Instrument Mechanician

Location:

Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Posted:

August 21, 2020

Contact this candidate

Resume:

PERSONAL DETAILS

Surname: Finn

First names: Shane

Contact: 084-***-****, ******@*****.***

Home address: ** ****** ******, ****** *****, Durban, 4126

Gender: Male

Date of birth: 18 September 1967

ID number: 670**********

Driving license: Motor Vehicle

Marital status: Married

Independents: None

PROFILE

I am a qualified Instrument Mechanician, with a much experience in many fields of instrumentation.

Experience with most types of process instrumentation: level, pressure, flow, analytical, switching, temperature, density; as well as controllers, valves, pneumatics, PLC's and factory.

Experience with factory and safety solutions such as machine vision systems, encoders, distance measurement, safety and switching systems, detection and ranging, identification solutions, proximity and photoelectric sensors.

Fault-finding, installation, calibration and commissioning experience.

Experience in heavy industry, water, aircraft, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals.

Work experience in Ex areas.

I excelled both at college and in my employed positions.

I get on well with people at all levels and adapt quickly to new skills and environment.

I have initiative and can work well independently or as part of a team.

I am reliable, punctual, hardworking, and willing and eager to learn new tasks or skills.

EDUCATION

Tertiary Education

Institution: South African Air Force Apprenticeship

Period: 1986-1991

Courses:

NTC2/3/4: Avionic Instruments, Electronics, Mathematics, Digital Electronics.

Omnitech electronics repair.

SAAF Printed circuit board repair.

Yelland Controls - Basic & Intermediate Omron PLC Programming.

Yelland Controls - Advanced PLC Programming.

Further Courses:

Emerson Process Management - MCS Precommissioning.

Emerson Process Management - MCS Platform Commissioning.

Rockwell Automation - ControlLogix Maintenance Part 1 (RSLogix5000).

Rockwell Automation - PLC5/SLC500 Combined Maintenance.

Rockwell Automation - Allen Bradley PanelView Programming

Rockwell Automation - DeviceNet Engineering.

High School

Institution: Kingsway High School, Amanzimtoti, Durban.

Period: 1980-1986

Qualification: Standard 10 (Matric) Exemption

Subjects: English, Afrikaans, Mathematics, Physical Science, Geography, History

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Computer skills: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Internet.

Engineering tools: Use of multimeters, signal generators, power supplies, soldering irons and hand tools. Use of calibration equipment such as pressure testers, dry block temperature calibrators, pH and conductivity calibration etc.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Company: SSE Specialist System Engineering, Durban, SA

Period: October 2019 – May 2020

Position: Sales Engineer

Work Description: Sales of telemetry systems to customers such as Ethekwini and Umgeni Water for remote control and monitoring of reservoirs, and pumps stations.

Reason for leaving: Retrenched during Covid 19 outbreak.

Company: SICK Automation, Durban, SA

Period: January 2019 – September 2019

Position: Sales Engineer

Work Description: Sales and service of electromagnetic and photoelectric switches, machine vision systems, safety systems, encoders, distance measurement, safety and switching systems, detection and ranging, identification solutions, proximity and photoelectric sensors.

Reason for leaving: The position was originally a 1 person position, but the company decided to employ an additional employee (myself), and split KZN into 2 sales regions.

When the company found that there was not enough business in KZN for 2 salesmen to meet targets, they wanted me to move into the role of sales for Logistics Automation, which I was not interested in pursuing. For this reason I persued other employment.

Company: Pulse Control Systems, Westville, Durban

Period: August 2017 – March 2017

Position: Sales Engineer

Work Description: Field Sales Engineer.

My position was to increase sales by opening new accounts for Pulse Control Systems, who are a Siemens Partner for Process Instrumentation. Sales and service of Siemens instrumentation (level, pressure, flow, temperature etc).

Reason for leaving: I found that most companies in KZN were already dealing either directly with Siemens or other Siemens partners; and therefore did not require another supplier of Siemens Products. I managed to become a vendor at few companies like Idwala Carbonates, Dunlop Industrial, and a few smaller companies; but still had problems with Siemens undercutting on pricing.

I resigned for these reasons.

Company: Wika Instruments, Durban, SA

Period: January 2017 – July 2017

Position: Sales Engineer

Work Description: Field Sales and support of level, pressure, temperature, calibration, load cells, controllers and flow instrumentation.

Reason for leaving: Shortly after joining Wika, the company policy changed, which required me to be away from home, which was the reason I left Vega Instruments. I resigned and joined a company who had their head office based in Durban.

