Kevin Ballard
Stow,OH
Summary
Senior Manager specializing in project management, product development, and quality assurance. Demonstrated success in leading product and process innovation initiatives. Strong ability to enhance operational efficiency and drive team performance.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Manager - Engineering and Continuous Improvement
Giesecke & Devrient ePayments N.A.
08.2019 - Current
- Company Overview: $2.5B privately held security technology company producing currency, government ID products, payment cards and related security tech.
- Manage industrial engineering, maintenance, and continuous improvement teams.
- Manage Capex projects, including project management, financial justification, and site implementation.
- Oversaw and instituted a site-wide lean roadmap and introduced value-stream driven KPI's.
- Created a maintenance apprenticeship program in partnership and identified grant and sponsorship programs to invest over $75k annually in continuing education for our maintenance workforce.
- Resolved major manufacturing issues with government IDs and payment cards, working directly with client and external third-party labs, reducing scrap impacts by approximately 20%.
- Introduced manufacturing and production standards utilizing tools such as PFMEA, process mapping, process capability study, detailed in-process engineering drawings, control plans, and APQP.
- Shifted culture towards a quality assurance model, providing the vision for the document control system and introducing concepts like OEE, quality at the source, and design for manufacturability.
- Contributed significantly to bringing G+D's first metal card to market through innovative process design and development, continually supporting a third-party manufacturer with metrology, CNC machining and process development expertise.
- Led engineering process development of capable chip embedding and hot-stamping processes for metal cards.
- Named inventor on Pending US Patent US20240220759A1 - 'Method of manufacturing a cardshaped data carrier and lamination plate therefor'
Director of Engineering
Sharklet Technologies
Aurora, CO
01.2018 - 08.2019
- Company Overview: Biotech startup in Aurora, CO. Developer of microscopic surface textures which utilize the concept of biomimicry to prevent the adhesion of bacteria and other microbes on everyday rubber and plastic surfaces.
- Managed engineering team, electroforming operations, machine shop, external vendors, and technical facilities.
- Led all engineering and trades in development and manufacturing injection mold tools featuring high-fidelity, electroformed micro-textures mapped on 3D surfaces.
- Developed the toolmaking strategy and approach to produce composite nickel/steel tool inserts for silicone injection molding with 0-flash parting line.
- Supported R&D efforts to industrialize silicone medical tubing featuring micro-patterned ID/OD surfaces for use in catheter and medical-device applications.
- Led regular interactions and technical development alongside medical device consultancy. Supported work in the US and China.
- Developed tools for silicone compression molding of wearables tech.
- Developed a network of injection molding and toolmaking suppliers throughout Colorado and the Southwest to deliver tooling and test production of a variety of household and consumer goods.
- Worked directly with Directors of Microbiology and Product Development to develop, launch, and test several products such as chopsticks, medical tubing, baby pacifiers, cellphone cases, watch bands, and plastic films.
- Introduced additive manufacturing processes and 3D laser scanning, reducing prototype build cycles from twelve weeks to two.
- Responsible for tech exploration of the metal additive manufacturing, injection molding, and toolmaking.
- Named inventor on several US patent provisionals covering both process and product.
- Awarded US Patent US12221711B2 - 'Method for accelerated production of electroform tooling inserts'
- Pending US Patent US20220024112A1 - 'Soluble templates and methods of manufacture thereof'
- Maintained engineering and manufacturing processes according to ISO-13485 standard.
- Established business ventures and manufacturing partnerships in China for various products.
Production Engineering Manager
Rambus - Lighting and Display Technology Division
Brecksville, OH
02.2016 - 12.2017
- Company Overview: Rambus Inc. is an American technology company that designs, develops and licenses chip interface technologies and architectures that are used in digital electronics products. The Brecksville, OH operation was a $100mm+ R&D facility dedicated to the development and manufacture of edge-lit optical waveguides for use in LED lighting applications.
- Managed process development and Capex implementation for new waveguide production lines in US Operations.
- Worked directly with clients and product development team on new product design and design for manufacturability.
- Managed injection molding engineers, facilities and maintenance teams.
- Led development of a fully automated production cell, completing full value stream for optical waveguide manufacturing in a single manufacturing operation.
