PEOPLE WATCH
Manufacturing remit for Uguz
Fisker , Inc ., a creator of sustainable electric vehicles and advanced mobility solutions , has appointed Alpay Uguz as its senior VP of global manufacturing ( reporting to Chairman and CEO , Henrik Fisker ) from 14 July 2022 .
In his role at Fisker , Uguz will oversee the company ’ s global manufacturing as Fisker grows towards its goal of producing one million vehicles annually in 2027 . He will focus on lean manufacturing and innovative techniques to reduce parts , starting from the earliest development phase .
“ Alpay ’ s wealth of hands-on , global manufacturing experience will boost our already ultrafast development process , creating greater efficiency by incorporating the latest in new manufacturing methods ,” Fisker Chairman and CEO , Henrik Fisker , commented . “ Alpay and his team will integrate advanced manufacturing processes early
Fisker Ocean SUV .
MxD , the national digital manufacturing and cybersecurity institute in the USA , has appointed Berardino Baratta as its next CEO . Baratta , formerly vice president of projects and engineering at MxD , took up his new role on 1 July 2022 . Former CEO Chandra Brown , who is retiring , will serve as a part-time adviser to the organisation up to the end of 2022 .
“ MxD was looking for another inspiring leader , one who has the right combination of technology , manufacturing and public sector experience ,” said Mary Isbister , President of GenMet Corp . and Chair of the MxD Board . “ Berardino not only met our criteria , but he brings a wealth of institutional knowledge about MxD and insight from his prior experience in software and product development . His experience makes him a perfect fit to continue to lead MxD on the path of innovation , growth and success in the manufacturing industry .” in the vehicle design and engineering phases . We are developing a seamless approach from design to production with faster assembly times , ultimately providing high-quality vehicles optimised for cost and service to our customers .”
“ I ’ m excited to apply my knowledge of lean manufacturing deployment , new product launches and appreciation for innovation in Fisker ’ s fast-paced environment , utilising my cross-cultural experience working in China , Germany , the UK and the U . S ,” added Uguz .
Before joining Fisker , Alpay Uguz worked at BMW ’ s production facility in Spartanburg , South Carolina ( USA ), as the general manager of the brand ’ s SUVs .
Fisker brought its all-electric Fisker Ocean SUV to Pebble Beach Automotive Week at Pebble Beach Concours d ’ Elegance from 18-21 August 2022 .
The Fisker Ocean five-passenger , emissions-free SUV was at Concours Village , where visitors could see its latest technology and features . The Fisker Ocean is on track to start production in November 2022 at a carbonneutral factory in Austria .
The first 5,000 vehicles will be a limited launch edition Fisker Ocean One . n
Baratta becomes CEO of MxD
Berardino Baratta , CEO , MxD .
Alpay Uguz ( image : M . Mueller ).
www . fiskerinc . com
Baratta has worked closely with MxD ’ s partners and internal teams to develop , test and commercialise advanced Industry 4.0 concepts and manufacturing technologies aimed at increasing innovation , capacity and efficiency among U . S . manufacturers . During his tenure , Baratta grew the projects portfolio from 23 to 63 , including two Supply Chain Risk Alert projects .
“ Berardino has been an integral part of MxD as a driver of growth and innovation ,” said Chandra Brown . “ Under his direction , we were able to launch our Cyber Marketplace , a new tool to increase the cyber preparedness and compliance of U . S . manufacturers , start our Virtual Training Centre and exponentially grow our project portfolio ( including two supply risk assessment projects to improve supply chain resiliency ). He will continue to be an incredible asset and leader for MxD .” n
RPI sales and marketing director , Jim Palmer .
Measuring success at RPI
RPI , a provider of rotary measurement and angular positioning devices , announced on 4 July 2022 that Jim Palmer had been promoted to sales and marketing director .
“ Jim is an RPI stalwart with over 20 years ’ experience in the business . He joined the company as an engineer and worked his way around the company , giving him an in-depth understanding of its capabilities and potential . He was promoted from sales manager , where he was instrumental in increasing sales by over 60 % in the past five years , thanks in large part to his extensive network of contacts . More recently , he secured orders within a fortnight of Control , the international trade fair for quality assurance , the fastest this has ever been achieved . This process usually takes months ,” said RPI .
Jim Palmer played an increasingly significant role during the pandemic , helping alongside MD Peter Marchbank to steer the company through this very turbulent time as its key aerospace market contracted . Now both men will develop their three-year plan which intends to take the company “ into new industries and new applications .”
RPI recently launched two new products , OctoScan and TruMotion . Its commitment to R & D has developed a pipeline of innovations which will be rolled out in the coming years .
RPI is a major manufacturer of rotary devices , with an install base of over 2530 systems used for applications that include CMM , circular geometry , calibration , general metrology and scientific . n
. rpiuk . com