Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Certification
Personal Information
References
Timeline
Generic
Athi Prusente

Athi Prusente

East London

Summary

I am a seasoned Factory Maintenance and Engineering Manager overseeing Plant 4 & 5, leading a diverse team of direct and indirect reports, including Facilities Manager, Maintenance Manager, Automation Manager, and various specialists, technicians, and trainees. As a GMR 2.1 appointee reporting to the Plant Manager, the role involves ensuring machinery compliance with safety regulations, overseeing inspections and load tests for cranes, fire suppression systems, lifting equipment, and managing SLAs for various equipment. Responsibilities extend to facilities upgrades, structural design, and project management. The role encompasses maintenance and legal compliance for transformers, substations, UPS, compressors, backup generators, and other critical systems. Financial aspects include handling CAPEX & OPEX, budget control, and ensuring audit compliance. I possess extensive knowledge of manufacturing processes, develops equipment standard documents, and ensures the continuous and safe operation of equipment and responsible for development of contingency plans to keep the customer satisfied, moreover ensure targets are met and SQDCME adhered to as per operational excellence. The focus also includes driving energy-saving projects and managing contracts, projects, and asset care. I am currently holding a BTech in Mechanical Engineering, finishing up Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and also completing a master's degree in the field of Mechanical Engineering.

Overview

10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Factory Maintenance and Process Engineering Manager

MA Automotive Tool and Die SA
East London
01.2022 - Current
  • Appointment as GMR 2.1 for Plant 4 & 5 reporting to Plant manager 16.2 appointee
  • To ensure all machinery compliance to OHS Act 83 of 1993
  • Deliver required project margins and other financial goals through optimum utilization of personnel, equipment and material resources
  • Lead energy saving management initiatives and projects
  • Manage all mechanical, electrical and automation (Robotics and PLC) maintenance and projects
  • Lead and drive SQDCM (safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost & Morale)
  • Manage site through data management systems and achieve target KPI’s
  • Manage all SLAs agreements (Compressors, Forklift, Consultants, Air dryers, Chillers, Cranes etc.)
  • Responsible for Facilities upgrades and building & grounds, structural design and project management
  • Substations, Air-cooled and oil-cooled transformer, IR Scanning, working in heights, UPS and Backup generator maintenance and legal compliance
  • Manage monthly project costs and operations to budget and finances in conjunction with project accounting (Overhead budget, CAPEX & OPEX control)
  • Commissioning and buying off new equipments (Mechanical machines, Robots and Tools/Dies) validation and testing of all equipments
  • Responsible for Plant layout drawings, line optimization and Cycle time & Takt time studies
  • Support plant with home line handover, final validation, and testing documentations
  • Ensure all process documentation are updated as per customer requirement (Critical Spares list, Control plan, FMEA, DFMEA, SWI, JES)
  • Audit by department of labor as per Management ISO 16949, IATF 2016, ISO 45001 requirements
  • Maintenance of all 2000/1000/800-ton Mechanical Presses and Hydraulic presses (Crown, Ram, Slides, Tool & Die, Cushion, clutches and brakes systems, Balance Cylinders, Pump lubrication systems, press safety, Bolsters)
  • Responsible for Bodyshop assembly (Laser welding, Spot welding, Sealer technologies)
  • Manage Maintenance of Body assembly Robots (Kuka KRC4, Bosch timers, Welding guns, pedestal welders,)
  • Manage team of direct Facilities Manager, Maintenance Manager, Automation Manager, Process Engineers, Product Engineers, Indirect reports of Robot Specialist, PLC specialist, Mechanical specialists, Technicians, Artisans (electricians & Fitters), Assistant artisans, Graduate trainees, In-service trainees and Apprentice students.

