Extreme Engineer of the Month

Profile: Matt Hilgendorf, CMfgT, Caterpillar Inc., Manufacturing Engineer

Education: Dual Major, B.S. in Manufacturing Engineering and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University

Favorite Classes:

• Work design
• Applied controls—Manufacturing and Industrial Control Systems
• Leadership

Best Skills: Problem solving, project management, and communications.

Hobbies: Computers and, recently, reading and golf.

Role Model: His parents. As he says, they let him get into so much trouble, that it let him learn things. He defined "getting into trouble" as breaking things at home. There were no limits to learning, he says, there was only figuring things out.

Advice: "A four-year college degree may not be for everybody. It may not have been the best fit for me, but I pushed myself and made it work. There is a growing need for skilled trades such as industrial electricians, designers, manufacturing technologists, and engineering technicians. Look at all your options. Take advantage of job shadowing. Read career information. There are also a lot of tests that can help you figure out the best fit. For those who pursue an engineering degree, work hard and take advantage of professional organizations such as the Society of Manufacturing Engineering (SME) and the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE). Student rates are inexpensive and you can learn a ton, plus they have scholarships you can apply for. A large part of my college was paid for by scholarships from SME.”

From Auto Shop to Auto U

Matt had an interest in criminal science and engineering in high school. After co-oping in an automobile dealership, all 16 mechanics said he needed to go to college. He applied to Kettering University in Flint, MI, because of its alliances with the automotive industry. He started out as a mechanical engineering major because it is considered to be very broad. “If you don’t really know what you want to do yet, and you’re not an electrical person, mechanical engineering appeared to be the place to start,” says Matt. He encourages future engineers to try to find their passion early and become a “specialized-generalist.”

Beyond Math and Physics—Manufacturing Engineering

He liked to learn but didn’t like the math and physics as much as he liked getting his hands dirty once in a while. He got through it at the top of his class, however, with lots of hard work. What he really enjoyed were his manufacturing classes, which weren’t all math and physics based. He got to work with machine tools, different materials, programmable logic controllers, sheet metal presses, robotics, computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM), work design, and some ergonomics—all practical stuff.

Hands On with Coop

For his co-op job, Matt worked for the Kohler Co. Engine Division, which makes small engines for lawnmowers and industrial/construction applications. Based on a one-year project he did for the company, he wrote his thesis for his bachelor’s degree “Low Volume Assembly Systems Design for a New Product Using New Product Development Process at Kohler.” His project was to design the whole assembly system—how you put parts together and ship them out the door. People may use his system to build engines for possibly the next 10 years. It was quite an opportunity that included presenting to vice presidents and the president. He enjoyed working as a member of a cross-functional team. He worked a lot with marketing and accounting. It also involved working closely with design engineers to change a few parts so they could be put together easier and at a lower cost.

A Call from Caterpillar

Matt excelled in the program and was awarded a couple of scholarships from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. With a 3.97 GPA, he wasn’t #1 in his class, but he was selected as the keynote undergraduate speaker. He started getting job offers in August of his senior year. In October he was recruited by Caterpillar. It was one of the hardest decisions he had to make. He enjoyed his co-op with Kohler, but he was attracted to Caterpillar because it had adopted 6σ (Six Sigma) methodology—a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating waste and defects in any process. To Matt this meant that they had a serious focus on manufacturing, which included involving manufacturing from design conception on. He accepted their offer.

Manufacturing Begins with Design

"Manufacturing people are going to be key people in driving cost and waste out of the process—including the design process—because they know what costs more and what is difficult to produce," says Matt. "Manufacturing needs to be involved from the conception of a design. Companies that fail to do that can wind up with products that can be outsourced and manufactured differently abroad for less cost." Matt estimates that about 80 percent of product cost is determined by the product design. "If you wait to reduce cost until you're in manufacturing, you're hoping to reduce cost by 20 percent at best," he says.

Manufacturing R&D

Matt has been on the job at Caterpillar about five months, and he's already sunken his teeth into some pretty meaty tasks. He's currently working in manufacturing research and development. They are trying to push the cutting-edge of manufacturing. He's working on a team that is conceptualizing very broad things to fix problems—such as the wall between design and manufacturing and how to eliminate waste, optimize manufacturing, and eliminate things that don't add value. A specific task he's working on is using off-the-shelf computers rather than paper as the manual to instruct employees on the shop floor.

Keeping the Business Running

Matt loves the manufacturing environment. He’s driven by the fast pace of the job. He’s never bored. There’s always something to do. With responsibility for day-to-day operations, there are always problems to solve. You have to be able to very quickly troubleshoot and problem solve on your feet. “You may be called down to an assembly area early in the morning with a major issue,” he says. “You have to figure out how to keep business running safely and still produce a high quality product.” That sense of urgency is very appealing to Matt. Matt thrives in the fast-paced environment.

"Manufacturing Engineers Got It Made"

Matt's enthusiasm for manufacturing engineering is boundless. Like the slogan from one of Matt's favorite t-shirts, he feels "Manufacturing Engineers Got It Made."

Manufacturing Engineering—What It Is and What It's Not

Name an industry, and its a good bet manufacturing engineers will be there—from clothing to pharmaceuticals to candy to equipment manfucturing—and everything in between. To provide additional insight into this exciting field, here's Matt's list of what manufacturing engineering is and what it's not.

Manufacturing Engineering is:

• Understanding geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (reading drawings)
• Working with shop-floor associates
• Understanding CAD models
• Appreciating human factors such as fatigue and ergonomics
• Working with product and equipment suppliers
• Understanding the cost to manufacture
• Working with all disciplines of engineering including electrical, quality, materials, design, safety, and others depending on the product

Manufacturing Engineering is not:

• Sitting behind a CAD station all day
• All about calculus
• Meetings all day
• Always dirty, dark, and hot
• Only tool and die work
• Just for men