Fix extrusion, curing, startup, and recurring quality problems fast.
Senior manufacturing and process engineer with 30+ years of experience supporting plastics, rubber, hose, wire and cable, extrusion, and related manufacturing operations.
Available for interim, contract, project-based, or transition support requiring process stabilization, root-cause analysis, quality improvement, tooling/process matching, and practical plant-floor problem solving.
Experienced Technical Support for Plastics, Rubber, Hose, Wire and Cable Manufacturing
Who I Help
I work best with manufacturers that need experienced technical support quickly, especially plants dealing with extrusion, curing, startup, tooling, recurring defects, or unstable production methods.
Wire and cable operations
Hose, tubing, profile, sheet, and coating extrusion plants
Plastics, rubber, silicone, PVC, TPE/TPV, and polyolefin processors
Plants needing interim engineering coverage or short diagnostic support
What Problems I Solve
Extrusion instability, poor control, and inconsistent startup behavior
Recurring defects, field failures, and difficult root-cause problems
Tooling and die/process mismatch issues
Excess scrap, slow setups, and lost throughput
Weak plant methods, missing work instructions, and unclear operator guidance
Background
REPRESENTATIVE RESULTS
Added a line-break detection programming that eliminated about 200 hours per year of downtime.
Reduced average lead extrusion heat-up time by 18 minutes.
Stabilized silicone heater hose adhesion and drove scrap down from about 3-4% to less than 1%.
Established a permanent control method for vulcanizer air-pocket / lead-pipe burst failures using pressure analysis, tensile testing, and minimum-wall calculations.
Diagnosed extrusion-generated molecular orientation in ground-check PP insulation and established anneal conditions that restored acceptable properties.
Led a Six Sigma Green Belt project on charge air cooler hose production that reduced total reject cost over 50% by developing a method to minimize the largest defect contributor and implementing the change.
Used DOE-based process and tooling changes to eliminate an 8% belt reject rate and save about $200K per year.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND
Chemical engineering foundation with hands-on plant-floor support across manufacturing, tooling, product development, and quality systems.
Experience in aerospace, industrial hose, automotive, consumer products, oil and gas / mining cable, and related manufacturing environments.
Case Studies
Ground-Check Insulation Recovery
Problem: Ground-check insulation in thermoplastic-jacketed mine power feeder cable was repeatedly failing audit property requirements.
Action: Determined the true cause was severe molecular orientation from extrusion and quench, not bad raw material, and established an annealing approach that restored acceptable properties.
Result: Improved audited pass rate from 36.4% to 100% and turned a recurring audit problem into a controllable process condition.
Silicone Heater Hose Stabilization
Problem: A silicone heater hose cover line had recurring adhesion failures at the lower limit and was constrained to about 14 fpm.
Action: Tightened process and cure controls, revised equipment and tooling setup, expanded cure capability, and formalized updated process methods.
Result: Moved the observable adhesion minimum from 8.0 PPI to 9.5 PPI, increased line speed from 14 to 20 fpm, and eliminated the cell bottleneck.
Your Questions, Answered
How quickly can I expect to see progress?
Timelines depend on the problem, but I focus on defining the issue quickly, setting practical next steps, and identifying measurable improvements in process stability, quality, throughput, or plant methods.
Do you specialize in certain industries?
My strongest fit is plastics, rubber, hose, wire and cable, extrusion, and related manufacturing operations. Before any engagement, I confirm that the process, product, and plant needs are a good match for my background.
What does an engagement typically cost?
Engagements are scoped to the problem and level of support required. Minimum engagement: $2,500. Travel billed separately when required.
Let's Work Together
Start a Conversation
If your plant needs experienced support for extrusion instability, recurring defects, tooling/process mismatch, startup issues, or interim technical coverage, use the contact form below or message me on LinkedIn.
