high mix manufacturing

Manufacturing and Operations Strategy Consultants

Harmonic, Inc.

 DEHART CONSULTING, INC., working hand-in-hand with our factory personnel, redesigned our manufacturing areas and material flows to enable a 250% growth in output with only a 70% increase in floor space. Additionally, the changes were documented, implemented, and provided a clear path for future expansion. 


Mike Yost, Vice President, Operations Harmonic, Inc.

Partners

As a firm, we believe in the power of knowledge and it shows in our people. We bring years of industry expertise to each of our customers' problems, because a learning curve is the enemy of immediacy. Our focus on knowledge, combined with diversity of experience and unique skills, defines us a manufacturing consulting organization. We leverage this knowledge and experience to solve problems, with measurable results, and help our clients achieve their strategic objectives.

Dale DeHart

Dale DeHart

Professional Experience

Principal - DeHart Consulting, LLC
Vice President Operations - $200 million RF Amplifier Manufacturer
Vice President Operations - $100 million RF Reception Equip Manufacturer
Vice President Operations - $50 million Optoelectronic Switch Manufacturer
Vice President Manufacturing - $30 million Industrial Lighting Manufacturer
Director Manufacturing - $40 million Mfr. Communication Equipment

Dale founded the firm and serves as its principal. He consults in the areas of Operations Strategy, Materials and Manufacturing Cost Reduction, Plant Layout, Continuous Flow Manufacturing, and Supply Chain Development. Dale has extensive hands-on experience in the design, development, and implementation of continuous flow manufacturing, and demand-pull scheduling methodologies. He has managed the complete transition of several companies from traditional, functionally oriented production lines to a High Performance World-Class factory environment.

Mr. DeHart's consulting practice is focused on helping manufacturing companies design their infrastructure and major business processes to deal with the rapidly changing requirements of future markets. Dale is experienced in developing innovative operations strategies, developing high-performance supply bases and managing lead-time reduction programs, continuous flow plant designs, process re-engineering, and high performance work team development. His experience includes extensive work in the semiconductor and electronics industries as well as projects in autonomous vehicles, and consumer products.

Prior to founding DeHart Consulting, Dale held senior operations positions in companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, MACOM, and CalAmp. In addition, he has been an early member of successful high-tech start-up companies, managing both Engineering and Operations functions.

Education

Mr. DeHart holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the California State Polytechnic University; a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University; and a Masters Degree in Business from UCLA.

Personal

Mr. DeHart was born in Southern California. He is married and has four children.

thom burns

Thom Burns

Professional Experience

  • Aluminum Welding
  • Cost Reduction
  • Waste Elimination
  • Discontinuity/Defect Evaluation
  • Aluminum Welding Seminars
Mr. Burns is one of the leading experts in the world on aluminum welding, has consulted NASA, the US Navy, and most of the top transportation manufacturers on best welding practices. He has designed, fabricated, and patented welding devices that supported welding operations and delivered over 50 seminars on improving performance for Aluminum welding. His career includes the following accomplishments:
  • Resolved technical issues involving welding equipment, practices, and product characteristics including sample analysis and customer complaint documentation
  • Developed and documented practices and procedures to meet government, military, society, customer welding specifications
  • Developed and Manage the Weld Process Specialists team to provide the Value-Added Proposition to customers in support of sales for welding equipment, consumables, and technology
  • Evaluated, developed, and audited welding procedures for the purposes of improving performance and reducing failures
  • Trained personnel on techniques and procedures on Aluminum Welding
  • Provided support for the purchasing of welding equipment and related materials
  • Provided onsite audits for Aluminum Welding process evaluation
  • Certified Welding Inspector for 18 years
  • Trained radiographic personnel
  • Developed weld procedures including those for High-Current Density welding using large diameter wires
  • Granted industrial patents on products that improve wire feeding and improve productivity on welding operations
Mr. Burns has published many articles and been a key member of the technical staff of several companies resulting in process and quality improvements in all cases. He is the current Main Committee Member, D1, Structural Welding Code an the current Vice Chair, Aluminum committee, D1.2 Structural Weld Code for the American Welding Society.

