Process Control and Diagnostics Experts

PAT HARTMAN

Patricia K Hartman has over 32 years of pulp and paper experience including roles as  production engineer, quality assurance supervisor, ISO 9001 implementation leader, ISO 9001 site manager, and as training director in a large integrated southeastern mill. She has experience with coated and uncoated solid bleached sulfate, green liquor semi-chemical and unbleached recycled pulping and papermaking systems.
Pat designed and managed a Statistical Process Control program for over 1000 employees Pat has led a wide variety of businesses through ISO 9001 implementation and registration,  including printing, converting, extrusion, sheeting, rewinding, envelope,  manufacture, fine paper and board mills, and specialty chemical plants.  Pat is a lean six sigma black belt, and led the lean six sigma operational excellence effort at a large plant resulting in over $40 million in savings over a three year period.  Pat recently completed a cost of quality diagnostic at an injection molding and assembly plant in the plastics industry. Pat is a highly rated instructor and has trained several hundred people in six sigma yellow belt, green belt and lean techniques.  Students have included hourly production employees, engineers, managers, executives and customers.
Pat is a senior member of the American Society for Quality, and spent over 15 years revising and reviewing pulping and papermaking test methods as a leader in the Process and Product Quality Division of TAPPI and represented the American Forest and Paper Association on the US Technical Advisory Group for ISO Technical Committee 176 (responsible for quality management system standards) for 15+ years. Pat is a Western Michigan University graduate with a B.S. in Paper Science. 

 

 

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CHARLES R. HODGES (Chuck)

Chuck has over 40 years of experience as a researcher and a leader of mill paper process groups. He is an expert at diagnostic methods for troubleshooting machine pulsations, basis weight variations and controls, cross machine control systems, and defect detection systems utilizing a wide variety of diagnostic tools. He has an MSME from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.  

WILLIAM J. McNOWN

Bill is a technical professional with demonstrated skills as an experimentalist, troubleshooter and data analyst. Bill has experience as a researcher, process/control Engineer,and production process analysis team lead. He is an expert in testing protocols, and technical consultations for customers. He has designed and built a variety test apparatus and procedures. Bill has a Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

HERBERT E. KUHL III (BERT)

Herb has over twenty-eight years of experience providing software and control support as well as diagnostic and operator training on ABB paper machine control systems. He has provided his expertise to a variety of major companies in the industry. He also has a B.S. Degree in Forestry & Wildlife from Virginia Tech.

JERRY PUGH

Jerry is an expert in machine supervisory control systems and on-machine defect detection systems with over 30 years of experience.