Kim L Ground
104 Waugh Drive
Galax, VA 24333 USA
PO Box 636
Waterflow, NM 87421 USA
505 516 6664
NOTE: As we complete relocation to Virginia and obtain the appropriate licenses, we are not seeking contracting work at this time. We expect to be available for new work beginning in July 2024.
Please allow me to introduce myself as a candidate for employment with your company as a contractor to take over your automation headaches and make them go away
.
I offer forty years accumulated experience and knowledge in electrical control, machine design, and data collection system development work. For the last thirty years my work has been concentrated in the areas of control and HMI system design and documentation using PLCs, PCs, and embedded controllers for high speed machinery and process plants.
MY SKILLS:
Electrical Design:
Programming: PLC / HMI (AB 45%, others 55%)
Servo sizing and motion programs
Sensor and instrumentation integration
Power distribution systems; Classified (hazardous) locations
Security systems; UL and CE certification processing.
Electronic Design:
Embedded controller systems
Microchip PIC programming
Digital logic design.
Electrical Troubleshooting and Maintenance:
Remote Control troubleshooting and program maintenance on PC based systems
Troubleshoot complex electrical and electronic systems to the component level
Electrical coordination studies
DC and AC drives and servos
Preventive Maintenance Data Collection and Reminder software
Telephone help desk.
Electrical Installations:
Power distribution, control, and instrumentation systems
Calibration work; telephone PBX equipment; security systems;
NM and WV licensed Master Electrician (FL, GA and others as necessary).
Mechanical:
Weld steel, stainless, and aluminum with MIG, TIG or stick
Operate lathe, mill, surface grinder to make parts to plan or to fit
Diagnose and repair hydraulic and pneumatic equipment
Diagnose production line system integration problems
Controls and industrial electrical estimating
Contract detail review and negotiation
Change order and document administration
Electrical, Mechanical, and Civil owner's representative services
Safety Program Administration
Operating and maintenance manuals
Sequence of operations
Troubleshooting aids
As-built documentation
Parts list administration
Searchable machine documentation on CD and PC
Produce presentation CDs to support sales efforts
Animated machine graphics
Computer Literate:
Fluent: AutoCad; Microsoft Office Products; Visual Basic; Picture Publisher.
Familiar: Lotus; dBase; FoxPro; Assembly Language; Word Perfect 5.0 +.
Develop: complex custom spreadsheets; databases; and Basic programs.
Specializing in data collection, transfer, and interpretation from plant floor to management
Training and Instruction:
Electrical apprenticeship program
Controls Engineer instruction program for cross training Mechanical and other designers
Help file creation
PC applications instruction for new users
PLC training for maintenance personnel
Basic Electronics, PLC and HMI programming courses
Train custom machine operators and maintenance personnel
Chemistry:
Instrumental analysis: GC/MS, IR, NMR; laboratory computer integration
Wet chemistry analysis
Electrochemistry
MY GOALS:
are to continue to be involved in the design and troubleshooting of complex industrial automation systems in a cuture where daily challenges will require me to utilize and expand my skills, and to work with or develop leading edge technology.
I am seeking to form a relationship only with a reputable company which deals with clients and vendors in an honest, businesslike manner.
Education:
Honors B.A.; University of Colorado. Chemistry major, Math
/ Physics minor.
1 1/2 years Cornell University Electrical Engineering program.
USAF 32130K Aircraft Electronics Technician school.
2016 -- present: Proprietor, Falcon Laboratories and Area--51. More or less retired from full time employment for others. I continue to support previous custom machinery customers and a few selected businesses in the local area. Available for document review or project support on projects of my previous employers with which I am familiar. I am on call as needed to provide telephone remote control troubleshooting for customer machines. I continue work on personal R&D projects in which I am interested. (Operating more of less continuously as a duly licensed business entity in West Virginia, Florida, and New Mexico for the past 40 years.)