Education

Mr. Burns holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Education and Metals Technology from the Northern Michigan University and Masters of Business Coursework in Strategic Management from Davenport University.

joey-gottbrath

Joey Gottbrath

Professional Experience

  • MakerSpace Lab Layout
  • Prototyping Practices
  • Laboratory Information Systems
  • Resource Optimization
  • Equipment Specification and Selection
  • System design
  • Staffing Modelling
  • EH&S and fire safety
Mr. Gottbrath received his Bachelor's degree in Functional Design from Murray State University and hi Master's of Fine Arts from Arizona State University.  He is also the Technical Director of the Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation in the College of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley where he specializes in MakerSpace design and management. His activities in this space began in 2005 and has included the following accomplishments:

  • Newlab/Ford Motor Company: Helped design and procure equipment for 30,000 sqft  fabrication space in Michigan Central Station project.

  •  Samsara: Layout of product prototyping design labs for global logistics firm

  •  California State University, Northridge: Ecosystems modeling for campuswide and engineering department makerspaces

  •  Lyft Scooters and Bikes: Design of hardware prototyping facility in San Francisco

  •  EHDD Architecture: Shop design and construction consultant, the Innovation Center at the University of California, San Diego

  •  Social Construct Company: Safety compliance and workshop systems development for series A startup prototyping modular building units

  • Directing 8,000 sq ft experimental engineering labs serving over 200 users per day, offering an evolving array of prototyping, iteration, and fabrication labs
Mr. Gottbrath is a current Principal for the Higher Education Makerspaces Initiatives (HEMI) and a Board Member of the International Symposium of Academic Makerspaces (ISAM).
 

CONFERENCES & PRESENTATIONS

2019

-International Symposium on Academic Makerspaces, Yale University, New Haven, CT

Presentation: Makerspace Staffing Models: A Survey

2018

-International Symposium on Academic Makerspaces, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

Conference Organizer/Presenter, in collaboration with the Product Realization Lab, Stanford D.School

-Nexus/The Furniture Society, San Francisco, CA

Presentation: CNC: New Technologies in Workflow and Hardware

 

 

 

 

colin fletcher

Colin Fletcher

Professional Experience

  • Selection and definition of materials, coatings, and processes, particularly for aerospace applications,
  • Metallurgy and Materials & Processes (M&P) Engineering
  • Process development and troubleshooting
  • Mechanical and corrosion testing of materials
  • Development and characterization of alloys
  • Facilitating interactions with suppliers and processors
Mr. Fletcher is a senior advanced materials engineer with specific expertise and experience in the aerospace industry. Having worked on assignments at Honda Aircraft Company, Bell Helicopter, and Virgin Galactic, his knowledge of metallurgy and materials & process engineering is extensive. He has established metallurgical laboratories and associated capabilities from the ground up and performed metallurgical analyses with tools such as microhardness, hardness, optical microscopy (metallography), and SEM. His activities began in 2007 and included the following accomplishments:
  • Design for Manufacturing reviews of engineering drawings and guide design for appropriate material selection (e.g. alloy, plate, forging, casting, extrusion, etc.), heat treatment, corrosion protection/compatibility of parts and hardware, and producibility
  • Technical resource for forging, corrosion protection, cold working of holes, materials testing, heat treatment, cold spray repair, thermal spray, castings, welding (BPS, AWS D17.1), additive manufacturing, HVOF, surface treatments, and general metallurgy (aluminum, magnesium, steel, titanium)
  • Developed test plans and executed test programs to characterize behavior of alloys and processes for use on aircraft, including allowable generation using standard MMPDS methods. Programs involve design of specimens & fixtures, processing (e.g. heat treatment, coatings), and testing (e.g. corrosion, tensile, fatigue, crack growth, fracture toughness)
  • Improved production efficiency, cost, and lead time through optimization of process specifications and materials and processes design requirements
  • Gained experience working with a variety of aluminum, magnesium, steel, titanium, and exotic alloys
  • Audited suppliers to Process Specifications for metal and surface processing, heat treatment, materials testing, and quality systems (Bell/AS9100/ISO9001), and subsequently reviewed and supported root cause and corrective action resulting from supplier audits
  • Voting member on Nadcap Materials Testing Laboratories (MTL) committee while developing audit checklists and supplier RCCA review and approval
  • Served as lead engineer for research & development projects in variety of areas such as aluminum and lithium alloys, metal matrix composites, corrosion resistant steels, anti‐fretting coatings, gear steels, additive manufacturing, welding, and cold spray repair
  • Completed the FAA Engineering Designee Initial Training
  • Granted patents for metallurgical hardening processes
Mr. Burns is currently working on his Phd in Mechanical Engineering at North Carolina State University

