Manufacturing Engineer Injection Molding

Thomas Matechik

** ******** ***** *****: 570-***-****

White Haven, PA 18661 email:****************@*****.***

Sr. Manufacturing Engineer/Sr. Facilities Engineer Dec. 2019 to Present

Azek Exteriors Scranton, PA

Responsible for initiating, directing, overseeing, and managing, Capital Expenditures in Olefins, PVC, and Decking Operations of a multi-million dollar corporation specializing in co-extrusion of PVC sheets, split stock, and capped composite lumber for the Exterior Building Industry. Reported directly to the Director of Engineering and Sr. V.P. offsite Operations. Considered and utilized as the In house expert for a $12 million Corporate initiative utilizing Telesis CO2 Lasers to etch quality/traceability information on all deck/porch boards generated by dual strand extruders in a 24/7/365 operation. This information was utilized by Corporate Quality, Operations, and Processing. Reported directly to the Corporate V.P. of Operations, and Director of Engineering for this initiative. Suggest recommendations for enhancements that improved the effectiveness and reliability of the lasers. These were implemented on local as well as corporate levels. Interfaced, scheduled, and interacted with contractors and vendors for the acquisition and installation of new primary and ancillary equipment. Championed, conducted, and participated in local and corporate Steerco, production, safety, and quality meetings and initiatives. Proposed and processed Purchase requisitions and purchase orders. Utilized JDE and Finario to input and process purchase requisitions. Collaborate with Process Engineering, Quality, Operations, and Safety, on Lean Enterprises/initiatives. Utilize my machinist background for quick turnaround of custom parts. Work directly with a number of machine shops, riggers, and millwrights to successfully perform high priced, high visibility projects. Championed cost cutting initiatives that utilized in house resources instead of outside contractors for Lean/6s initiatives including but not limited to; floor grinding, line layout and painting, 6s fixturing, and laser etching improvements, to name a few. Responsible for the installation and maintenance of new HVAC-R systems in R&D Lab and new office construction. Scheduled and Coordinated equipment delivery and installation with shippers, contractors and various departments within the corporation to insure a seamless interface with minimal, if any, impact on production. Commissioned with overseeing the resolution of CA’s proposed by FM Global pertaining to combustible dust mitigation as well as storm water run-off. Championed initiatives in dry blend dust mitigation (SonicAire), masking application to PVC Sheet (NEMN), retail packing (Doucet/Hermance), infeed material metal detection (Eriez), product traceability (Telesis, Domino USA), corona treatment, silo painting/refurbishment (Protecal), Haul off and cutoff equipment upgrades (Extrunet), to name a few.

Respond to emergent and non-emergent situations as they relate to Quality, Safety, Operations, Scheduling, Purchasing, and/or Installation. The ultimate goal is to convert reactive situations into predictive situation.

Safety/CI Engineer March 2017 to Dec 2019 Highwood-USA Hometown, PA

Oversee Safety and provide Operations Support Engineering to approximately 150. Managers/Operators/Engineers at Two facilities; one housing R&D and Extrusion Operations, the other; Warehousing and Fabrication. Responsible for the company’s receiving SHARP (Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program) Certification at Hometown and Pre-SHARP Certifications at Hazleton. (Fewer than 100 companies statewide hold SHARP Certification’s). Conduct Monthly Safety Meetings and Audits in Line with SHARP Protocols. Utilize my skills and expertise as a Machinist’s to spearhead launching an in house Fixture Fabrication shop to support R&D and Operations, saving the company tens of thousands of dollars by eliminating the need for outsourcing. Design/Fabricate devices for production lines to eliminate quality issues. Design/Fabricate operator friendly standard embosser safety cages/guards for all extrusion lines to enhance safety yet still minimize changeover time and ease of machine adjustment. Design/Fabricate Fixtures for the NGR cell (scrap shredding, grinding, extrusion, water ring pelletizing unit) to expedite turnaround time for reprocessing scrap materials. Solicit employee ideas/concepts for Continuous Improvement Initiatives advancing these concepts into physical prototypes to prove out and ultimately implement to the entire floor. Use my HVAC Universal Certification to bring HVAC/chiller repairs, maintenance and service in house. Handle all aspects of our Injection Molding Department. Responsible for physical plant upkeep and improvements. Utilize my diverse background and those of my fellow associates, to reduce costs by keeping physical plant repairs and upkeep in house. Maintain, Improve, Sustain plant’s Safety/5s Programs by utilizing the skills and insight of my co-worker to continually advance forward. Interface Directly with Plant Managers at both facilities and the Company President on Cost Savings and Safety Initiatives. Attended VPP Workshops in Allentown, PA and GOSH conference in Harrisburg, PA in 2017and 2018.

