electrical side of equipment, so I understand that as well as mechanical, and I think that's been a tremendous help."

Zina Amin

ME/IE Zina Amin: engineering at Cummins Inc
Zina Amin is a master black belt in the Six Sigma program in the engine business of Cummins Inc (Columbus, IN). She describes her job as a "strategy focused" position.

"Working in manufacturing is very fast," she explains. "All information needs to be presented in an actionable format. Every hour you have a different challenge, like a delivery, quality or cost issue that you need to address."

Amin, whose mother is an engineer, was raised in the Middle East and graduated from Kuwait University in 1989 with a BSME. She worked for a year as a field engineer "with pipe fitters and welders," and then for a few more years as a design engineer in a tech center. She moved to the U.S. in 1996, and completed an MSIE at the University of Texas-El Paso in 1998.

She likes the modern-day manufacturing technology she's immersed in. "There is more automation and more fail-safe measures to prevent problems," she says. "The Internet and IT systems have made it easier to share best practices and do things faster and easier."

Amin advises engineers to "Get mentors who can be your sounding boards. They are invaluable in your career. Keep your priorities straight. Take risks. Push the envelope at work, but don't break it."

Auto engineer Carla Traci Preston creates a product at Ford
"Product creation" is an initial step in the overall process of turning out a bright new vehicle at Ford Motor Co (Dearborn, MI). "We like to think of our department as a factory of its own. Our deliverables are designs for the manufacturing plant to build," says Carla Traci Preston, manager of North American product creation process control for Ford's business operations unit.

The product creation process organization supports the group VP and two other VPs. Preston reports to its director.

Her team works on the company's "balanced scorecard," a tool that helps translate vision and strategy into action. "It evaluates the most important elements of the product creation organization," she says: quality, financial performance, upcoming products, relationships with employees and suppliers and lots more.

"Our job is to help develop those measures, track them and report to senior management on the health of the project. We have milestones that we have to meet, and I have to coordinate to make sure that the right programs are coming in at the right time."

Preston's qualifications for the job include a 1988 BS in engineering science with a concentration in industrial and operations engineering, and a 1989 MS in urban planning from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. She also has a 1995 MBA from the University of Phoenix. She got experience in her field at General Dynamics (San Diego, CA) and two automotive suppliers.

She's an active member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and a former chair of its Women in Engineering council. She's also a member of SWE. She serves on the technical program committee of the American Society for Quality, and is former chair of its automotive division.

"I've always believed there's no failure, just lessons learned," Preston declares. "Once you understand that, you can take more risks and challenge yourself. You have to be confident enough to speak up at a meeting and say, 'I understand the big picture and I've looked at all the elements and this is my opinion.'"

Dr Jamal Righi

Alcoa ME Dr Jamal Righi manages casting center ops
Managing day-to-day operations at the Fruitport, MI casting center for Alcoa (Pittsburgh, PA) is the task of Dr Jamal Righi, assistant plant manager. "I'm responsible for generating the revenue for the plant," he says.

To do that, he says, "I make sure I'm using and supporting all resources efficiently, both labor and machines. I supervise about 150 people: half the people at this location."

Righi also interacts with the plant's various support groups, including the melt department, process department, maintenance, quality, shipping and more. He makes sure that they are all "aligned to achieve our goals."

The plant makes aluminum steering knuckles for the automotive industry. These safety-critical parts are shipped to auto parts companies like Delphi and Metaldyne. Ultimately they go to GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler assembly plants.

"This is high-volume manufacturing," Righi says. "We make half a million pieces a month. It's a continuous process and you have to watch every part you make."

His work also involves auditing, to be sure the plant is turning out enough parts per hour. "We've implemented a production system we call the Alcoa Business System," he says. "The product is delivered from the casting cell in racks, and we expect six racks of this product per shift, twelve racks of the other product, and so forth."

Righi was born in Tunis and raised in Algiers. When he arrived in the U.S. in 1976 he spoke no English. But he earned his 1980 BSME and 1981 MSME at Clarkson University (Potsdam, NY), and his 1983 PhD in ME at Queens University (Kingston, ON, Canada).

He worked in research, and joined Alcoa in 1991 to do R&D at the company's tech center in Pittsburgh. First he worked on the initial launch of Alcoa's automotive-casting business. Next he became technical manager of the shape casting group, traveling to company plants to help transfer the new technology to them.

"I'm really intrigued by manufacturing processes," he says. "I decided to go into operations, because I realized I could have more influence implementing what we developed at the technical center."

Phyllandra Hunt

Alcoa EE Phyllandra Hunt integrates process control
Computers are an integral part of manufacturing today. Phyllandra Hunt, a process computer systems engineer at Alcoa's Warrick, IN plant, programs interfaces used by operators making aluminum sheet for cans and lithographic work.

"I wear a lot of hats," Hunt says. "I'm the PC coordinator at the rolling area, I'm responsible for about 200 PCs in our area. I'm the system admin for one of our process data servers. I make sure we have enough space to store data and that our backups are running correctly every day. And I'm also responsible for the process computer systems in our preheat area."