Company: Vega Instruments, Durban, SA

Period: January 2010 – December 2016

Position: Sales Engineer

Work description: Sales, service, commissioning and fault-finding on following equipment:

Level transmitters: Radar, Guided Wave Radar, Ultrasonic, Capacitance, Nuclear

Level switches: Vibration, Capacitance, Conductive, Nuclear

Density Transmitters: Nuclear, DP

Pressure transmitters: Gauge and Vacuum

Display and Control

Achievements: Income from KZN when I joined Vega was R5 million per annum. By the time I left my sales had increased over R12 million per annum. I also managed to break into new areas of business (Engen Oil, Lanxess, Richards Bay Minerals, Sappi and Mondi) where Vega was not previously active.

Reason for leaving: Sickness in family limited my travel to head office in Johannesburg and distant customers. Due to the nature of the position I had to resign and join a company with less trave requirements.

Company: Aesica Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Enfield, London, UK

Period: January 2007 - September 2009

Position: Instrumentation Technician (Shift)

Work description:

Planned maintenance, calibrations, breakdowns and problem solving on equipment in manufacturing and utility plants.

Manufacturing equipment included centrifuges, crystallisers, dryers, reactors and mixers.

Utilities included: Cooled and Chilled Water Systems, Hot Water Systems, Boilers, Compressors, De-ionised Water, Wastewater Treatment, Filtration and HVAC systems.

Storage Systems: Acids and Alkalis, Methanol, IPA, Toluene, THF, Oils and Gases.

Reason for leaving: Plant closed due to recession.

Company: Wyeth Pharmaceuticals,Grange Castle, Dublin, Ireland

Period: December 2002 - November 2006

Position: Lead Instrumentation Technician

Work description: Contracted by Lotus Works to Wyeth Biotech during the construction of one of the largest biopharmaceutical facilities worldwide.

Construction:

Installation, wiring, pre-commissioning, commissioning of E&I equipment (MCC's DB's, VFD's, pumps, motors, valves, conductivity, pH, temperature, level, pressure, switching etc).

Systems included Emerson DeltaV, Honeywell Plantscape, Allen Bradley PLC's and Panelview.

Commissioning & Validation:

Site Acceptance Tests and Factory Acceptance Tests on E&I systems.

Setting up, commissioning and calibration of process instrumentation and associated systems.

Production:

As Lead I&C Technician in the Drug Substance Plant I attended operations meetings, handled shift pass-over issues, ordered spares and implemented instrumentation projects.

Liaised with vendors, operations, quality control and programmers to reduce alarms, solve faults and modify parameters to achieve higher efficiency and reduce downtime.

Hands on fault finding during breakdowns.

Involved with planning, permits to work, updating drawings and P&ID's.

Reason for leaving: End of contract

Company: Wyeth Laboratories, Portsmouth, Havant, UK

Period: April 2002 - December 2002

Position: Instrumentation Technician

Work description: Performed following duties on site:

Planning, permits to work, updating drawings and P&ID's.

Ordering of spares.

Supervision of instrument contractors on site.

Planned maintenance tasks and calibrations of instrumentation.

Fault finding and repair of instrumentation, pneumatic equipment, recorders, controllers etc.

Liaised with vendors and manufacturers for advice, spares and problem

Implementation of SOP's, Calibration and Maintenance Schedules for manufacturing and Utilities plants.

Validation of laboratory equipment.

Reason for leaving: Took up more interesting and lucrative position at new Wyeth Plant project in Ireland.

Company: Carill Aviation Ltd, Southampton, UK

Period: April 2001 - March 2002

Position: Aircraft Technician

Work description: Servicing of single engine and twin-engine light aircraft of Carill Aviation

flight school aircraft and other customer aircraft at the airfield.

Reason for leaving: Steady decline in business following the September 2001 terrorist attack in USA resulted in the downsizing of aircraft and staff at the company. As a result I was laid off.

Company: GKN Autostructures, Eastleigh, UK

Period: December 2000 - March 2001

Position: Maintenance Engineer (temporary position)

Work description: Maintenance, fault-finding and repair on electrical, mechanical and instrument equipment on production line assembling chassis equipment for the Ford Transit Factory.

Reason for leaving: The employee who I was standing in from returned from sick leave.

Company: Dunlop Tyres, Durban, South Africa

Period: February 1998 - November 2000

Position: Instrument and Controls Technician (Shift)

Work description:

Planned maintenance and calibrations of plant instrumentation, recorders, pneumatics etc in manufacturing plant and utilities plants.

