MR. HOWARD COOPER,
DFSS BB, DFR

Howard Cooper is a DFSS Black Belt and DFR Reliability Engineer for General Dynamics Land Systems and a 28-year veteran reliability consultant. He enjoys helping companies eliminate 70% - 92% of their unscheduled equipment downtime, usually in 30-60 days! He coined the phrase “Lean Maintenance for Lean Manufacturing” and in 2005 trademarked FISHing™ (Functional Interface Stress Hardening) to fill a critical gap in the DFSS Design for Reliability (DFR); FTA, FMEA, HALT, FEA, PoF, FRACAS reliability engineering process. He has coached manufacturers, design teams, hospitals, telecom and data centers, office complexes, oil companies and Lean SS centers to achieve increased uptime, resulting in “Lean Capable Equipment” and increased profits. His seminar: “How To Eliminate Your Equipment Downtime in 30-60 Days” (How to FISH) is often rated as “most valued seminar of my career” by operations, engineering, and manufacturing managers.

Mr. Cooper’s BS and MS degrees in electronics and industrial technology lead him to serve as Fabrication and Diffusion Supervisor for Signetics Semiconductor, as Chief Maintenance/Reliability Engineer for John Deere Co, then for Hughes/Baker EIMCO. He then consulted full time for 22 years (see Amemco.net) until 2005 when GE called him to help them full time to apply Six Sigma DFR to the design of an xRay system. Currently he works for General Dynamics facilitating DFR on mechanical, hydraulic and electronic control subsystems.
Seminar Leader
Howard C Cooper, DFSS BB, DFR
DFR Reliability Engineer
General Dynamics Land Systems
Sterling Heights, Michigan

He has been a speaker, presenting papers at annual conventions for:
IMTBA (International Machine Tool Builders Association),
ASHE (American Society of Hospital Engineers),
ULPA (United Lightning Protection Association),
LPI (Lightning Protection Institute,
SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers), and Served 4 years as an honorary director of Electronics Magazine.

Mr. Cooper is author of various articles and papers published in:
Measurements & Controls
American Machinist
Production Engineering
Tooling & Production
Plant Services
Commline
Computer/Electronics Service News
Control Magazine
Medical Electronics
SME/CASA Annual Proceedings
SuperFactory
Oil & Gas Journal

A Few of Mr. Cooper’s Past Client Companies Include:
GE, Cummins Engine, National Semiconductor, FMC, The Trane Co, Rockwell, Intel, BF Goodrich, Honda, American Express, Hercules Aerospace, General Dynamics, Colt, Rexnord, HCA Hospitals, Caterpillar, Borg-Warner, Texas Instruments, NTN Bower, SW Bell, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, Chubb Insurance, Snap-on, Helmerich & Payne IDC, Exxon-Mobil.

Comments and Testimonials of Major US Companies Who have Gone FISHing™ with Mr. Cooper to Maximize Uptime or Availability:

"...really oriented us to a most practical, cost effective maintenance engineering program. We have reduced electrical tickets or work orders by 70% on all applicable automated machines and systems".
- Clair Bentezl, NC Technician, Caterpillar, Inc.

"Circuit board failures for 30 NC and CNC systems has dropped from three to four per month to three to four per year, a 92% reduction".
-Howard Olsen, Manager Manufacturing Engineering, Colt Industries

“We fully agree with the concepts of your seminar and the report which resulted from Amemco's survey of our 100 NC Machines. As a test, we installed all stress elimination systems on our 15 worst-case computer controls. The results were so impressive, we budgeted for and installed your recommendations on the other 85 during the next year. We now “harden” each new machine we get. With J.I.T. manufacturing, your hardening methods are a must.”
-Charles Bakey, Maint. Engr., The TRANE Company

"By following your program we have cut equipment downtime, malfunctions and electronic failures to near zero. Thanks, we will expand application of these most cost effective concepts".
- Dick Kohli, Maintenance Manager, Minster Machine Tool

“With a new building and all new CNC machines, we were plagued over the first 15 months with "normal maintenance" downtime of 40%, and machine utilization of 50%. This changed dramatically after implementing your program for eliminating stresses. "Normal maintenance" downtime dropped to 6 - 8% and has remained there for over a year. Machine utilization jumped above 90%, continuously. “
- West Code, Inc., Pennsylvania train valve manufacturer

"Benefits of eliminating these stresses have been cost effective, very dependable, and extremely important. Our electronic downtime and board failure has been reduced by 100%. Overall equipment downtime has been reduced by 100%. This has yielded an estimated annual savings of undetermined amounts. However, these savings do go well into the millions of dollars."
-Joseph Dempsey, Plant Engineering Mgr., Chubb Group of Insurance Companies