Walt Muller
Senior Product Design Engineer - Summary Page
Permanent Address: 509 Country Club Drive Gadsden, AL (256) 422-9999
Current Address: same
Mobile: 256-390-9653
Email: wmuller5@gmail.com
Years experience: 22
Clearance: Secret (Inactive)
Professional Profile
Experience Summary
Experienced in motivating quality task force teams and design teams, and efficiently finishing tasks through engineering personnel, to meet budget and schedule targets.
Adept at guiding projects from marketing concept, through design and production, to end of product life
Experienced with stamped and bent sheet metal, robotically welded seat frames, die castings, injection molded plastics, polyurethane molded foam, molded rubber parts.
Experienced with root cause analysis on chronic and difficult non-conformances. PPAP support, suspect part disposition support.
Adept at product focused problem solving in a world class production environment.
Skills: research, manage, direct, create, design, develop, counsel, teach, train
Education: Georgia Institute of Technology: BS Textile Engineering Atlanta, GA,1978 (an applied mechanical/electrical/chemical engineering degree)
Experience Detail
January 2008 to October 2009
Inteva Products, Gadsden AL (Auto Instrument Panels and Floor Consoles)
PRODUCT ENGINEER (contract position)
Combination of Quality Engineering and Liason Engineering responsibilities
Interfaced with US and German customers, suppliers, and Inteva personnel on issues relating to existing IP, Floor console and Interior component quality and design issues for the Mercedes M Class SUV
Coordinated continuous improvement, and model year engineering changes
Coordinated build and validation testing and supported PPAP activities.
Developed solutions to chronic build issues using rigorous statistical analysis tools
Helped establish a model for change requests in Inteva’s new PLEX database
2002-2008
Master Design Services, Gadsden, AL
OWNER AND PROJECT MANAGER
Creation of a product design services firm.
Developed business plan.
Created logo, brochure and business cards.
Developed standard business contract
Executed a few design projects with local companies.
Returned to engineering employment (Inteva), to pursue MDS and smaller ventures part time.
2004
Gadsden State Community College, Gadsden,
AutoCAD INSTRUCTOR – MECHANICAL DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
Taught MDT 147, a course covering advanced AutoCAD including surface and solid modeling, 2D meshes and solid assemblies.
2003
Jefferson State Community College, Birmingham AL
AutoCAD INSTRUCTOR – MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
Taught MET201 – Basic AutoCAD – a course covering basic 2D drafting, an introduction to AutoCAD’s very large command set and their techniques.
1996 to 2002
Bostrom Seating Inc. Piedmont, AL
MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEER
Worked closely with quality engineers and auditors to resolve design issues
Assisted in Bostrom certifications: ISO9000 (1997) and QS9000 (2000).
Revised engineering procedures extensively to improve QS9000 compliance
Executed air ride truck seat design projects from inception to market.
CAD systems used: SDRC Ideas (3D), and AutoCAD (2D) each for 2+ years.
Established and maintained good relationships with customers and end users
Created and tested prototypes for compliance with federal, customer, and end user requirements
1996 to 1996
Under contract to Datascope, Paramus, NJ
Addressed a serious quality problem – Datascope’s new portable blood analyzer did not meet Federal Electromagnetic Compliance (EMC) Standards. Nearby equipment could malfunction.
Redesigned the EMC shielding consisting of many enclosures, including metallized gaskets redesign.
Performed the detail CAD, built prototypes and had them tested for EMC compliance. All enclosures passed in first round of testing.
CAD systems used: ProENGINEER (3D)
Under contract to Northern Telecom, Research Triangle Park, NC
CAD ENGINEER
Created large quantity of production drawings for a telecommunications electronics cabinet from Pro-E solid models
1995 to 1996
Under contract to Johnson and Johnson Clinical Diagnostics, Rochester, NY
CAD DESIGNER
Headed design group in the enclosure design of a high volume blood analyzer
Engineered the product to meet definition as conveyed by project technical lead Conducted focus meetings to guide development
1988 to 1995
Ericsson Mobile Communications, Lynchburg, VA
STAFF ENGINEER – MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
(electronics packaging)
Managed the design of Police dispatch consoles, squad car police radio enclosures and open rack cellular base stations. Took projects from inception to market as directed by product managers
Engineered the product to meet requirements and company goals utilizing Flotherm analysis software and many other techniques
Tested prototypes for compliance with federal, customer, and end user requirements
CAD systems used: ProENGINEER (3D), AutoCAD (2D)
Assisted in Ericsson’s ISO9000 certification.