Mechanical Engineer/Plant Super-Intendant Hazleton, PA 18201 Multi-Plastics Polymerization March 2015 to March 2017

Oversee day to day operations of a 24/7/365 day Polymerization Operation. Direct the activities of 13 Operators and 3Maintenance personnel. Interface directly with Engineering, Maintenance, Management Departments, as well as Outside Contractors. Responsible for the purchase, maintenance, and updating of Spare Parts, Equipment, Tools, and Perishable Resources Inventories. Review Bids, Compare and Evaluate Contractors’ Proposals, Select Contractors best suited to perform needed work. Pull samples for evaluation by internal lab to determine the quality of end product.

Lean Engineer/EHS Manager Washington, NJ Rexam Healthcare Sept. 2011 to March 2015

Utilize DMAIC Philosophy and Lean Pillars to increase productivity, reduce waste and nurture a safe accident free environment in an Injection Blow Mold Facility forming bottles for the Pharmaceutical Environment. Designed and fabricated custom segregated blender bins for the blending area saving the company $50,000in production costs of the fixtures and eliminating color variation resulting from colorant separation when material demand exceeded supply. Champion initiatives in SMED; which saved approximately 253 hours in tooling change-over, TPM; by designing and implementing a predictive maintenance program for nozzle failures which tracked nozzle performance/replacement before they resulted in defects/customer complaints, brought HVAC-R inspections/maintenance in house annually saving tens of thousands of dollars on emergent maintenance calls, compressor burn ups, and refrigerant line purging by implementing a filter inspection/changing program and sub-cooling super heat monitoring initiative, and VSM; identifying non-value-added/redundant handling/material flow issues within our facility resulting in a labor savings/reduced OS&D. Design, Fabricate, Install, Modify Production Fixtures in line with Continuous Improvement Initiatives. Champion Safety/Lean Kaizen events at the plant level using feedback provided by operators to enhance KPI' s. Implemented a safety system that brought a number of Safety Training topics in house; Certified Forklift Trainer, Responsible for conducting company-wide training in accord with OSHA, GMP, and FDA requirements to insure zero Lost Time Accidents (to date 3 plus consecutive years). Responsible for Maintaining and Repairing Plant and Equipment including: HVAC Systems, Lighting, Presses, MATEC systems, Flamers, and Electro-Treaters. Interface with Contractors and Vendors for those jobs that were beyond my available time or experience. Inspect and verify functionality of all plant safety systems including, Emergency Lighting, Fire Alarms and Extinguishers, Sprinkler Systems (wet and Dry), HVAC Systems, Blenders, Vacuum Pumps, Height and Opacity checkers, to name a few. Author and Submit Monthly Reports to Regional Safety and Operations Managers. Implement Training for Corrective Actions. Conduct all Plant Safety and Operations Training. Use my skills and expertise with Machine Shop Equipment/Tools to minimize plant costs by fabricating custom fixtures in my shop. Responsible for Managing Blending and Grinding areas for 24 Jomar Injection Blow Molding Machines and 14 Maquire Blenders. Report directly to the Plant Manager and Regional Safety Manager. Compose, review, and update JSA/JHA.

