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Autobiography
Phillip J. Ross is a mechanical engineering graduate of General Motors Institute (BME 1970). The majority of his career has been associated with General Motors automotive powertrain industry from the product design/development aspect; first working with Allison Transmission Division from 1970 to 1987 and then with Saturn Corporation until 1996. Assignments have included working in the design phase of many transmission components and systems, developing statistical/quality methods and training, and performing process development including lost foam casting, painting, molding, and others. Mr. Ross is an ASQ Fellow (2007) and Certified Quality Engineer (1993), the holder of three patents on product design, and in 1996, retired from GM with 30 years of service.
Mr. Ross is President of Quality Services International, Inc. (Tenn.) which is dedicated to providing quality and statistical training and assistance for their customers. He has taught statistical and quality classes in the United States, Great Britain, Holland, Japan, Spain and Singapore accumulating over 4500 hours of time in classroom training.
Clients have varied over several industries including Raymark (friction materials), Reynolds Aluminum, Steel Founder’s Society of America, Georgetown Steel, Grede Foundries (gray iron), ECC International, (kaolin clay), Oxford Instruments (superconducting wire and nuclear measurement), Pace Industries (aluminum die castings), Cordis Corp. (heart catheters & stents), ACD Tridon Corp. (extruded rubber products), Gamesa (Wind Generation) and others.
Mr. Ross has authored a book and several articles such as “Taguchi Techniques for Quality Engineering” (now in Second Edition, 1996), which was first published by McGraw-Hill in September 1988 and has sold over 35,000 copies worldwide; an article entitled “The Role of Taguchi Methods and Design of Experiments in QFD” which was published in June 1988 in Quality Progress by ASQC; and article entitled “Education, Training, and Implementation of Design of Experiments” which was published in the fall, 1988 issue of Target by AME.
Areas of Expertise
Mr. Ross has performed product and process development on many different mechanically related projects. Several different problem-solving projects have been satisfactorily completed on many different types of processes. Mr. Ross also provides consulting services relative to product and process design, development, testing, and validation. In addition, technical writing services are available for quality system documentation.
Current training topics include:
Certified Quality Engineer Exam Preparation: eight-sessions of 3 hours each week to cover the CQE Body of Knowledge
Design Of Experiments: two-day basic course (fundamentals of DOE) and one-day ANOVA course (comprehensive analysis and interpretation)
Failure Mode And Effects Analysis: one or two-day course for design and process FMEAs (AIAG manual based)
Geometric Dimensioning And Tolerancing: two-day course to introduce GD & T concepts & fundamental meanings and interpretations
Internal Auditing: one or two-day course to cover fundamentals of quality system audits per ISO 9000:2000 with emphasis on the process approach to audits
Measurement System Analysis: one-day course to introduce basic MSA techniques (AIAG manual based)
Process Problem Solving: two-day course to cover data collection and interpretation
Product Design and Validation Process: two-day course to cover the key phases, steps, and outputs for contemporary product/process development and validation
Production Part Approval Process: one-day course covering the key aspects of PPAP (AIAG manual based)
Statistical Methods for Quality Engineering: three-day course to cover fundamental statistical tests of evaluation and comparison using several different distribution models
Statistical Process Control: two-day basic SPC (popular control charts) and one-day advanced SPC (optional control charts and capability indices) (AIAG manual based)
Major Projects
Mr. Ross has worked on several major projects during his career:
1. Allison Transmission Engrg. Drafting Department Process Improvement
Application of systems and processes thinking
Application of SPC methods for current and improved state metrics
Suggested significant process redesign to improve quality and throughput
2. Allison AT-540 Transmission Reliability Improvement
Application of failure analysis principles
Application of Weibull analysis for current and improved design metrics
Application of design validation methods
Identified key design limitations and suggested design improvements
3. Allison Formed Steel Torque Converter Design
Development of CAD software to design torque converter components
Shortened design time from 16 to 2 man-weeks for converter blades
Designed a formed steel version of die-cast aluminum torque converter
4. Saturn Lost Foam Casting Process Development
Application of design of experiments for complex process development
Documented process specifications using QFD & control plan methods
Developed new post-molding stabilization plan for styrofoam products
Developed new tooling "shrink rule" for all cast products
Minimized cost, inventory, and improved consistency of foam products
Developed vibration analysis method and training for critical equipment
Developed unique tooling for supporting styrofoam patterns
Met pre-production and production volume requirements for crankshafts
5. Cordis Quality System Improvement
Assisted in coordinating several project teams assigned aspects of QS
Developed a training plan for people assigned to Field Failure Analysis Team
6. Gamesa G5X/G8X Gearbox Process Capability Improvment
Identified several issues in the product realization process
Developed SPC charts for key product parameters
Suggested several product design, process design, and QC improvements
Developed and deployed training modules to address key issues
Application of GD&T principles to product design and process tooling
Previous Customers
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Accuride
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Modine Manufacturing
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ACD Tridon
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Midwest Research Institute
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Allied Automotive
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North Carolina State University
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Autoliv
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Northrop Grumman
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Bohn Aluminum Company
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Oxford Instruments Inc.
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Bosch Braking Systems
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Pace Industries
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Carrier Corporation
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Polymerics, Inc.
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Clemson University
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Raymark Corporation
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Colorado State University
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Reynolds Aluminum
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Cordis Corporation
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Mentor H/S, Inc.
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Del-met
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Prestolite Wire
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ECC International
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Purolator
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EDS
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Rappahannock Wire Company
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Federal Mogul
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Saturn Corporation
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Flexible Products, Inc.
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Simmons
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Gamesa
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Singapore Quality Institute
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General Motors
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Society of Automotive Engineers
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Georgetown Steel Company
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Steel Founders Society of America
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Grede Foundries
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Takata Restraints
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Henkel Technologies
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Ucar Carbon
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Hitchiner Casting Company
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University of Alabama
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Honda (Canada)
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University of Delaware
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Isuzu Motors (Japan)
ITW CIP
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University of Kentucky
University of Miami
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Johns Manville
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University of North Alabama
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Marconi Medical Systems, Inc.
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Mascotech
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Yazaki-North America
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Medtronic Xomed, Inc
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Contact Information
Questions or requests for quotations of services may be directed to:
Phillip J. Ross, BME, CQE, ASQ Fellow
President
Quality Services International, Inc.
454 Skyline Drive
Lewisburg, TN 37144
Home: 931-359-9424
Mobile: 931-993-7544
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