Darren Shuff
December 1997
Job Title: Senior Project Engineer-ControlsEmployer: HK Systems
Job Description:
In my current position at HK Systems I am responsible for implementing the electrical controls for automated material handling systems.
When I am in the office I have several responsibilities that include preliminary engineering and pricing for new projects. My project related activities include selecting the electrical components required for automated conveyor systems, drafting electrical drawings on a CADD system, programming PLC logic, developing PanelView or HMI (Human Machine Interface) screens, and in house integration testing with our host software. I am also responsible for developing project documentation including panel fabrication and site electrical installation specifications, PLC interface documentation, and maintenance manuals.
My project related tasks also include site startup and integration testing, training, and support. When I am at a customer's facility my responsibilities include working with the electrical installer to ensure the proper placement and operation of all control components, debugging and testing my PLC logic, and integrating with our host software and other control systems. Before the customer accepts the system I must conduct training classes for all maintenance personal. After the system is accepted I will support the system on site for a period of time and remotely on a continuous basis.
UWP Experience:
From an educational standpoint my experience at UWP was the best value for the dollar. The small student to professor ratio and direct access to all my professors was a very unique experience. I still keep in contact with some of my former professors. UWP adequately prepared me for the working world.
Socially I met many new friends at UWP who I still see on a regular basis today. We all enjoy sharing our memories of summer camping trips, weekends spent on campus, and of course our crazy nights down on 2nd Street.
TYPICAL WORK DAY:
There are many different typical days for me at work throughout a project schedule. I begin each day by checking on my voice mail and e-mail messages. Then I jump into my project work which may include discussing my application with the customer or my vendors, drawing work, PLC programming, documentation, or in house integration testing. I also have to be prepared 24 hours a day to assist former customers when they may call with a problem.
When I am on the job site my activities include commissioning or testing a conveyor system and training the customer. Because I am a company liaison on site I often troubleshoot issues that are outside my scope of work.
Sample Project Description:
My favorite project to date would be working on the In Line Vehicle Sequence (ILVS) project at the new Ford-Dearborn Truck plant in Dearborn, MI from late 2003 to late 2004. This was a personally rewarding project because I designed most of the system, and I wrote all the PLC codes for all the conveyors and host interface. The new Ford F-150 truck is manufactured at this facility.
Other customers I have worked with include Ford-Atlanta, Ford-St. Louis, Boeing, and Philip Morris. My current project is another ILVS project at the Ford-Norfolk Virginia plant. Other Comments:
I have been at HK System since I graduated from UWP in December of 1997. Tom Conrad, another UWP electrical engineering graduate, also works at HK Systems.