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Sean Humes Age: 28


Choice Mold Components Clinton Township, MI


UNDER THIRTY S


ean Humes, a lifelong lover of all things computers, came to manufacturing for the technology. He stayed for the rewarding career that, he says, provides challenges, learning opportunities, and is “constantly engaging your brain.” Sean’s path wasn’t always clear. Sean’s dad, James, is the owner of Choice Mold Components, a shop that specializes in both standard and custom mold and die components. Despite growing up around manu- facturing, Sean wasn’t sure he wanted to follow suit. He started out at Michigan State University hoping to go into


the medical field, then changed majors to computer science. Eventually, he transferred to a school closer to home, and began spending more and more time at the shop, working mostly in the IT department. Something suddenly clicked.


“It just happens where manufacturing now is very heavily computer-aided, with CAD and CAM and all the programming and all the designing, and I kind of saw that transition,” Sean said. “It really just started capti- vating my attention.” One of Sean’s earliest accomplishments had a huge impact on Choice Mold. Initially, the shop was using software that only created 2D prints, and oftentimes, the dimensions would be inaccurate or the math wouldn’t add up. For certain custom components with very tight tolerances, particularly for medical applications, this created a huge bottleneck. Dimensions would have to be verified with the customer, parts would be scrapped, and time and money wasted.


Since Sean had a background in computers, he was tasked with researching a solution. He knew the shop need to update its software to a program that could also


134 ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com | July 2014


create 3D models. He chose SolidWorks, and quickly learned and implemented the program. "It actually makes sure that everything is correct. You can’t really make an incorrect part.”


“It just happens where manufacturing


now is very heavily computer-aided, with CAD and CAM and all the programming and all the designing. ... It really just started captivating my attention.”


Once the shop implemented the new process, all of the delays went away—and Sean’s dad has him to thank. “When I talked to my dad, he said that he would have never had done this had I not been here,” said Sean. Sean’s technology takeover didn’t stop with SolidWorks, either—he in- stalled GibbsCAM and CAM- TOOL, and he updated and improved the entire network


infrastructure, including the server that stores all of the shop’s data. His next goal is to go wireless, so programs can be placed directly onto a machine. However, Sean’s achievements don’t end in the IT department. After Choice Mold invested in a high-end CNC mill several years ago, Sean decided to learn every part of the process. “That was kind of the point where I said if I’m going to be a part of this, I want to know every side of it—all the machining, all the manufactur- ing, all the designing,” said Sean, “so I pretty much just said I’m gonna dive in.” Foreman Steve Peltier, who nominated Sean, agrees that he can do it all. He wrote that Sean “can be asked to program, operate, run, or setup a machine…manage the server, network, or one of the many software, build a new computer or fix an existing one, update the website or one of the social links or advertising online, help train a new or existing employee…or help in sales.” Despite Sean’s many accomplishments, he isn’t done learning yet. He says there are still processes for him to master at Choice Mold, and he’s optimistic about the shop’s future and the economy. ME


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