1981 to 1988
Hughes Aircraft Company, Fullerton, CA
Held Secret clearance from 1982 to 1988
MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEERING MANAGER 1984 to 1988
Wrote program proposals to bring in new work
Developed strategy and launched the MX Computer, a major program
Directed many projects through my staff of engineers, designers, and drafters
Conducted their performance appraisals and recommended training
MECHANICAL DESIGN STAFF ENGINEER 1981 to 1984
Developed mechanical chassis and enclosure design for many design projects from inception to market as directed by product managers
Engineered the product to meet customer requirements and company goals
Tested prototypes for compliance with federal, customer, and end-user requirements per MIL-STD-16400 and associated specifications.
Edited many designs through production life cycle as needed.
CAD systems used: none personally but was exposed to GE Calma that my drafters were learning.
RESOLVED old and difficult fit issues between the IP sewn vinyl cover seams and the grooves in the IP that they were designed to fit. By letting the parts “talk” and leveraging the expertise of many contributors, good solutions were found and implemented.
Result: Rework and scrap costs were greatly reduced at Inteva, Eissmann, and Mercedes
PRODUCT DESIGN ENGINEERING
DEVELOPED highly successful, new after-market Liberty seating series. Evaluated marketing research gathered from customers, researched possible design improvements, eliminated low volume features, addressed warranty issues, and significantly reduced weight..
Result: Increased sales by $400k over 3 months. Attained high level of teamwork with support personnel using MS project as a management tool.
REDESIGNED Radio Control Unit (RCU) cellular base station to address space requirements. Evaluated space efficiency of the RCU and designed the modules in a physical arrangement that eliminated wasted rack space.
Result: Increased sales by reducing the rack space by 60%.
CREATED innovative cooling method for open rack electronic equipment. Researched need for alternative cooling method, designed a passive (no fans) method of cooling by drawing cool air through front panel of equipment, built and tested prototype, and incorporated design into product.
Result: Need for expensive fans and switches was eliminated. Design was taken to market with enthusiasm, received positive feedback from market on a regular basis, and created a 30% increase in base station sales.
LED a team of representatives from Inteva, Eissman, and Mercedes to resolve quality fit issues on the Mercedes M Class dashboard with simulated leather cover. Started as one of 8 team members and eventually was allowed to lead the group. Greatly increased technical synergy between team members, which led to solutions for a long list of these seam fit problems.
Result: Fit problems were resolved and the fixes put into production, resulting in significant cost savings across four organizations.
COORDINATED personnel resources and activities to facilitate large military computer design project at Hughes. Staffed design group, assessed strengths of each member, delegated tasks, monitored status, reorganized the group when needed.
Result: Efficiently completed project on time, with minimum number of personnel thin three years entry-level drafter was providing CAD
training for a department of 250 people.
MENTORED drafter to strengthen skills. Assessed strengths and weaknesses of new hire and provided guidance needed to firmly establish employee as a successful drafter.
Result: within three years this entry-level drafter was providing CAD
training for over 50 others in our department.
CREATED modular design concept for heavy truck suspension seating. Researched the customer desires for high-tech seat features, guided concept development, presented design concept to customer, and received enthusiastic response to product design.
Result: Improved Bostrom’s technology reputation with the second largest customer.
REVITALIZED self-adjusting seat damper (shock absorber) program which promised better long term health for the trucker by reducing vertical component of road vibrations. A Bostrom sales representative and myself worked closely with LORD Corporation personnel and Freightliner and Kenworth, to demonstrate Bostrom’s seat prototypes fitted with the damper. Through hard work we won them over.
Result: Launched a very innovative feature in Bostrom’s product lines, adding an impressive, high tech factor to Bostrom’s reputation.
256-390-9653 mobile
wmuller5@gmail.com