Intellex Acquires Expert by Big Village

We're thrilled to announce that Intellex has acquired Expert by Big Village, effective March 22, 2024. This strategic move enhances our capabilities and strengthens our commitment to delivering exceptional solutions to our customers.

Stay tuned for more updates on how this acquisition will benefit our clients and experts.

For inquiries or more information, please contact us at info@intellex.com.

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Expert Details

Aluminium, Magnesium, and Zinc High Pressure Die Casting

ID: 727380 Ireland

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I am a Die Casting Expert for Aluminium/Magnesium/Zinc with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. Starting as a foundry engineer I progressed to foundry manager, operational manager and then managing director where I was a shareholder in the company.

My track record of success includes reorganising, restructuring, cost reduction programs, producing die cast parts with very low levels of rejects, technical development, quality improvement programs, maximising asset utilisation, lean manufacturing, and outsourcing the manufacturing of products to Asia, etc.

Since 2009 I have worked internationally with more than 70 companies as a die casting consultant in China, Croatia, Germany, Holland, Italy, India, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, UK, etc.

Between July 2014 to December 2015 I lead the turnaround in the high pressure die casting plants of a large die casting Group in Europe that went bankrupt. This was the biggest turn around of its kind in Europe. The Group with annual sales €440 million consisted of 22 casting/machining/assembly companies. On the successful completion of this project the plants were sold to an Italian bank. There was an article written about my work and a reference letter from COO is available.

Bachelor Degree in Engineering, UCD, Ireland.

Resume available on request.

I can develop die casting programs in your facility or in your die casting supplier's facilities anywhere in the world.

Market Research

I have been Liability Expert in complex cases with multiparty involvement.




Services For OEMS:

Support from idea to realisation along with identifying the right supplier regarding cost and reliability.

1) Product Design or Redesign

a) Design or redesign of parts in order that they can be die casted cost effectively. Some of these parts were previously sand casted, gravity casted, or machined from solid material. These parts were used in the automobile, windmills, telecommunications, and engineering industries.

b) Product design includes wall thickness, dimensional tolerance, flatness, parting line tolerance, Rz, etc. This ensures porosity is minimised along with optimum castability and reduced machining cost.

c) Weight reduction

Examples:
Windmill industry– Turbine control system saving per casting was + €70

Car industry - Clutch & gear housings, fly wheel housings, engine block, subframe, battery housing (EV), instrument panel, on board charger housings & covers (EV), valve body, rack & Pinion

Oil & Gas industry - Instrumentation Housings & covers, manifolds

2) Assessing/Developing Die Casting Suppliers

a) Writing quality requirement document to ensure suppliers clearly understand requirements to be met and to protect OEMs interests.
b) Identify/assess potential die casters from a quality, technical, and management perspective. Many die casters that were previously deemed acceptable by OEMs had major weaknesses previously not identified before my Assessment.
c) Quality improvement programs with existing suppliers to achieve 0 PPM.

3) Training

a) I give 1 - 3 day technical training programs on the entire die casting process from product design to tool design to optimising and controlling the process
c) Assessing die casting companies from a management, technological, and processing perspective.



Services For Die-Casters:

1) New or Existing Product

a) Product design or redesign for wide range of Industries including Automotive, Truck, Electronic, ICT, Consumer, Engineering, etc (wall thickness, dimensional tolerancing flatness, parting line tolerances, Rz, etc.) to ensure:
- minimise porosity
- good castability to ensure low reject levels
- reduced machining (cost)
b) Tool design (runner, gating, venting, thermal system, steel choice)
c) Die life improvement (steel, process conditions, sourcing)
d) Process optimisation (S1, V1, V2, die temperature, etc.)
e) Process control (FMEA/control plan/operator responsibility/etc.)
f) Cycle time reduction programs

2) Strategic

a)Due diligence for investment and take over of die casting companies

b) Strategic reviews

c) Market research

3) Plant Related

a) Plant wide assessment (management & technical)

b) Profitability improvement through waste elimination- world wide

c) OEE improvement & defect reduction programs

4) Training

a) I give 1-3 day Technical training on the entire die casting process from product design to tool design to optimising and controlling the process- click here: https://sites.google.com/site/diecastingpro/training-development

b) I give Management training as required (Setting KPIs, performance reviews, etc.)