Molding Manager Oct. 2008 to Nov. 2010 Weiss-Aug East Hanover, NJ

Oversee the daily operations of an Automated Insert Molding Facility specializing in Disposable Medical as well as automotive equipment. Schedule machines and manpower to effectively carryout the floors production requirements. Champion Continuous Improvement Initiatives involving multiple disciplined groups from within the organization with the ultimate goal of increasing efficiency and productivity. Learn, Organize, Write, Implement, and Maintain Operator Instructions, Set Up Sheets, and documentation open to formal Audits. Conducted Daily Production Meetings which involved the Company President. Interfaced with Quality, Automation, Tooling, Safety Managers daily. Championed 8d Committees, 5s, SMED, and Visual Factory initiatives. Train, Coach, and Evaluate Associates on new equipment and production techniques. Bi-annually complete associate Performance Reviews. Maintain Machine Failure and Adjustment Logs for use in Customer Corrective Action. RJG Competent. Processes tools using decoupled and decouple II Molding. Champion shift, Molding, and Continuous Improvement meetings. Coordinate Molding Tool repair schedules with other departments and outside contractors to minimize downtime. Assign tasks to workforce and hold them accountable for their completion. Administer rewards and discipline to associates as needed. Enter payroll for employees under my supervision. Responsible for annual Evaluations of Associates as well as bi-annual performance reviews. Coordinated machine repairs with Maintenance, Vendors, and/or Automation group as needed.

Production Manager July 2006 to Dec. 2007

Pretium Packaging Hazleton, PA

Oversee daily Production of the Corporations largest and most productive 24/7 365-day, Injection Stretch Blow Molding Facility. This included scheduling manpower, tooling changeover, purchasing, Inventory Control, regrind, quality production, LMLS implementation, troubleshooting (system and process), Root Cause Analysis, training, and the introduction of new equipment. Championed 5s integration and implementation throughout the facility responsible for reducing LTA from 8 to O in 1 year period during tenure, Member of the Safety Committee. Delegate responsibilities to Supervisory and Machine Operating Staff to streamline production procedures. Maintained AIB and GMP. Principles and Standards. Operated within ISO and FDA and AIB Regulations. Preformed internal audits of Production and Quality Processes. Write, Implement, and Maintain Operator Instructions, Set up Sheets, and Documentation open to auditing. Greenbelt Trained at GSK, St Louis, MO.

Plastic Injection Molding Process Engineer/Interim-Plastics Manager May 2004 to Jan. 2006

Laird Technologies Delaware Water Gap, PA

Schaumburg, IL

Function as the Multi-site Plastic Injection Molding Process Engineer. Establish Processes, set-up and start up procedures for Compression, Transfer, and Injection Molding presses for multi-million-dollar Global Corporate Program in the Electronics and Telecommunications Industry. Launch benchmark platforms utilizing Plastic Injection Molding of Conductive Elastomers, front end and back-end automation, and vision system technology. Interface with multi-disciplined/multi-departmental teams for the acquisition, transfer, and set-up of a Plastic Injection Molding facility. Contract and negotiate pricing, transport, and timelines with outside vendors for intermediate services for start-up of a new Plastic Injection Molding facility. Establish and implement processes for new Plastic Injection molding operations to optimize machine time. Develop, refine, and conduct training programs to diverse multi-lingual workforce. Report directly to the Vice Presidents of Engineering, Operations, and Production. Work with, observe, evaluate, and initiate corrective actions to improve ergonomics, quality, and productivity. Establish training criteria for new hires. Evaluate, trouble shoot, and make needed repairs on Plastic Injection molding machines, extruders, multi-station pad print equipment. CMM certified/qualified. Program, install, start, operate, and troubleshoot pick and place robots. Train work force in the operation of pick and place units. Oversee the operation, manning, and training in a 24/6 operation. Conduct employee evaluations. Firmly establish company's 5s compliance. Write Work Procedures, Instructions, Process Flows, and Control Plans for new and existing programs. Perform DOE' s and First Article Runs. Validate new presses and molds. Work with, observe, evaluate, and initiate corrective actions to improve ergonomics, quality, and productivity.

