User:Darque

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Revision as of 02:45, 2 February 2015 by Darque (talk | contribs)
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Biography

I must confess I'm a newbie addict to the RepRap world having stumbled across this project only a few days before New Year 2015

However, I do have plenty of experience in automated equipment from many years maintaining, building and leading the development of automated mineral processing laboratories and their instrumentation. Currently I'm a Manufacturing Manager for a small Instrument Maker in Perth WA doing everything from the hands on build to developing the manufacturing system, R&D testing and document development etc. In previous lives I've been an ISO9001 Auditor, Automation Project Manager and a Laboratory Operational Manager and have my roots as an Industrial Electrician.

Although I've done a lot of leadership work my passion is building stuff, the smaller and more complex the better. I've got good hand skills, electrical/electronics knowledge and dabble in programming. As many here would know; when doing Mechatronic R&D; especially in an operational environment; it is unavoidable not to gain skills in all these areas or suffer the consequence... and suffer I have. I have committing most of the cardinal sins of manufacturing/maintaining. The lessons have been hard won and I'm proud of what I've learnt and I try to share were I can.

My other passion is in processes... a little dry I know but as an INTP (MBTI) finding order, increasing efficiency and constantly learning drives me. As my current vocation is manufacturing I'm fascinated by how to make this process as lean as possible.

So far I have been impressed with the work I can see from the Community and applaud the underlying philosophy of open source so I'm looking to add value where I can. Besides technical skills, my strengths lie in leadership, business systems and change management. I have a strong belief in good documentation (not a lot but just enough to ensure quality) and see the Wiki as the greatest tool to achieve that aim... regardless of the many challenges it creates!

My Current Goals

1. Build a RepRap

The hard way of course... as I said good documentation (and rev control of it) is key to engineering quality so I'm here to audit not just build!
Oh dear... we do have some problems don't we :)

Ok... so starting at the top:
I've chosen a Prusa i3 Rework as it seems to be the latest variant of a well tested design. I say seems to be because there are a lot of variations and quite a minefield of Categories to pour through and find the variations.

2. Build Another!

I'm much more interested in the machine than the printing so I intend to build another unit almost straight away. So I can have a development machine and a production system at all times.

3. Service the WA Community

There does not appear to be a lot of Supplier options in Western Australia so I will work to help out here if I can. I've joined a couple of Maker groups so will try and leverage local community to get better deals for local buyers. Open Source and Maker Groups are built on this after all and I would not be respecting all the hard work you all do if I didn't try to spread the love.

4. Do some serious development!

I've done a fair bit of Instrument R&D and find it enjoyable... frustrating but enjoyable! I'm thinking a good cost effective Breeder would be nice as this would expand our ability to develop volume.

5. Work on the Development Environment

Bringing many people together to share knowledge is the essence of a Wiki


Creating a way to allow information to stream freely is the essence of a Wiki does well and marrying this with clear pathways for people to trace and develop is challenging. We will need good standards that are easy to follow but ensure quality can be maintained else we will end up in a revision control nightmare... If we are not already there! Engineering design with a few Professionals using Document Control is hard enough. Revision control with potentially thousands of inexperienced people... on a Wiki! Oh dear, we have a problem!



Looking forward to meeting you all soon!

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