Certifications

Professional Engineer (NC #049973)
AWS Certified Welding Inspector (#16120371), D17.1 Endorsement (Exp. 12/1/22)
FCC Amateur Radio License, General Class (KG5ASD)

Education

North Carolina State University, 2021 – Present (Current Part‐Time Student)
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
North Carolina State University, May 2011
Master of Materials Science & Engineering
North Carolina State University, May 2006
B.S., Materials Science and Engineering

Patents

Precipitation Hardening Steel with Improved Toughness and Method
     US Patent Pending (14/038,229)
     EP2853608, CA2862600 granted September 2017

Mike Stephens

Mike G. Stephens

Professional Experience

Director, Engineering Services - Satellite Electronics Manufacturer
Vice President, Operations - Lighting Systems Manufacturer
Manufacturing Engineering Manager - RF Components Manufacturer
Engineering Manager – Hand-held Computer Manufacturer

Profit-minded, performance oriented manufacturing and operations professional offering 25+ years progressive experience in Plant Operations, R&D, Applications Engineering, Field Service, Manufacturing Engineering and Off Shore Procurement. A hands-on strategic planner, decision maker and problem solver with a proven track record of leadership and excellence in manufacturing by utilizing Lean Manufacturing and TQM techniques. Profit and Loss responsibility in addition to providing technical liaison support to external customers and suppliers.

  • Development and setup of electronic manufacturing processes, both domestic and offshore.
  • Leader of ISO 9000 certification teams.
  • Mechanical Design of laser diode transceivers for SAN market.
  • Set up of micro-electronic assembly line to manufacture integrated laser circuits: scribe/saw process through final test and burn-in.
  • Evaluation of battery manufacturing processes for computer applications
  • Produced complex cable TV power hybrids and communication devices for the military.
  • Responsible for all hermetic semiconductor devices produced in the Far East.
  • Set up of seven offshore semiconductor and PCB assembly facilities in the Far East and Mexico. Complete responsibility for plan layout, staffing, training, equipment selection and process control.
  • Created microelectronics facility for Xerox. Chief Engineer for microelectronics packaging at all Xerox division. Full manufacturing responsibility for R&D transfer to production.
  • Developed proprietary process to produce charge coupled devices for copy machines.
  • Formalized basic design rules for microelectronics packaging at each of the six companies.
  • Increased manufacturing yields to 95% from levels as low as 50% through material selection, process design and analysis of compatibility and tolerance at the design level.
  • Evaluated economics of automation and use of robotics. Where appropriate, designed and installed complete systems, reducing product labor content by 50%.

Education

Mechanical Engineering Program, Cerritos College
Business Major at Cal State University Fullerton, CA
Served on S.E.M.I. Standards Committee on Hermetic Devices

Personal

Mr. Stephens was born in Southern California. He is married to Jackie and has four children.

 

rich-novak

Richard Novak, Ph.D.

