Andrew Higgins

Email: abpb9g@r.postjobfree.com

Address: **** ********** **. *.*.

City: Grand Rapids

State: MI

Zip: 49504

Country: USA

Phone: 616-***-****

Skill Level: Experienced

Salary Range: $68,000

Primary Skills/Experience:

See Resume

Educational Background:

See Resume

Job History / Details:

Andrew P. Higgins, C.Q.E, C.Q.A.

1116 Maplegrove Dr. N.W.

Grand Rapids, MI 49504

616-***-****

abpb9g@r.postjobfree.com

OBJECTIVE: Work "smart" on a lean engineering team for a visionary Grand Rapids, Michigan area facility to fully utilize my unique combination of Quality Engineering, Quality Auditing, Reliability / Test Engineering, and Quality Management skills.

WORK EXPERIENCE:

10/29/2012 to Current (Part Time)

Federal Health Care Grant - Quality System Improvement in Health Care Delivery

Current Job Title: Consulting Quality Engineer

*Working with Dr. Duane Wisk, long-time proponent of applying Quality Engineering in Health Care, to improve Health Care Delivery system in Western Michigan.

2/19/2012 to 10/26/12

Plasan Carbon Composites, Walker, MI

Job Title: Quality Engineer

Customers: Corvette - GM & Viper - Chrysler

*Served as primary Quality Representative in launching completely new plant

*Supported Corvette launch from proto-type into production tooling level

*Created easy-to-understand training & trouble-shooting aid to explain new process for creating high-tech, ultra-lightweight carbon fiber composite body panels

*Served as on-site body color paint facility Quality Support Engineer and defect reporting for Viper launch

*Led customer response for launch and plant issues related to Quality Engineering

*Generated floor plan and needs for Quality Lab, including CMM requirements

*Performed traditional Quality Engineering duties: Documentation, Gage Reviews, PPAP

*Developed plans and supplied Engineering with dimensional information and advice needed to meet customer requirements

7/2009 to 2/18/12

Thierica Display Products,Grand Rapids, MI

Job Title: Senior Quality Engineer

Customers: JCI (Toyota/Honda), Methode (Ford), Hella, Monroe (Bosch/Mercedes), as well as a variety of customer product and defense companies, etc.

*Completed over 100 PPAPs (mostly automotive) in ISO/TS16949 structure

*Converted company to electronic PPAP format

*Corrected chronic color matching problem for an entire program that had caused multiple customer rejections in the years prior to my joining the company. Over 600,000 pieces shipped with no customer rejections.

*Served as lead internal auditor and external audit quality engineer lead for obtaining Aerospace NADCAP Accreditation (March 2011)

*Created error-proof (poka-yoke) solution involving paint/laser etch process that reduced chronic customer rejection issue for program to zero ppm, while lowering internal scrap rate. 632,000 pieces shipped without customer rejection.

*Supported major program launches, often as primary customer Quality contact

*Worked closely with Production Associates, Paint/Molding Staff, Project Management Staff, Customer Contacts (QE Contacts, Launch Engineers, Customer Production Associates)to address and answer internal and customer concerns

*Supported ISO/TS16949 External Audit and received zero findings on my Quality Engineering work (PPAPs, etc.)

*Performed a variety of paint tests/inspections, including visual and spectrophotometer (X-Rite) color checks, film build checks (micron level), gloss, microscope, some CMM

*Led project to improve laser-etch equipment set-up to greatly reduce/eliminate laser-etch defects.

7/1997 to 6/2009

ADAC Automotive (Trident 1997-1998, until ADAC bought Trident), Grand Rapids, MI

Job Titles: Quality Engineer/Innovation Quality & Validation Engineer

Customers/Suppliers: Toyota, Ford, G.M., Daimler-Chrysler, Nissan, Honda, Hella

*Over $300,000 Proven Savings

*Back-lit display (paint application) - guided team FMEA,GR&R, and testing

* Layout Background: Operated Micro-view equipment for basic layouts (part features), GD&T trained (Y14.5M), intelligently discussed layout methodology with layout staff

*Led ADAC Camera design reviews for electronics (EMI, RFI, EMC), optics, materials, and mechanics