- Traveled to Taiwan to assist in scale-up of high-volume molding facilities.
- Introduced Ohio MAGNET to the organization and identified grant funding which provided an ISO compliant quality management system.
Senior Manufacturing Engineer
Rambus
02.2013 - 02.2016
- Developed injection molds and molding processes for manufacture of over 100 different types of optical waveguide utilizing a 'quick change' insert and electroformed optical tool.
- Integrated servo-driven valve-gate systems as a viable alternative to expensive injection compression tooling and machinery for the purpose of molding optical waveguides.
- Developed packaging systems, laser polishing, machine polishing and precision machining processes for the purpose of toolmaking and waveguide production.
- Provided costing and manufacturing estimates for new ventures.
- Named Inventory on US Patent US20150226902A1- 'Lighting assembly having anti-wetting component.'
Process Engineer - Advanced Process Engineering
Rambus
09.2011 - 02.2013
- Designed, built, and delivered an automated micro-TIG welding machine capable of welding nickel-cobalt alloy sheets into a seamless conveyor belt.
- Developed a large-format surface grinding process capable of holding ten micron overall flatness tolerance.
- Provided engineering design and process support for CNC milling, EDM cutting, laser cutting, MIG/TIG/laser welding, precision grinding and nickel electroforming operations.
- Responsible laser safety officer.
Process Engineer
Empire Die Casting
05.2010 - 09.2011
- Company Overview: Privately held high pressure die caster producing cast, machined, and finished components for various markets such as automotive, heavy truck, locomotive, off-road, and consumer goods.
- Developed and programmed automation processes for high pressure zinc and aluminum die-casting processes.
- Responsible for integration of robotics with logic controllers, industrial control networks, safety systems, processing equipment and operator interfaces to create continuous flow of product finishing steps.
- Assisted with applications engineering and business development support for Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive clients.
Engineering Technician
Dynamic Eye Inc.
06.2008 - 05.2010
- Company Overview: DARPA-funded startup focused on the creation of flexible plastic liquid crystal displays for use in military and consumer device applications.
- Designed fixtures and developed processes for the manufacture of flexible plastic LCDs.
- Responsible for all build processes including photolithography, gasket manufacturing, liquid crystal formulation, thin film coating, spacer deposition, vacuum filling, and electrical testing.
- Produced several iterations of military-spec prototypes one of which received a 2011 Popular Science Invention Award.
Cleanroom Technician
Liquid Crystal Institute - Kent State University
08.2007 - 01.2010
- Company Overview: Chemical Physics interdisciplinary program focused on the development of liquid crystal materials and their applications.
- Designed and fabricated chemical handling systems for use in photolithography applications.
- Repaired and maintained scientific equipment such as spin coaters, microscopes, gluing robots, ovens.
- Mixed photolithography chemicals including strong oxidizers, acids and bases.
- Responsible for cleanliness and air quality testing of the cleanroom facilities.
- Plastic welding and basic machining responsibilities.
- Assisted PhD candidates with cleanroom process training, prototyping, and LCD assembly.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Manufacturing Engineering Technology
Kent State University
Kent, OH01.2010
Skills
- Project management
- Lean manufacturing
- Quality assurance
- Process development
- Innovation management
- Data analysis
- Product development
- Prototyping
Affiliations
- Chair - Industrial Advisory Committee - Kent State University College of Aeronautics and Engineering
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Senior Manager - Engineering and Continuous Improvement
Giesecke & Devrient ePayments N.A.
08.2019 - Current
Director of Engineering
Sharklet Technologies
01.2018 - 08.2019
Production Engineering Manager
Rambus - Lighting and Display Technology Division
02.2016 - 12.2017
Senior Manufacturing Engineer
Rambus
02.2013 - 02.2016
Process Engineer - Advanced Process Engineering
Rambus
09.2011 - 02.2013
Process Engineer
Empire Die Casting
05.2010 - 09.2011
Engineering Technician
Dynamic Eye Inc.
06.2008 - 05.2010
Cleanroom Technician
Liquid Crystal Institute - Kent State University
08.2007 - 01.2010
Bachelor of Science - Manufacturing Engineering Technology
Kent State University
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