Facilities & Maintenance Lead Manager

Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa
Pretoria
01.2020 - 12.2021
  • Project management (from Conception, Planning, Execution/installation and Commissioning, to finish- buy-off and technical acceptance)
  • Control maintenance departmental CAPEX & OPEX budget
  • Utilities management and maintenance (Boilers/Steam generators, Effluent plant, Wastewater plant, Compressors, Ovens, Incinerators, Cooling towers, Industrial Pumps, LPG gas, Gas trains, humidifier & Dehumidifiers, ARPs, HVAC(Chillers) Supply and Exhaust fans, Heat exchangers, Burners etc.)
  • Support Production, Process and Projects (Application Robotics, PLCS, lifting equipments, Transfer cars/Turn tables, Chains/hoist Conveyor belts, PLC, VSD & VFD drives)
  • Leading a cross functional team of Engineers, Control systems Specialists, PLC and Robotics Technicians, 3xTeam Leaders, 40±Artisans and 18±Robotics Technician, Maintenance Planners, Reliability technicians, Trainees & Apprenticeship
  • Manage onsite contractors and supplier and ensure compliance with company standards
  • Manage engineering contractors and ensure compliance with company standards as per OHS act
  • Weekend work plan and shutdown planning
  • Asset care management strategy planning (using 8 TPM Pillars)
  • Drive departmental work plan activities, identify, and analyze constraint management
  • Develop training plan (skills matrix) for team members
  • Workshop safety and house keeping
  • Critical spare parts and tools management
  • Manage projects and ensure maintenance budgets for current and future equipments and ensure sustainable performance of all critical equipments to minimize downtime losses, improve MTTR and MTBF.

Production & Maintenance Engineer

Mercedes Benz South Africa
East London
01.2017 - 12.2020
  • Schedule Preventative maintenance and autonomous maintenance and coordinate shutdown activities
  • Create and improve maintenance standards procedures in production equipment and responsible for root cause analysis and implement corrective actions
  • Perform all outputs in compliance with the company's integrity codes and OHS Act regulations requirements and to perform delegated SHEQ tasks and duties and inform superior about deviations
  • Develop, implement and optimize cost saving initiatives and implement best practices in terms of process, material usage and equipment performance
  • Support equipment safety, new equipment buyoff procedures carry out design review tasks and develop maintenance strategies
  • Develop and document relevant maintenance manuals, monitor all activities occurring in project site and liaise with team with regards to change management processes
  • Ensure that the final documentation, drawings, layouts are available and updated/data standards met and handed over as per ECM requirements, review layouts
  • Extensive knowledge of manufacturing processes and development of production equipment standard documents (Control plan, PFMEA, project file, flow chart, SOPs, BOM, SWI) and initiate continuous improvement, modifications of equipment as part of energy saving
  • Planning and scheduled maintenance, managing project budgets by analyzing weekly and monthly usage of utilities
  • Ensuring equipment compliance with health and safety legislation, contract management procedure, project management principles and asset care management, issuing of permits (safety, unique, hot welding, confined permits)
  • Identify & initiate continuous improvement activities to ensure quality, volume achievements and availability of spare parts
  • Support technologies such as conveyors, Incinerators, Ovens, Heat exchangers, Belts, Lifting equipments, Transfer cars, Turntables, Chains, Lubrication system, Boilers and generators, pumps, HVAC/ utilities
  • Provide specialized technical functions concerning the installation, commissioning, optimization, performance, preventative maintenance
  • Support and improve continuous improvement, problem solving and process improvement activities
  • Design, planning and implementation of QMS (ISO 9001-2015 and 2008) principles and knowledge of IATF (16949) standards, Comply and conform to Health, Safety and Environmental Policies
  • Develop and improve cost effective maintenance strategy based on suitable techniques and keep them up to date to further improve equipment availability, reliability, maintainability
  • Manage, develop and undertake CAPEX/OPEX projects and ensure maintenance budgets for current and future equipments and ensure sustainable performance of all critical equipments to improve downtime losses, MTTR and MTBF
  • Lead and support technicians and work as contract manager and ensure compliance
  • Use Poke Yoke, Pareto diagram principle, fish bone and G8D methods to solve complex quality issues
  • Analyze technical equipment data and review effectiveness of PM, ACPD, PFMEA, control plan and flow charts.

