WORK IN AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
Atmospheric Plasma Blast
Sealant-and-Coating Removal
FEB 2019 - SEP 2019
Led a small, dynamic team of materials engineers on a limited purpose cooperative research and development agreement (LP-CRADA) for implementing a novel, innovative technology to be used for the removal of coatings and sealants from aircraft structural components.
I delegated work among my small team to prepare testing panels of commonly used primer-and-paint stackups on both metallic and composite structure. The coating stackup was removed via plasma technology by trained personnel followed by an in-depth investigation of material properties.
I performed materials characterization and heat damage evaluation of the metallic structure via electrical conductivity testing, hardness, and metallography; concurrently, I directed my composite SME colleague to perform a heat damage evaluation of the composite structure via Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.
The results of this novel technology, in its current iteration, found that it would not meet aircraft worthiness standards; the findings were documented in a technical report and presented both orally and in writing to a diverse panel of engineers and company representatives.
In addition, recommendations were made to improve the technology for aircraft use. The technology was foregone, saving Fleet Readiness Center Southwest’s (FRCSW) command $2.5M USD on a Phase II.5 Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) project.
Aircraft Manufacturing
Hole Quality & Cold Working Processes
SEP 2018 - PRESENT
Conduct daily manufacturing shop visits and interact directly with trained-and-certified technicians, supervisors and aircraft program leads on aircraft repair status. Inefficiencies in work are cataloged and analyzed with QA personnel for quality improvement; I classify this work as internal auditing of owned processes. Annually, I review the materials engineering technical process instructions and make revisions, as applicable. Within one year of taking ownership of the various hole quality processes, I revised, in full, 1 technical instruction due to outdated and inadequate information. During which, I held 3 high level meetings with FRCs 2 highest-ranking commanding officers, 4 Integrated Aircraft Program Managers, structural engineers, industrial quality engineers, and training coordinators for implementing new quality provisions. In addition, 2 other critical hole quality processes were observed and their corresponding technical process instructions are underway for partial revision.
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Led a small dynamic team of industrial quality engineers, training coordinators, production leads, and military personnel to perform a PFMEA on an aircraft production process, highlighting critical steps in the process that are more susceptible to process discrepancy, and/or are more difficult to detect via conventional inspection methods. I combined mine and my team’s findings in a technical report and orally presented a high-level brief to the local command’s upper management. In addition to reporting the teams’ findings, we proposed a solution for more detailed and efficient discrepancy tracking, further improving quality assurance. I estimated a yearly savings in charges related to part discrepancies of, at minimum, $100K USD. The effort led to a large-scale, lean six sigma project and implementation of proposed documentation-and-monitoring solution; currently being performed.
Component Manufacturing
Bushing Installation & Heat Treatment Processes
SEP 2018 - PRESENT
Performed internal audits of owned bushing processes, coordinating with industrial quality engineers and shop supervisors to identify the most critical, and highest risk of discrepancy processing steps. I found that the shop personnel were being instructed to follow an unauthorized reference; therefore, I took it upon myself to create 2 new technical process instructions to meet aircraft worthiness manufacturing standards with additional requirements such as heat treatment, surface finish, and conversion coating. One additional process instruction was revised to reflect updated training requirements and additional quality provisions.
Manufacturing and Processing Liaison
SEP 2018 - PRESENT
Conduct daily manufacturing shop visits and interact directly with trained-and-certified technicians, supervisors and aircraft program leads on aircraft repair status. Inefficiencies in work are cataloged and analyzed with QA personnel for quality improvement; I classify this work as internal auditing of owned processes.
Annually, I review the materials engineering technical process instructions and make revisions, as applicable.
Within one year of taking ownership of the various hole quality processes, I revised, in full, 1 technical instruction due to outdated and inadequate information. During which, I held 3 high level meetings with FRCs 2 highest-ranking commanding officers, Integrated Aircraft Program Managers, structural engineers, industrial quality engineers, and training coordinators for implementing new quality provisions.
In addition, 2 other critical hole quality processes were observed and their corresponding technical process instructions are underway for partial revision.
Heat Damage Investigator
DEC 2018 - PRESENT
Under the guidance of heat damage investigating SMEs, I performed 5 high visibility engineering investigations on heat damaged aircrafts.
I coordinated with my colleagues and our military customers to identify primary area(s) of interest, and directed the removal of aircraft parts and/or secondary structure for easier access.
Subsequently, I utilized the following methods as primary investigation techniques such as: visual inspection, electrical conductivity testing, microhardness, and when applicable, spot polishing and etching. My findings for each of these investigations were presented orally and in writing to the cognizant engineering authority, dictating origin of mishap, results, and recommended course of action for damage repair and/or replacement.