Previous employment:
1999 -- 2016: Senior Controls Engineer, Surface Finishing Technologies. Duties include responsibility for control design, programming, documentation, debugging and customer support for the company's varied line of advanced custom electroplating and material handling equipment. Provide a variety of technical support and document analysis services to management. Also responsible for maintenance support in control issues for the company's legacy equipment for the previous 15 years, and controls support for the parent company's other divisions as needed. On call as needed to provide telephone remote control troubleshooting for customer machines. Responsibile for product quality and performance checklist creation and evaluating the results of the acceptance tests before approving new machines for shipment. Develop standardized reusable PLC and operator interface programs for the company's broad line of plating machinery, and provide control system design for R&D and custom equipment.
1995 -- 1999 Senior Electrical Engineer, AutoProd Inc. Job duties included design of electrical and pneumatic systems for custom high speed packaging machinery including schematics, bills of material, PLC, servo, and operator interface programs, QC, debugging, and consultation with the mechanical engineers during the design and debugging phases. Additional duties included writing the controls portion of operator manuals, engineering support for sales, field service, and customer troubleshooting efforts at home and in customer sites worldwide, member of the safety committee, and direction of the work of one or two other electrical engineers and four to six electrical / pneumatic assemblers. During my tenure, we made major progress in the areas of quality control, utilization of servo technology, modernization of operator interface systems, development of modularized reusable code, documentation, and preparation for industrial PC / software PLC architecture. I received several letters of commendation from customers and the company for my work in the field on 'problem' projects which I inherited from the previous electrical department.
In 1995, I completed several consulting contracts for mechanical and control upgrades on PLC based assembly and testing machines through temporary technical employment agencies. On one high speed assembly machine I was able to improve output by a factor of 2.25 by streamlining PLC code, minor mechanical modifications (with the assistance of others), and reduction of downtime. From 1995 to 1998 I acted as qualifying agent for licensing purposes for two alarm companies operating throughout the state of Florida and consulted with the state of Florida Licensing Board to develop new exam questions for electrician licensing. I hold course approvals from the Florida ECLB for approved training courses for electrical contractors. (The approvals have probably expired for inactivity by 2024.)
1991-1995: I H I : Electrical engineer. Director of technical services. Design electrical and hydraulic systems for new and upgraded industrial equipment. Engineering services in support of sales of custom industrial machinery and hydraulic power packs. Major plant upgrade and automation of former Wenczel Tile manufacturing facility. Technical writing including operation, maintenance, and service manuals. PLC and PC programming and documentation General engineering support and technical research for the chief executive of this very diverse organization.
1990-91 Hampton-Tilley Associates: Project coordinator in the installations group. Company safety administrator. Take-offs, estimates, contract negotiations, supervise electrical / instrumentation field installations, control systems design and design verification, some field service work. Developed company safety program.
1980-90 Self-employed licensed master electrician. Design/build PLC based machine tool controls, expansion and modification of existing major process control systems for petroleum refineries and chemical synthesis plants. Power distribution, lighting, controls for classified (hazardous) locations. Troubleshooting anything that uses electricity.
1979-80 O. Ames Company: industrial maintenance
electrician
1978-79 Storage Technology Corporation: engineering electronics
technician. Design and debug digital system
1976-78 University of Colorado: research assistant responsible for a research
project involving synthesis and identification of new organo-silane compounds.
1976 Starspawn: design automatic canned disco music playback system.
1971-72 ACE Advertising Service: graphic design, copywriting, producing color direct-mail advertising brochures.
1970
Kephart Aviation: apprentice aircraft mechanic, avionics installation and
troubleshooting.
References: can be provided on request.
I am 73 years old (in 2023), a US citizen, a licensed electrical contractor (WV current, GA and FL in the recent past), a licensed private pilot MEL, and an honorably discharged veteran. I have no criminal record, reasonably good credit, and good health. I feel that my broad background, attention to detail, and adaptability to a variety of technical tasks will make me a valuable part of your team. Thank you for your consideration.
Kim L. Ground