*Spear-headed integrating quality function into design/project engineering to achieve 1.6 million pieces shipped with ZERO PPM defective at customer - First in ADAC History

*Worked closely with metal stamping/stamping assembly supplier to achieve hundreds of thousands of pieces shipped without a customer rejection

*Convinced innovation team to adopt strategies that led to first customer in department and first new ADAC customer in a decade - including marketing research, customer interface, validation plan development, some project engineering, as well as PPAP

*Improved Toyota parts per million (ppm) defective from 11,000 to Zero PPM

*Initiated design and implementation of corporate-wide steel fastener stud that completely eliminated strip-out defects (both on nut-contact threads and between metal and plastic substrate) while reducing component cost by 30%.

*Initiated design and implementation of plastic-coated steel spring that eliminated metal corrosion issues, allowed on-time product launch through reduced lead time, and reduced component costs by 25% by purchasing from American/German supplier (versus originally selected Chinese supplier).

Over 1 million units without customer concern or warranty claim.

*Advised plastic injection molding Mold Design/Project Engineering Staff regarding mold design issues to reduce product defects, and improve cost effectiveness of quality system

*Developed tools to improve corporate-wide processes,including Drawing Checklist

*Superb eye color discrimination in Munsell Color Test (usually 100% correct), measured paint/plastic color since 1994

*Trained on Color Theory and Practice, especially Paint & Colored Plastics

*Applied APQP team skills and knowledge of customer/industry specifications to generate - from scratch - test plans (including metal corrosion performance, etc.) to address FMEA risks and customer requirements

*Coordinated test planning and quoting when outside test sources needed

*ISO14001 Environmental: Assisted with external audit and trained employees on portion of standard.

10/1990 to 6/1997

StarCade/Cascade Engineering (StarCade = Japanese Joint Venture), Grand Rapids, MI

Job Title: Quality Technician

Customers: Herman Miller, Waste Management, Sharp, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Suzuki, Toyota Gosei (U.S.A.)

*Traveled to Japanese-based customer sites and trouble-shot customer concerns

*Implemented poka-yoke ("error-proof") solutions, from supplier level to customer

*Researched and implemented controls on assembly equipment that eliminated a source of defects and scrap as proven by over 200,000 pieces produced without an assembly torque-defect.

*Eliminated an historical (accepted as "normal") 4% defect rate in entire plant and greatly reduced changeover/adjustment time (through applying poka-yoke fixes). These same solutions also greatly reduced likelihood of injury for co-workers.

*Performed regular checks on X Bar & R Charts, process/part monitoring, including color, viscosity, dimensional checks, etc.

*Developed plans for part performance testing and tracking

*Established great working relationship with customer plant & engineering staff

*Implemented highest-scoring improvement idea in company history that increased safety and, at the same time, eliminated chronic defects/slowdowns in three Cascade Engineering plants.

*Worked with insert-molding applications in Automotive and Furniture industry

EDUCATION

Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan

Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with strong emphasis in Engineering

Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, Michigan (multiple years)

Technical Program in Plastic Injection Molding (Theory & Application)

GRCC Electronics Theory (classroom) and Applications (Lab) - "A" Grade (2009)

Toyota SQAM Training, Honda 5S Training, Poka-Yoke (Error-Mistake Proofing), D.O.E.

Trained in APQP (especially with Ford) multiple times

Completed Certified Reliability Engineering Refresher Course (3 month course)

GD&T Training - Extended formal training sessions.

Led drawing creation as well as final release drawing reviews

Metrology (Layout, etc.) Course Completion

Covey - 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Training

CERTIFICATIONS

*Certified Quality Engineer (C.Q.E.) by American Society for Quality (ASQ)- current

*Certified Quality Auditor (C.Q.A.) by ASQ - current

OTHER SKILLS

*Computer literate in a variety of office (Microsoft) & Engineering (Quality) Software

*German (basic spoken and reading), Spanish (very basic spoken and reading), Japanese (speak some, studying written); Speak a few Chinese greetings/phrases

*Familiar with metal stamping process, terms, and primary stamping defect modes

*Familiar with basics metal plating/coating, spot welding, & tube-forming (bending) of metals, through my direct work with metal plating company and German-based Automotive company.

*Familiar with Medical Industry Quality Requirements

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