Dennis Varga
*.*****@******.***
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
BAKER COLLEGE, Clinton Twp. MI. 2009 to Present
Adjunct instructor
• Teaching Paint I, Paint II, Paint III, and Non Structural Body Repair.
CATERPILLAR CORPORATION, Peoria, IL. 2008 to 2009
Advanced Operations Paint Technology
• Support CAV (Customer Acceptance Validation Audits Paint Audits ) Quality audits at Caterpillar plant paint operations.
• Develop and coordinate a Paint Repair process for Caterpillar
• Support Laser Oxide removal
• Support Rust Preventative Coatings project.
• Six Sigma Green Belt Certified
• Support Cat University for Painter Training program for plant activity.
• Powder coat application project.
• Validated paint quality using equipment such as an elcometer, gloss meters for DOI and gloss, adhesion testing, and orange peel, and hardness testing.
Independent Technical Consultant 2005 to 2008
I have been providing independent technical consulting services to Southern Casting and RP Manufacturing in the areas of paint finesse, paint casting supports, and paint carrier design as a technical consultant on a part time basis.
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, Detroit, MI 1984-2005
Senior Manufacturing Engineer, 01/2000-04/2005
Paint and Polymers Engineering G.M. Tech Center
• Responsible for the successful and timely design and launch of injection molded polymer tooling for several Saturn programs.
• Managed paint casting designs with suppliers for all Saturn painted parts programs and produced 25% cost savings, minimized costly pattern changes and met program timing.
• Validated part to casting fit utilizing math data that resulted in minimal pattern change resulting in a cost savings.
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SATURN CORPORATION, Madison Heights, MI 06/1989-01/2000
Vehicle Engineering Center.
Engineering Shop Supervisor Paint / Fab / Facilities 1989-2000
• Responsible for managing technical shop activities including technical training for the skilled trades technicians, prototype build activities, and special projects in the paint area.
• Expertise with 2K and 1K solvent paint materials.
• Support Saturn Plant Launch, developed common practices and process workflow templates for technicians in the paint area such as e-coat and primer sand, and repair, reprocess prep, and metal finishing.
• Identify and root cause paint quality issues such as, dirt in paint, craters, solvent pops, sags, contamination and application issues etc.
• Trained technicians for in-line metal finishing, that resulted in a non-destructive metal finishing station.
• Developed training for technicians at the engineering facility and the assembly plant in the first use of water borne paint topcoat with a polyisocyanate clear coat.
• Coordinate and oversee paint area deep-cleaning activities in conjunction with cleaning contractors.
• Co-support body fabrication activities.
• Establish and monitor a yearly budget for prototype ecoat, prototype paint shop, and facility maintenance activities.
• Prepare and spray test panels with a Spraymation unit.
• Trained technicians in OEM paint application, aftermarket paint applications, and paint repair.
• Trained and supervised technicians in numerous high quality show car projects.
• Trained technicians in metal finishing, all types of polymer repair.
SATURN CORPORATION, Madison Heights, MI 03/1987-06/1989
Skilled Trades Paint Technician
• Responsible for the initial launch of the prototype paint shop.
• Applied all types of seam sealers over E-coat space frame.
• Painted, high level show vehicles ,and other specialty projects using OEM and refinish materials.
GENERAL MOTORS, Fisher Body, Warren, MI 07/1984-03/1987
Skilled Trades Paint Technician
• Responsible for the application of OEM seam sealer, paint topcoat materials, and specialty show car projects as a prototype / experimental paint technician.
GENERAL MOTORS Dealership Repair Facilities 1976-1984
Dealership Body Repair.
Senior Paint and Body Repair Technician
• Responsible for all levels of automotive collision, and paint repair of damaged vehicles including heavy collision repair, welding, sheet metal refinish, and paint refinishing procedures, and assembly.
• Repainted production vehicles to achieve a show car quality for local and national car shows.
CHRYSLER CORPORATION, Dodge Truck Assembly, Warren, MI 1972-1976
• Assembler, final assembly area, final line repair, and metal finishing.
EDUCATION / TRAINING
Associates in Applied Science, Oakland Community College, Royal Oak, MI 1998
Major: Industrial Technology
Eastern Michigan University Additional training Coatings Processes 1 and 2 1986
Additional Corporate Sponsored Training
The following is a partial sample of some of the additional training I have completed
B.A.S.F. OEM Paint Seminar 40 Hour PPG Custom Paint Seminar 40 Hour
B.A.S.F. REFINISH Paint Seminar 40Hour PPG Phosphate E-Coat Seminar 40 Hour
PPG OEM Paint Seminar 40 Hour Spray paint defects cause and cure 40 Hour
PPG Refinish Paint Seminar 40 Hour Paintless dent repair 40 Hour