Manufacturing Engineering Technologist

Mercedes Benz South Africa
East London
01.2016 - 01.2017
  • Update Production reports, Project executions, Risk assessment and risk analysis, Project management principles
  • Maintenance of utilities Water plant, Compressed air, Wastewater plant, paint mix waste disposal environment, Boiler house, Generators, Pumps and monitoring of HVAC, Condition monitoring, Tribology, chemical plant, Chiller plant
  • Define audit and plan maintenance activities to ensure optimum performance (weekend and shutdown electrical and mechanical maintenance and ensure availability of parts, resources)
  • Organize plant start-up and shutdown schedules to ensure minimum loss of production time, identify and analyze machines with high downtimes and carry out continuous maintenance steps
  • Identify & initiate continuous improvement activities to ensure quality, volume achievements and availability of spare parts to minimize downtime and improve MTTR, MTBF
  • Support and improve continuous improvement, problem solving and process improvement activities and ensure all breakdowns are captured on SAP/CMMS
  • Lead and support technicians and work as contract manager for suppliers and ensure compliance
  • Use Poke Yoke, Pareto diagram principle, fish bone and G8D methods to solve complex quality issues.

Mechanical Engineering Technician

Transnet Engineering
Pretoria
01.2014 - 01.2015
  • Plant Engineering Maintenance

Education

Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering - Mechanical Engineering

NELSON MANDELA UNIVERSITY
12.2024

Post Graduate Diploma in Business Admin - Business Administration

UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG
05.2024

B-Tech (Bachelor of Technology) - Mechanical Engineering

WALTER SISULU UNIVERSITY
12.2016

ND (National Diploma) - Mechanical Engineering Technology

Walter Sisulu University
06.2015

Skills

  • English – Fluent
  • IsiXhosa – Fluent
  • Afrikaans – Intermediate
  • Ms Word
  • Ms Excel
  • Ms PowerPoint
  • Ms Outlook (e-mail)
  • Ms Projects
  • Auto CAD (2D and 3D)
  • Inventor
  • Solid works
  • Creo parametric
  • MSC Patrans
  • Workplace
  • MAMS
  • MRS Production Report
  • PLC S7 Siemens
  • TIA Portal Pro 1 & 2
  • KUKA Robots programming Pro 1& 2
  • ABB Robots Programming
  • Control HMI
  • 3D onsite basics
  • Process Data Analysis (PDA)
  • I-PRO
  • CMMS
  • SAP
  • Front End

Certification

  • Mercedes Benz certificates
  • Code C1
  • Matric

Personal Information

Gender: Male

References

  • Mr MK Netshikwati, Plant Manager – MA Automotive Tool and Die, (+27) 63 149 8045
  • Mr. Johan Fourie, Area Manager – Ford Motor Company Pretoria (Paint shop), (+27) 82 553 6357
  • Mr. Gladson Kamanga, Maintenance Manager - MERCEDES BENZ SA- East London, (+27) 81 418 2196
  • Mr. M. NGCOBO, MET- Manufacturing Engineering Technologist PT/KTL (Corrosion - MERCEDES BENZ SA- East London), (+27) 73 794 1675
  • Prof DG Hatting, ENtsa Director, NMU - master’s degree supervisor, (+27) 82 374 3190

Timeline

Factory Maintenance and Process Engineering Manager

MA Automotive Tool and Die SA
01.2022 - Current

Facilities & Maintenance Lead Manager

Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa
01.2020 - 12.2021

Production & Maintenance Engineer

Mercedes Benz South Africa
01.2017 - 12.2020

Manufacturing Engineering Technologist

Mercedes Benz South Africa
01.2016 - 01.2017

Mechanical Engineering Technician

Transnet Engineering
01.2014 - 01.2015

Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering - Mechanical Engineering

NELSON MANDELA UNIVERSITY

Post Graduate Diploma in Business Admin - Business Administration

UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG

B-Tech (Bachelor of Technology) - Mechanical Engineering

WALTER SISULU UNIVERSITY

ND (National Diploma) - Mechanical Engineering Technology

Walter Sisulu University

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Athi Prusente