Chad Gates
Summary
Diligent Fabricator with welding background and proven maintenance and repair expertise. Demonstrated high-level heavy equipment operation and safety process knowledge in large-scale manufacturing environment. Excellent technical, operations and communications skills leading to desired outcomes. Dependable self-starter, with 10+ years experience in manufacturing production, assembly, quality assurance and machine operation and maintenance.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
Fabrication Specialist
Caterpillar Inc.
Athens, GA
06.2019 - 03.2022
- Followed Operational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations to promote safe equipment operation and workplace safety.
- Performed quality checks to verify proper lengths, widths and painted finish discrepancies.
- Utilized welding equipment and metal fabrication tools to safely complete predetermined operations .
- Used gauges, templates and other measuring devices to inspect production parts.
- Inspected welded projects to verify alignment with blueprint specifications.
- Aligned and verified positioning using measuring instruments to determine reference points and compute layout dimensions.
- Identified equipment and production non-compliance issues and notified foreman to facilitate resolution.
- Performed required maintenance on welding fixtures and various other manufacturing tooling to enable readiness for project use.
- Supervised 6 apprentices and offered specific recommendations to improve work quality.
- Planned and paced work efficiently in order to meet daily, weekly, project or production goals.
Team Lead
Caterpillar Inc.
Athens, GA
04.2016 - 06.2019
- Assigned work to department personnel to attain department objectives.
- Established and analyzed cost control systems to achieve department budget objectives.
- Provided training, support, direction and mentorship to continually develop employee work habits, job skills and safety practices.
- Controlled procedures to drive production of conforming fabricated assembly components and compliance with quality standards.
- Recommended and initiated improvements to production processes to increase manufacturing efficiency.
- Supervised ongoing daily production phases.
- Located and resolved problems with team production and performance to maintain consistent quality levels.
- Collaborated with other leaders and executives to direct workflow and support operations.
- Kept accurate and detailed records of personnel progress and productivity.
- Planned, organized and monitored resources to deliver efficient use of labor, equipment and materials.
- Monitored daily and weekly key performance indicators to maintain on-track status.
- Interpreted work order information and specifications to plan, schedule and complete jobs precisely.
- Cultivated professional working relationships with peers and supervisors.
- Reviewed and assessed ongoing operations, developing initiatives for continuous process improvement.
Repair Welder
Caterpillar Inc.
Athens, GA
01.2013 - 04.2016
- Maintained safety by wearing protective equipment, staying alert and following procedures.
- Cut, grinded and bent edges of materials to be joined for snug fit using power grinders and hand tools.
- Welded metal components in vertical, overhead and flat positions.
- Bolted, clamped and tack-welded parts to secure components prior to welding.
- Selected and operated shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding equipment.
- Avoided warping, shrinkage and distortion by carefully controlling welding processes.
- Monitored work area and equipment functionality and reported safety issues to management for effective resolution.
- Interpreted written assembly drawings and work instructions to properly complete tasks.
- Closely monitored project and material layouts and specifications to effectively cut, contour and bevel metal and structural shapes.
- Reworked, repaired and adjusted parts to conform to quality and safety standards.
- Combined knowledge of metallurgy, geometry and welding techniques to choose optimal equipment and techniques.
- Continuously monitored safety and quality of welding work while using GMAW/MIG on High Carbon Steel materials.
- Used metallurgy, GMAW/MIG and SMAW/STICK welding techniques to complete all projects on time and under budget.
- Leveraged micrometers, calipers and height gauges to prepare and record measurements.
Education
6SIGMA Green Belt Certification -
QuickStart Technical Training
Athens, GA2016
Welding Certification -
QuickStart Technical Training
Athens, GA2013
Robotic Welder Certification -
QuickStart Technical Training
Athens, GA2013
GED -
Reading Area Community College
Reading, PA2002
Skills
- Installation and maintenance
- Welding and fabrication
- Construction design
- Hand and power tools
- Equipment Maintenance
- Experienced with many levels of manufacturing tooling
- Repair work
- Equipment operation
- Blueprints and Specifications
- Fusing, cutting and measuring tools experience
- Manufacturing
- Workplace safety
Request
References and work Portfolio available upon request.
Timeline
Fabrication Specialist
Caterpillar Inc.
06.2019 - 03.2022
Team Lead
Caterpillar Inc.
04.2016 - 06.2019
Repair Welder
Caterpillar Inc.
01.2013 - 04.2016
6SIGMA Green Belt Certification -
QuickStart Technical Training
Welding Certification -
QuickStart Technical Training
Robotic Welder Certification -
QuickStart Technical Training
GED -
Reading Area Community College
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