I DESIGN DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT WORLD CLASS:

PART DESIGN & PROCESS CONTROLS:
part DFM analysis, die design and redesign to ensure capability
innovative die casting techniques, practices, and processes that can yield defect free castings
customised die casting process controls
effective in-process quality controls
lean manufacturing tools that increase Cpk process capability for high volume production quantities

PLANT EQUIPMENT:
existing die casting equipment inspections/injection optimisation training/process troubleshooting

QUALITY CONTROLS:
die casting supplier evaluations
scrap and rework reduction programs

SPC/error proofing

TEAM BUILDING
resource planning
talent aquisition
systematic employee training/development

He has obtained excellent results recently manufacturing large aluminium pressure die castings for a client.
Die cast parts ranging from 1.8 kg to 24 kg, these parts were CNC machined after die casting. These parts also had to be pressure tight, there were also high levels of rejects after 'leak testing'.
Rejects were as high as 20% on one product. After his trials/modifications these processes showed 0 - 2% rejects depending on the part. He recently gave the technical element of his die casting course to a large die casting company. They said it was by far the best course ever given there. They have had the top TQM consultants in previously and a die casting expert.Did a review of management processes and was able to help a client reduce its tool lead time by 2.7 weeks.Recently put together a 250+ page technical/management training course for a company. The course took approximately 250 hours to complete. It is the most comprehensive course in the market.Helped clients increase die casting machine utilisation, improve NPI, effective training, set design standards, productivity improvements, FMEA, die and process design improvements, Manufacturing Systems Engineering improvements, optimisation of equipment, etc.

Education

Year Degree Subject Institution
Year: 1981 Degree: BE Subject: Electronic and Electrical Engineering Institution: University College of Dublin

Work History

Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1982 to 2007 Employer: (Undisclosed) Title: Managing Director Department: (Undisclosed)
Responsibilities:
Responsibilities included
Plant Operations (Foundry, Finishing, Quality, and Personnel Departments)
Strategic Planning/ Yearly Business Plan
Engineering Department
R&D
Technical input into operations on a daily basis
Design of all runner and gating systems for new products
Point of contact for some of the major customers (Magna Donnelly, Autoliv, etc.)

International Experience

Years Country / Region Summary
Years: 2005 to Present Country / Region: China, Taiwan, Vietnam Summary: Searched for a partner in Asia with the intention of outsourcing work to them. Expert carried out a detailed audit in the following areas: quality system, process capability, and technical capability.
Years: 2010 to Present Country / Region: Asia Summary: Contracted by a large multinational company to improve the operational performance of their die casting division. Main plant has gone from loss making to a profit in excess of 5%.

Expert has advised on product design for new components.
Advised customers and die casters at the design stage the standards that are achievable in high pressure die casting, this resulted in significant savings for companies.
Years: 2010 to Present Country / Region: Europe Summary: Management development, lean manufacturing, training system, setting measureable objectives based on business stratgey, etc.
Years: 2010 to Present Country / Region: USA Summary: Design of runner and gates etc.
All end to end reject targets achieved.
Years: 2010 to Present Country / Region: Asia Summary: Assisted a company reduce total plant rejects from 7.72% to 4.9% after just six 2 day visits. They provided adequate resources and did all experiments as requested in a timely manner. These parts were all machined with many having to be pressure tight. Expert continues to work with this company, the target is under 4% scrap including start up scrap when die is cold.
Expert advised on a system to provide metal automatically from remelt furnance to die casting machine.

Additional Experience

Expert Witness Experience
I was hired in late 2013 by an Australian law firm as liability expert in a complex court case involving five parties two of whom were high pressure die casting companies.
Die casters unable to manufacture die castings to OEMs quality standards. As there were several parties in the supply chain several parties were involved in the dispute.
I reviewed product design, tool design, etc.
Produced +50 page report highlighting all the failings (management and technical) of the various parties involved.
Training / Seminars
Business Leader’s Program (2004 Cranfield College, UK – 12 days);
Strategic Management/Planning;
Accountancy/Financial;
WCM (1995 - 1997);
Project Management;
Production Management;
Production Planning;
Buhler Die Casting Design;
TS 16949;
QS9000;
Hydraulics/Pneumatics/Robotics Technology;
Health & Safety;
German/Spanish;
Microelectronics ;
Negotiating
Vendor Selection
In 2005 after several trips to Asia (Vietnam, China, Taiwan) successfully concluded an outsourcing arrangement with a die casting company located in China
Marketing Experience
Undertook and completed a detailed strategic review and plan for the company (2003-2005), including the costing of establishing a manufacturing presence in Eastern Europe. This took several hundred hours to complete.

Benchmarking: trips to Germany (1993/1994) France (1998), Japan (2000), Czech Republic (2001) China/Taiwan/Vietnam (2005)
Other Relevant Experience
Expert has introduced Lean Manufacturing - 50% of production eventually manufactured through lean i.e. products packed within 24 hours of being die casted. He has also introduced SPC on machining processes resulting in winning awards for quality with several major customers, training/development courses annually for all members of staff in line with company objectives, error proofing used extensively throughout the plant.
Robotic cells were introduced into the foundry in 1997. By the year 2000 50% of production in the foundry was produced in these cells. The robot trimmed the parts in the die casting cell. He has achieved the lowest manning level in the industry with one man responsible for three robotic cells.

Expert has a lot of experience in establishing internal communication meetings within the company in order that employees are up to date with the state of the business, and that the company is in tune with employee concerns. Additionally he is very experienced in dealing with unions.

Language Skills

Language Proficiency
French moderate
Spanish less then moderate

Fields of Expertise

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