RGBSI engineers were called by Ford to help support its ventilator projects as result of the global pandemic and a shortage of equipment. Learn more about Bill Elliott and Kaiser Hassan's experiences working on these projects.
Bill Elliott
Gear Fabricator/Tool Maker/ Manufacturing Engineer/Quality Engineer at Ford
Bill was involved in developing the prototype gears for Ford’s ventilators. His role involved figuring out the “how to’s” and “what if’s” in the initial prototype phase.
Professional Background
Bill Elliott has been a metal model maker in the automotive industry for the majority of his career, with a concentration on prototyping. He has diligently assisted companies with sustainability cost reduction of prototype assemblies and testing. He is a subject matter expert in metals, machined components and assembly, plastics, and exotic materials.
Role in Ford’s Ventilator Project
Amid the COVID-19 epidemic, Ford was to produce ventilators and needed a specific gear which was difficult to find and a special hob was needed to produce this gear. Bill worked on creating the hard tooling and fixture mount inside the hobbing machine. He created a duel path grinding fixture to grind from solid in case the needed hob could not be acquired.
The right size hob was located and ordered for the fixtures to produce the gear. The CNC programs for cutting the teeth and inspection were written. Ten perfect spur gears were produced, and Bill helped provide design validation of the gear.
The Feeling of Being on the Front-Line
Bill felt it was a complement to take part in such an important undertaking and asserts trust in his ability and talent. He was happy to be given an opportunity to be apart in something that would make a difference.
Typically, Bill is surrounded by team members, so it was a bit different to return to an empty plant where missing people’s bustle and noise were absent because of the global pandemic. This sensation set the tone for Bill as part of a chosen group of employees to make impact in producing a gear that nobody else could in a short timeframe.
Kaiser Hassan
Manufacturing Test Engineer at Ford
Kaiser was involved in training and support technicians for Ford’s ventilator production. He also provided testing, calibration, and engineering support for successful program completion.
Professional Background
Kaiser Hassan holds a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Detroit. He has spent most of his career working in the automotive industry and most recently at Ford through RGBSI.
Role in Ford’s Ventilator Project
With the ongoing pandemic, Kaiser was called to work on ford’s ventilator project. He provides testing, calibration, and engineering support. Kaiser’s focus is to train and support technicians facilitating the production of the ventilators.
The Feeling of Being on the Front-Line
Kaiser felt a great honor to be chosen as one of the engineers in supporting Ford’s ventilator program. He got to be a part of a team that is saving lives and fighting a deadly disease.
Kaiser thinks it is amazing that Ford has taken on a new program from infancy and moved through the whole production cycle in a matter of weeks. Under normal conditions this process would take 2-3 years. Kaiser has never seen things move so rapidly in his entire engineering career, so it is something to witness.
About RGBSI
At RGBSI, we deliver total workforce management, engineering, quality lifecycle management, and IT solutions that provide strategic partnership for organizations of all sizes.
As an organization of engineering experts, we understand the importance of modernization. Our engineering solutions provide clients with agility and enhancement through optimizing the value chain to meet industry protocols and full product specifications.
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At RGBSI, we provide engineering, IT, and administrative job opportunities for contract, contract to hire, project based, and permanent positions. We have established relationships with top companies in engineering and IT industries around the globe. The opportunities are endless for engaging in different career paths.
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