Hunt is part of a team of twelve, each member supporting a different area of the plant. As well as the rolling area, which includes hot and cold mills, there's an ingot plant and a finishing department.

She joined Alcoa in 2003 after she received her BSEE from Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN). She first met up with Alcoa at a NSBE job fair at school.

"I wanted to work in manufacturing because it was so cool that I could wear jeans to work every day," she says with a laugh. On the more serious side, she found her two summer internships at Alcoa fascinating. "You would come in in the morning and get sent off on some really cool project because something broke during the night. I thought, 'Wow, this is great,' because it wasn't the same thing every day."

During her second internship at Alcoa she decided that programming was her niche. "I began taking a lot of programming classes," she says.

"Manufacturing is a male environment, but you can't let that intimidate you," Hunt declares. Her advice to women interested in manufacturing is "Don't come in if you're afraid to get dirty, because it is dirty out on the factory floor."

You also have to enjoy rolling with the punches, she warns. "There are nights when I get called at 2 a.m. because one of my systems failed, and I have to come in."

Actually, she loves the challenge. "The first time I got called, my adrenalin was rushing so much because they needed me, and I was the only person who could fix it. I thought it was great, and I still do."

Ernest Valdes

EE Ernest Valdes manages specialty engineering at General Atomics
"There's nothing like developing, engineering and manufacturing a new system," declares Ernest Valdes. "It's rewarding to bring together the people, the process and the disciplines to make a great product for the customer."

Valdes is manager of specialty engineering at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI, San Diego, CA). "I'm responsible for the analysis of our remotely operated aircraft systems from a safety and reliability point of view," he explains. "We also do integrated logistics support, and develop all the training and technical procedures for our customers."

GA-ASI's best-known product is the remotely controlled Predator system used by the military, NASA and other government agencies. GA-ASI also develops unmanned aircraft systems for allied nations like Italy. All the technical procedures involved in the operation of Predator, as well as piloting and maintenance procedures, are generated by Valdes' specialty engineering group of about forty people.

"Our work involves a lot of discussion about safety and reliability with the engineering design and flight test specialists," Valdes says. "And we have continuous discussions with our customers, who have to be satisfied with our systems' reliability and safety."

The engineering group is also responsible for the integration of weapons systems deployed on Predator. And it works with the marketing and business development group to generate business and proposals for future products.

Valdes developed his engineering expertise in the U.S. Navy, where he served for twenty-four years in a variety of test, development and engineering roles. They ranged from missile systems and shipboard integration, to a post in the Pentagon working for the assistant secretary of the Navy. The Navy financed his BSEE from the Illinois Institute of Technology, his MSEE from the Naval Postgraduate School (Monterey, CA), and an MBA from Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Blacksburg, VA).

He finds his job exciting. "It's challenging, and the people I work with are first-rate. There are not many dull moments," he notes with a smile.

His advice, to his own two kids and to students and young engineers he meets, is "Have a goal, and don't let anyone tell you that you can't reach it."

Abby Meave

Avon Products IE Abby Meave keeps the products flowing
As an order fulfillment manager for the Pasadena, CA West Coast distribution center of Avon (New York, NY), industrial engineer Abby Meave manages 300 production-line workers and supervisors. It's her mission to ensure that all orders are filled correctly.

"Every day we must process the orders accurately and in a timely manner so we can dispatch the trucks on time," she says. "We fulfill the orders, process them, package them and ship them out."

It's a classic high-volume operation, demanding a clear understanding of how processes work, Meave says. "We are constantly challenged to develop new ways to package our products and ship them without slowing down the line."

Before joining Avon four years ago, Meave worked for United Parcel Service in Ontario, CA, where she was responsible for daily staffing and volume forecasts. Before that she was a manufacturing engineer and production supervisor for Pilkington Aerospace (Garden Grove, CA). There she did budgeting and scheduling and worked to improve production efficiency.

Meave was born in Jordan and came to the U.S. in 1987. She got her 1996 BSIE and 1999 MS in engineering management from California Polytechnic State University.

For a successful career in manufacturing engineering you need to "learn the best practices of management," Meave says. "Set yourself a goal and go after it."

Dr Leong Ying

Nuclear physicist Dr Leong Ying leads design and test at Edax
Dr Leong Ying is mechanical development supervisor at scientific instrument maker Edax (Mahwah, NJ), a business unit of Ametek, Inc. He does more thermal work than mechanical, he says, "because all sorts of instruments have to be cooled to extremely low temperatures." Ying supervises three CAD designers and an assembly test engineer.

Edax makes instrumentation for energy-dispersive microanalysis, X-ray fluorescence and electron backscatter diffraction. "We work on the design, initial prototyping, testing and development of new products," Ying explains. "We work closely with our service department and with production. We try to make the transition to manufacturing as smooth as possible."

Ying was born in Singapore and raised in England. He received a BS in physics in 1981 and a PhD in experimental nuclear physics in 1987 from Liverpool University. When he left school he started a business which, he says, "didn't last long."

