Consultant, Kevin Kennedy Associates Inc.
Providing expertise in metallurgical engineering, materials engineering, metallurgy of materials, plating, welding, solution heat treatment, thermo-cycling, precipitation hardening and conditioning, brazing, coating, casting, stamping, casting, vacuum sintering, and related expertise to a wide variety of clients.
Aerospace Engineer Group Leader, NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
Served as lead in areas of surface engineering of materials. Responsibilities required leading and managing daily plating tasks, environmental and product quality compliance, etc. Reviewed and approved time cards, schedules, task definition, and setting of priorities. Surface finishing included passivation, chemical etching of conducting, superconducting, semi-conducting, and insulating substrates, iriditing, anodization, electro-polishing, black nickel and black dye, anodize sealing, and electro-less / electro-deposition of gold, Ni, silver, Cu on aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel substrates. Performed other leadership functions as required. Was honored for resolving condensation problem formed in the plating shop. Reviewed and suggested better method of measuring coating thicknesses of gold multilayer films on substrates, measuring of water quality and equipment repairers. Redesigned and improved the de-ionized water chemistry systems for surface finishing and rinsing of critical flight components used for NASA flight missions. Successfully electro-deposited coherent, bright and smooth gold films on aluminum and stainless steel substrates with or without the use of cyanide process. Reviewed SBIR proposal on behalf of the Materials Engineering Branch of code 541, for Government approval. Also was selected by the Power Systems Branch of code 563 to provide technical consulting and reviewing the battery fuel cell's viability for the impending space flight and countless missions including in orbit satellites.
President, General Product Development Manager, High Performance Protective Coating Processes Design and Development Firm
Oversaw company operations providing consulting materials engineering in service to Automotive, Aerospace and Electronic Manufacturing companies in the U.S.A.
Lead Process Specialist Metallurgical Engineer, GE-Unison Industries Inc, Norwich, NY
Worked in a highly cross-functional environment with engineering, manufacturing, sourcing, product management and supply leaders to influence design configurations with exceptional quality. Was responsible for producibility/ process capability and feasibility, manufacturing process development, tool design, integrated schedules, design cost, sourcing technical support, quality qualifications, test support, product cost out, introduction to supply chain and quality compliance. Provided technical leadership for manufacturing processes such as heat treating, metallization, glass metal fusion, plating, metal coatings, purchases, installation and qualification of manufacturing equipments, super alloy coating, solution heat treatment, conditioning and precipitation hardening, composite and insulation materials firing and joining, machining to tolerances, inspection and testing (fluorescent penetrant inspection, magnetic particle inspection and radiographic inspection. The facilities were NADCAP accredited. Performed brazing, materials selection, tool and fixture design, and consulted in welding matters. Led in product specification reviews, and product repairs per the AMS-2404C, 2433B. Provided leadership in product development, PPAP and supported the Six Sigma (Kaizen, SPC, gage R7R, fish bone and FMLA, etc.) program in manufacturing and monitor processes to ensure compliance. Conducted internal auditing, including third-party auditing activities. Facilitated continual improvement, supported 6 Sigma and
Lean Manufacturing initiatives. Worked with a variety of engineering disciplines (ceramics/polymer/semiconductor etc.), and contributed to industrial standard testing, inspection procedures and record retention. Designed fixtures and developed a novel process for successful brazing/ heat treating, etc.
Advanced Specialist Process Engineer, Denso Automotive Components Manufacturing Company, Knoxville, TN
Was responsible for product quality manufacturing for this supplier of automotive components including pistons, alternators, starters, rectifier’s fins, rotor shaft, stator, magnetic switches, starter yoke and armatures, break pads, clutches and commutator devices, etc. Supervised in the company's metal manufacturing operations in the areas of metal casting, stamping, forming, plating, coating, welding, quality inspection/ testing and coating in accordance with TT- C-490D, MIL- T-10727C and ISO/TS16949 and resolved manufacturing discrepancies, equipment designs, etc. Designed the automatic plating line that saved the company over $100,000/ year. Reduced the heat treatment scraps and cycle time, improved the overall coating time, product quality leading to increase product throughput, managed and classified different strategic metals and determined the appropriate processing atmospheric conditions. Consolidated purchases with outside vendors and led in product failure mode and effect analysis (PFMEA), statistical quality controls (SPC), and replacement of PLC/Controls.
Metallurgical Engineer, Colson Caster Corporation, Jonesboro, AR
Responsibilities included stamping, metal forming, welding, plating, heat treating by carburizing and nitriding of metal assemblies. Championed DOE and led ongoing projects and led in surface coating repairs. Led in the furnace solid heat treating operations, and in the Quality Assurance practices (application of QCPC, SPC, PPA, 5S, Mistake proofing, set up reductions and other statistic tools). Adhered to reliability, supportability and cost (RSC) Standard Operating procedures in product manufacturing. Followed and enforced Standard of Operation (SOP) Program. Successfully reduced waste in the Plating, Heat Treating processing cycle time from 5 hours per cycle time to about 2 hours, leading to product improvement and cost saving. Identified and repaired the won out capital equipment infrastructures (Part Washer) with the help of the Maintenance Department and saved the company over about $95,000. Increased product throughputs in plating, heat treating, chemical uses that led to product improvements, scrap reduction and reduction in chemical purchases and rate of consumption application. These improvements were significant and saved the Company over $10000000/year and was recognized as an Engineer of the year by the CEO of the Mammon Group of Companies in North America, China, Mexico, Canada and Europe.
