UW Madison | Manufacturing Systems Engineering

When Schenck Process, a global maker of weighing, feeding, metering products and systems, offered MSE student Ben Quirt a paid summer internship in Sydney, Australia, he couldn’t refuse. Impressed by Quirt’s work for Schenck Accurate in Whitewater, Wis. as part of the 2007 Capstone Course (ISyE/ME 641 - Design and Analysis of Manufacturing Systems), the company asked him to analyze and improve the engineering process for vibrating equipment at Schenck’s Sydney office.

In Australia, Schenck makes screening machines to separate useable iron ore from scrap material for the country’s large mining industry. “The company saw an opportunity for reducing lead times in upfront office operations like design and engineering and brought me in to develop some recommendations to cut lead times,” Quirt described his task.

The project started even before Quirt went to Australia for three months in May 2009. Through teleconferences with Schenck engineers in Sydney, he developed a framework for the project and started data collection. "First we had to find out what the process was, what steps were involved in constructing or re-designing these machines and how long it took to do it," said Quirt. "It was a lot of work to get all this data and create a rough process map."

The data showed that 50% of the engineering work was non-valued added. Working together with the Chief Operating Officer, Engineering Manager, and Director for Sales and Marketing, Quirt come up with a re-designed process that cut the time needed for engineering by approximately 53%. But the new and improved way of doing things also faced challenges. "People are resistant to changes and some recommended changes had to be scaled down," said Quirt.

Dealing with the challenges of a complex systems improvement project is a skill Quirt developed as a student of the Manufacturing Systems Engineering Program and project assistant of the Center for Quick Response Manufacturing.  "For me, the biggest benefit from being an MSE student and working with the QRM Center is the in-depth focus on real world industry challenges. I feel confident in the skills I have because I know how to get the necessary information, analyze it, and find appropriate solutions for specific problems."

Quirt, a native of Madison, Wis. has emphasized practical experience in his education. After receiving a B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering he completed internships at National Oilwell Varco (Houston, Tex.) and Hamilton Sundstrand (Rockford, Ill.) – each time conducting a manufacturing systems improvement initiative.

Looking ahead, Quirt wants to use his manufacturing experience to drive process changes on a higher level. “I want to be involved in creating business strategy for a larger company,” he explained his career goal.

The image shows MSE student Ben Quirt in front of a single decker screen for the coal industry at Schenck Process in Sydney, Australia.