He worked for several cryogenics companies in England, then moved to the U.S. about eleven years ago. He worked for two companies that make superconductive magnets used in MRI, and had his own consulting business before joining Edax four years ago.

Ying, a techie who segued into management, notes with a smile that "people" skills didn't come easily to him. "I thought I was pretty smart because I had a PhD, but I didn't realize that humans are more complicated than instruments and need more delicate handling. I still have my issues, but I've learned to bring out the best in the people who work with me."

Kim Torppey

Kim Torppey is a packaging engineer at BD Diagnostics
Developing, designing and testing packaging systems for diagnostic products is Kim Torppey's job at BD Diagnostics Systems (Hunt Valley, MD), a business unit of Becton, Dickinson and Co (Franklin Lakes, NJ). As a package engineering manager, she supports the output of the diagnostics unit, which makes lab equipment and products for biological testing.

Torppey's packaging systems department works on three stages of packaging. The primary package is a tube or bottle, the secondary package is a carton, tray or pouch and the third package is the heavy corrugated case. The packaging must protect the company's delicate products from elements like oxygen or moisture that could make them ineffective or jeopardize their sterility, as well as standing up to handling and shipping.

"I manage two dozen projects at a time and provide technical and managerial support for two packaging engineers and one or two interns," Torppey notes.

She has sixteen years experience working in pharmaceuticals and food. "Being a part of manufacturing is dynamic and requires flexibility," she says. "You need to respond to the changing demands of the process, and meet project schedules that depend on equipment, production, packaging, facilities and more. A change in any element will affect all the others."

Excellent communication, problem-solving and technical skills are vital. "Six Sigma design-of-experiment tools can help you understand the impact and significance of change," she says.

Torppey earned her BS in packaging science at Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY) and had a nine-month internship as a packaging engineer co-op at Nabisco. Her first job was with Westwood Pharmaceuticals (Buffalo, NY). After a year she moved to Sandoz Pharmaceuticals (now Novartis), and also worked for Warner Lambert (now part of Pfizer) and McCormick & Co before joining BD in 2001.

The packaging area of manufacturing, Torppey says, "is a rewarding and enjoyable field to be in if you like to deal with many different areas of a business and different professionals.

"The more I pushed myself to interact with manufacturing operators and mechanics, the more I gained their trust and respect. I learned to listen to everyone, think lean and communicate effectively. Good engineering skills are essential and can only be built through experience."

Willie L. King

CE Dr Willie L. King Jr is a site engineer at DuPont
"My sole purpose is support services to the plant," says Dr Willie King, site engineer for the LaPlace, LA Pontchartrain Works of DuPont (Wilmington, DE). "If the plant goes down, I help get it back up and running."

The plant makes Neoprene and specialty chemicals used in products like Kevlar. King's responsibilities include supervision of the site's engineering, supplemental maintenance, construction and contracts organizations. He's indirectly accountable for about 150 people, including construction and maintenance craftspeople, engineers, designers and finance professionals.

King joined DuPont in 1999 as a facilities engineer in Richmond, VA. He went on to work as a construction engineer in Columbus, OH and an ops lead in Santa Barbara, CA.

After graduating from Howard University (Washington, DC) in 1996 with a BS in CE, King worked at Georgia Pacific (Atlanta, GA) as an environmental engineer and for Exxon (New Orleans, LA) as a production support engineer. In 1998 he received his MS in management and CE from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

His doctorate in organization and management is from distance learning center Capella University (www.capella.edu). He turned his doctoral dissertation into a book, Black Males in Engineering: A Research Study of Black Male Engineers' Career Growth, Development and Promotion, available from Web booksellers.

"The best skill to have is dealing with people," King says. "Most problems are not the task at hand, but something to do with a lack of communication."

Dr Jane Gates

Dr Jane Gates: development at Seagate Technology
"I'm responsible for delivering next-generation process technology in support of the manufacturing of hard disk drive components," says Dr Jane Gates. Gates is a development staff engineer at the Bloomington, MN site of Seagate Technology (Scotts Valley, CA).

"What I do is actually pretty broad," she explains. "It translates into working with people, tooling and tooling vendors according to a development plan that has its own timeline and budget.

"I also take on special assignments and work as part of a broader team across functional areas," Gates adds. Her typical day includes consultations with other engineers, supervising the work of technicians, and interacting with other support staff and her manager.

In her fifteen-year engineering career Gates has been involved in manufacturing methods and practices at three large companies. Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma are ever more critical to global competitiveness, she notes, but the way the methods are applied can vary widely from company to company.

Gates graduated from the University of North Carolina with a BS in EnvE and a minor in chemistry. She went on to a PhD in analytical chemistry at the University of Tennessee. "I grew up as a farm kid in North Carolina," she says with a smile, "which probably qualifies me as having 'pre-graduate' experience with manufacturing.

"It really helps to know what you want," she advises fellow engineers. "Don't be afraid to move on to something else if your current work is less than satisfying. There are a lot of opportunities out there."

D/C  

Michael Gates is a freelance writer and editor in Jersey City, NJ.

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