Professional Experience

  • Semiconductor Process Engineering
  • Semiconductor Capital Equipment
  • Epitaxial Growth Technologies
  • GaAs Process Development
  • Semiconductor Wet and Dry Cleaning Technologies
Dr. Richard E. Novak received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in Ceramic Engineering. He was a member of the Technical Staff at RCA Laboratories for ten years specializing in crystal growth of shaped sapphire materials and preparation of sapphire wafers for Silicon on sapphire or SOS technology. His activities in wafer cleaning began in 1985 when he joined FSI International where he was Laboratory Director, and later Chief Technologist. There he helped develop the Mercury MP spray processing tool, initiated single wafer dry cleaning research and point of use chemical generation. In June of 1991, Dr. Novak joined Submicron Systems Corporation, and which later became Akrion Systems where he was Vice President of Advanced Technology until his departure in 2008.
 
Dr. Novak developed with Dr Ruzyllo of Penn State University the International Symposia on Wafer Cleaning, sponsored by the Electrochemical Society, and since its inception in 1989 acted as program co chair through the 2017 meeting. Dr. Novak was the Program Chairman for the ECS Symposium “Defects and Contamination Control in Semiconductor Manufacturing II”, which was part of the Spring 1993, Honolulu, Hawaii meeting. He was a member of the Technical Advisory Board of Micro-contamination and has participated as an author, panelist and session chairman to the annual Micro Contamination Conferences held in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993. He has participated in SEMATECH’s Workshop on Wafer Cleaning as group leader and in the Contamination Free Manufacturing (CFM) working group. Dr. Novak has made technical presentations on wafer cleaning to numerous semiconductor manufacturers throughout the United States, Europe and the Far East.
 
He developed crystal growth techniques for multiple crystals to be grown at once as well as the crystal pulling hardware. He led a team that transferred this technology to an RCA manufacturing site. He was also involved with the epi-growth of silicon on sapphire wafers. In 1980, he joined Honeywell’s VHSIC program developing advanced CVD and reduced pressure epi-processes, as well as advanced metallization techniques. Dr. Novak transferred to Honeywell’s Corporate Technology Center in 1983 to work on GaAs process development and transfer this technology to a manufacturing location.
 

Dr Novak’s consulting business has focused on equipment development as well as cleaning and micro contamination activities at IDM’s as well as equipment and component manufacturers, such as Entegris, Pall Corporation, Veeco, Corning Glass, Honeywell, Seagate, Polar Semiconductor, Skywater Technology, and several Wet Chemical Tool Manufacturers,

 

 

 
gene-smith-150

Gene Smith

Professional Experience

  • Semiconductor Process Engineering
  • Semiconductor Capital Equipment
  • Factory Digital Transformation
  • Statistical Process Control
  • Six-Sigma Black Belt
Mr. Smith has over 30 years of experience in semiconductor process engineering and control beginning as an engineering associate at Cypress Semiconductor. His professional background includes etch and photolithography process development and the integration of digital factory assets. At Cypress, he was involved in the specification of new capital equipment for a 200mm fabrication facility, capital justifications for etch, photolithography, CVD, and furnace operations,  implementation of new plasma etch technology, and integration digital process control technologies.
 
In various assignments, he has selected, installed, developed recipes and qualified new etchers for next technology nodes, written operational & maintenance specifications, created training materials, eliminated downtime and rework from defective materials and processes, analyzed years of metrology, maintenance & qualification data, developed controllers to automate tool management, and reduced rework by improving process Cpk.
 
His education includes an electronics degree from GEI, Nebraska, and professional certificates from Arizona State and the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis. He has been granted 3 patents and published over a dozen papers.
 
His software and technical skills include:
 

Excel Macro Expert

Data Modeling & Simulations Professional

Structured Query Language (SQL) Professional

Proficient with Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Visio Professional

Proficient with Microsoft Project

Design of Experiments (DOE) Professional

Proficient w/Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (FMEA)

Statistical Process Control (SPC) Professional

Lean/Six Sigma Black Bet (SSBB) Professional