Attending to breakdowns on plant instrumentation and control equipment.

Utilities included Rubber Making, Boilers, Cooling Water, Compressed Air and Instrument Air systems

Manufacturing equipment included Tyre Making, Tyre Moulding and Tyre Testing..

Reason for leaving: I married my wife and we wanted to visit and work overseas.

Company: Richards Bay Minerals, Richards Bay, South Africa

Period: December 1997 - January 1998

Position: Instrument and Controls Technician.

Work description Performed following duties on site for a contract over December when permanent employees were on leave:

Maintenance, calibrations and handling of breakdowns on plant instrumentation in CO2 Gas Plant.

Replacement of damaged and obsolete equipment.

Reason for leaving: End of contract.

Company: Sappi Ngodwana, South Africa

Period: October 1997 - December 1997

Position: Instrument and Controls Technician.

Work description Performed following duties on site during annual shutdown of Digester Plant:

Calibration of field instrumentation.

Installation and calibration of new instrumentation.

Overhaul of control valves.

Reason for leaving: End of contract.

Company: Namdeb Diamond Mine, Namibia

Period: September 1996 - September 1997

Position: Instrument and Controls Technician.

Work description Construction of Floating Treatment Plant for Namdeb Diamond Mine, Namibia, to extract diamonds out of manmade ponds. Duties included:

Installation, wiring and terminating of instrumentation, PLC's, MCC's, and electrical equipment up to 30kV.

Pre-commissioning, calibration and commissioning of instrumentation.

Updating of instrument drawings and wiring diagrams.

Reason for leaving: End of contract.

Company: Sydcor Engineering

Period: November 1994 - August 1996

Position: Instrument and Controls Technician.

Work description: Employed for the construction of the new Alusaf Hillside Smelter in Richards Bay. Performed following duties on site:

Installation, wiring and terminating of Instrumentation, PLC's and MCC's.

Pre-commissioning, calibration and commissioning of instrumentation and associated systems.

Resolution of punch list items.

Updating of instrument drawings and wiring diagrams.

Start-up of plant equipment.

Reason for leaving: End of contract.

Company: Illovo Sugar Mill, Durban, South Africa

Period: September 1993 - October 1994

Position: Instrument and Controls Technician.

Work description: Employed for deconstruction and relocation of Illovo Sugar Mill.

Duties on site included:

Decommissioning of live electrical and instrumentation in a controlled, safe and supervised manner.

Disconnection of cabling, motors, lighting, junction boxes, DB's, MCC's and PLC's.

Supervision of 5 semi-skilled electrical personnel.

Reason for leaving: Opportunity arose to work at new Alusaf Hillside Smelter project.

Touring Europe: March 1991 - June 1993

Company: South African Air Force

Period: June 1986 - January 1991

Position: Avionic Instrument Mechanician.

Work description: Joined SAAF as an apprentice Avionic Instrument Mechanician.

Completed instrumentation apprenticeship.

Performed flight line, minor and major services on Impala aircraft at Pietersburg Air Base.

Qualified in August 1989.

Transferred to 5 Air Depot where I repaired instruments and electronic equipment down to component level.

Training of apprentices and supervision of lower ranks.

Resigned in 1991 with rank of Sergeant.

Reason for leaving: Completed my service.

REFERENCES

Company: SSE Specialist System Engineering

Name: Carlo Shields

Position: CEO

Contact number: 082-***-****

Email: ********@***.**.**

Company: SICK Automation

Name: Prishan Chain

Position: Sales Manager

Contact number: 076-***-****

Email: *******.*****@**************.**.**

Company: Pulse Control Systems

Name: Nimelen Pillay

Position: Director

Contact number: 031-***-****

Email: *******@************.**.**

Company: Wika Instruments

Name: Desi Naidoo

Position: Durban Branch Manager

Contact number: 031-***-****

Email: ****.******@****.***

Company: Vega Instruments

Name: Frikkie Streicher

Position: Sales Manager

Contact number: 011-***-****, 082-***-****

Email: *******.*********@****.***,

Company: Wyeth Biotech, Grange Castle

Name: Tom Murtagh

Position: Instrument/ Calibration Manager

Contact details: Facebook https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-murtagh-198536b8

Company: Sydcor Engineering

Name: Klem Hoff

Position: Manager

Contact number: 083-***-****

REFERENCES FROM CUSTOMERS

Company: Sappi Stanger

Name: Rodney Raju, Sylvester Samuels