Plastic Injection Molding Process Engineer/Quality Engineer July 2000 to May 2004

Lear Corporation Zanesville, OH

Pretty Products (Lear Subsidiary) Coshocton, OH

Function as a Process and Quality Engineer for QS Certified Plastic Injection Molding Facility. Responsible for establishing Process set-ups for 31Toyo, Cincinnati Milacron, and Newbury, Horizontal, Rotary, and Shuttle Presses. Optimize machine productivity in a Six Sigma/Lean Manufacturing facility. Troubleshoot and correct process failures. Establish Quality System for molding operation. Write Work Procedures, Instructions, Process Flows, Control Plans, FMEA's, and PSW's. Conduct Subordinate weekly Injection Molding Classes and Hands on Processing Sessions as part of Cross Training to implement Self Directed Work Force Initiative. Design change to current production boards to reduce internal PPM by 25% for Molding Operation between 2001, 2002, and again between 2002 and 2003. Team member on three successful plant consolidation moves. Report directly to the Quality Manager and Molding Manager. Liaison for 50 hourly employees and 120 plus multiple cavity OEM and service, insert molds . Maintain annual layout records and Blue Books for operation. Lead Engineer on changeover from QS9000 to TS 16949. Perform inspections, audits, corrective actions, supplier development, SPC charting, and new product launches. Quality Champion, PPAP, PFMEA, DFMEA, Control Plan, Poke-Yoke, 7 step, 8d, 5 why, HTR, Root Cause, Gauge R&R, GD&T, and Continuous Improvement. Work with, observe, evaluate, and initiate corrective actions to improve ergonomics, quality, and productivity. Serve as the Process Engineer to the Plant Manager. Design, procure, manufacture, and install ergonomic fixtures. Achieved 50% reduction in workers compensation claims for back injuries due to introduction of redesigned fixtures. Interface with Production, Maintenance, Safety, and Engineering to establish price and contract feasible, user-friendly systems and equipment. Work with and trouble shoot PLC driven equipment. Reduce costs by the identification, and/or modification of existing processes. Address, maintain, and correct quality deficiencies. Utilize MRP. Functioned in a TQM environment. AutoCAD 2000 competent.

Plastic Injection/Compression Molding Supervisor Nov. 1993 to Jul 2000 Kurz-Kasch Newcomerstown, 0hio

Oversee Compression, Transfer, Injection, and Injection/compression molding in a medium to high volume, Precision Machining and tight tolerance application, ISO9002/QS9000 certified company manufacturing specialty stators, solenoids, and over molded coils of thermos-set/composite materials. Maintain, operate, and troubleshoot various molding equipment. Produce parts for automotive applications, adhering to specific quality standards. Experience with Plastic Injection molding, induction soldering, helium spectroscopy, coil winding, quality assurance/quality control, data tabulation, equipment/gauge calibration, and statistical error calculations.

Operations Manager/Logistics 1987 to 1993

Preston Trucking Vineland, NJ

PIE Nationwide Williamsport, PA

Dayton Freight Columbus, Ohio

Putnam Transfer Zanesville, OH

INTERESTS

Machinist, Designer, Craftsman

LS Machine

May 1985 to Sept.2024

White Haven, PA

Design, Fabricate, Install Custom Lean Fixtures, using DMAIC Principle, in Manufacturing facilities to reduce/eliminate waste. Set-up, Operate, Maintain and achieve the desired tolerances using NC and CNC Metal/Plastic working Machines to Fabricate the desired fixture. Competent in the Set-up/Operation of Vertical Milling Machines, Metal Lathes, Drill Presses, Tapping Machines, Grinders, Pan/Box Brakes, Metal/Plastic Welders, Metal/Plastic Cutting/Forming Machines to name a few.

Design/Fabricate/Modify Fixtures to enhance Safety, Reduce Scrap, and/or Increase Efficiency, while minimizing customer costs through innovative operations and pricing.

Bio Diesel Processing Operation Sept. 1996 to Present

Operate a Bio-Fuel Processing Facility that converts Triglycerides into Fatty Acid Alkyl Esters for use in Personal Transportation Vehicles. Convert and sell vehicles designed to run on used cooking oil. Design, Manufacture, and sell components for personal conversion of vehicles.

EDUCATION

HVAC-R Universal EPA Certification 2008

Allied Medical and Technical Institute Forty Fort, PA

B.S. Business Administration 1987

Wilkes College Wilkes-Barre, PA

A.S. Mechanical Engineering 1985

The Pennsylvania State University Hazleton, PA

3D Modeling Certification Tuscarawas Career Center

AutoCAD Certification Tuscarawas Career Center

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