Jim Fairgrieve
Design Engineer at RFA Engineering- Claim this Profile
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Bio
Phillip Wenger
Jim was an engineering design specialist for Caterpillar Large Wheel Loader Work Tools who worked on my team in 2018. He developed and maintained a portfolio of LWL buckets during his tenure on my team. Jim successfully supported the Engineered to order (ETO) business for LWL buckets which involved sale inquire technical support, concept creation, and ultimately executing a customized bucket for the unique customer requirements all within a short duration and often performing this simultaneously across several sales orders. Some of these ETOs were high profile in nature with a full LWL machine sale contingent on the successful execution of the ETO. Jim worked with manufacturing and purchasing to further optimize the design of the buckets within the portfolio. Jim’s acute attention to detail, deep product knowledge, and quick response time enabled him to forge a strong , trusting relationship with his manufacturing and purchasing peers. His teamwork skills enhanced his ability to successfully execute ETOs under compressed timelines. Jim quietly approaches is work, but is very effective in delivering results and building relationships across functional teams. His demeanor and technical abilities will allow Jim to be successful in an environment that his strong work ethic is valued.
Phillip Wenger
Jim was an engineering design specialist for Caterpillar Large Wheel Loader Work Tools who worked on my team in 2018. He developed and maintained a portfolio of LWL buckets during his tenure on my team. Jim successfully supported the Engineered to order (ETO) business for LWL buckets which involved sale inquire technical support, concept creation, and ultimately executing a customized bucket for the unique customer requirements all within a short duration and often performing this simultaneously across several sales orders. Some of these ETOs were high profile in nature with a full LWL machine sale contingent on the successful execution of the ETO. Jim worked with manufacturing and purchasing to further optimize the design of the buckets within the portfolio. Jim’s acute attention to detail, deep product knowledge, and quick response time enabled him to forge a strong , trusting relationship with his manufacturing and purchasing peers. His teamwork skills enhanced his ability to successfully execute ETOs under compressed timelines. Jim quietly approaches is work, but is very effective in delivering results and building relationships across functional teams. His demeanor and technical abilities will allow Jim to be successful in an environment that his strong work ethic is valued.
Phillip Wenger
Jim was an engineering design specialist for Caterpillar Large Wheel Loader Work Tools who worked on my team in 2018. He developed and maintained a portfolio of LWL buckets during his tenure on my team. Jim successfully supported the Engineered to order (ETO) business for LWL buckets which involved sale inquire technical support, concept creation, and ultimately executing a customized bucket for the unique customer requirements all within a short duration and often performing this simultaneously across several sales orders. Some of these ETOs were high profile in nature with a full LWL machine sale contingent on the successful execution of the ETO. Jim worked with manufacturing and purchasing to further optimize the design of the buckets within the portfolio. Jim’s acute attention to detail, deep product knowledge, and quick response time enabled him to forge a strong , trusting relationship with his manufacturing and purchasing peers. His teamwork skills enhanced his ability to successfully execute ETOs under compressed timelines. Jim quietly approaches is work, but is very effective in delivering results and building relationships across functional teams. His demeanor and technical abilities will allow Jim to be successful in an environment that his strong work ethic is valued.
Phillip Wenger
Jim was an engineering design specialist for Caterpillar Large Wheel Loader Work Tools who worked on my team in 2018. He developed and maintained a portfolio of LWL buckets during his tenure on my team. Jim successfully supported the Engineered to order (ETO) business for LWL buckets which involved sale inquire technical support, concept creation, and ultimately executing a customized bucket for the unique customer requirements all within a short duration and often performing this simultaneously across several sales orders. Some of these ETOs were high profile in nature with a full LWL machine sale contingent on the successful execution of the ETO. Jim worked with manufacturing and purchasing to further optimize the design of the buckets within the portfolio. Jim’s acute attention to detail, deep product knowledge, and quick response time enabled him to forge a strong , trusting relationship with his manufacturing and purchasing peers. His teamwork skills enhanced his ability to successfully execute ETOs under compressed timelines. Jim quietly approaches is work, but is very effective in delivering results and building relationships across functional teams. His demeanor and technical abilities will allow Jim to be successful in an environment that his strong work ethic is valued.
Experience
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RFA Engineering
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United States
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Engineering Services
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300 - 400 Employee
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Design Engineer
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Mar 2021 - Present
LWL Worktools Engineer - Caterpillar Inc. LWL Worktools Engineer - Caterpillar Inc.
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Caterpillar Inc.
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United States
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Machinery Manufacturing
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700 & Above Employee
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Engineering Specialist
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Jan 2012 - May 2020
• Coordinated product development of large wheel loader (LWL) custom bucket business line.• Defined customer requirements and collaborated with manufacturing engineers for unique customer bucket requests.• Researched field failure issues for LWLs, wheel dozers, soil compactors, and landfill compactor work tools including buckets, logging forks, blades, and couplers and determined repair scope. • Hosted monthly meetings with internal manufacturing engineers and supply chain analysts to incorporate feedback for design and redesign.Accomplishments:• Achieved a 35% increase in component sales, averaging $5.5 million per year in 2017-2019.• Developed modified bucket sidebar design to reduce welding time by 15 minutes per bucket for a total annual savings of $12K per year.• Designed completely new LWL bucket for New Product Introduction (NPI), including partnering with FEA analyst and contributing to DFMEA.• Developed NPI wheel loader bucket profiles for Design of Experiments to optimize bucket shape to maximize machine productivity, with physical testing demonstrating a 4-8% increase in productivity, driving sales.• Replicated design of underground mining ejector bucket for wheel loader machine by redesigning castings and developing hydraulic line design, facilitating manufacturing design change and $500,000 in new sales. Show less
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Senior Design Engineer
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Sep 2000 - Dec 2011
• Designed custom buckets for LWL machines by providing modifying existing bucket design to meet unique customer requirements, delivering high sales volume.• Designed hydraulic excavator derivative machine design for applications where low ground pressure machine was required.• Modified design of production hydraulic excavator and collaborated in new undercarriage component design.
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Design Engineer
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Jun 1988 - Sep 2000
Designed components for cabs for several wheel loader vehicle new product introductions.
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J.I. Case
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Hinsdale, Illinois, United States
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Design Engineer
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Mar 1985 - Apr 1988
Designed components for agricultural tractors. Designed components for agricultural tractors.
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International Harvester
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United States
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Machinery Manufacturing
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1 - 100 Employee
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Design Engineer
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Sep 1984 - Mar 1985
Designed components for agricultural tractors. Designed components for agricultural tractors.
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Education
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1980 - 1983
Purdue University
Bachelor of Science - BS, Mechanical Engineering
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