1. Tell us about yourself.
I’ve worked in drafting professionally for 13 years, but I’ve been playing around with AutoCAD since I was 13 years old. I was inspired by a woodshop teacher in high school who taught us the basics of AutoCAD. I really liked being able to design what we were eventually going to build.
2. What’s your role at Woven Metal Products (WMP)?
The drafting department is essentially a gateway to our fabrication shop, and we keep all information and paperwork flowing to the shop floor. As the drafting lead and project manager, I oversee all the jobs for our shop that come in through sales.
Our department takes another person’s or company’s design and breaks it down into individual, buildable parts. We make it easier for the floor to translate their design into an actual product.
I also make sure that the work orders are clear enough for our fabrication team and put together for layouts for our computer numerical control (CNC) department. Eventually, with more training, our team will be able to program some of the easier CNC jobs, so we can help with more in the shop.
3. How did you get into this field? What interested you?
Throughout high school, I was interested in the medical field, but I was also very mechanically inclined. I took technical drawing classes and other computer-aided design classes and really liked it. I eventually attended ITT Tech and received my drafting degree. I got my start in the field designing and drafting tank products, design and repairs for an above ground chemical storage tank company and some other drafting work before landing at WMP.
4. What’s the best part of your position?
I really like being able to see the finished product at the end. It’s great to see your work brought to life.
5. How do the products WMP fabricates affect people’s everyday lives?
A lot of the products we make help power the molecular process of converting crude oil to gasoline. We wouldn’t be able to do a lot of essential everyday activities without it.
6. What’s a surprising part of your job others might not know about?
A lot of the parts WMP manufactures for oil fields in particular have something to do not only with the reactor process, but also safety aspects. We help provide a cleaning method for the reactor processes. Oil and gas production has gotten a lot cleaner, but most people don’t realize the amount of engineering that goes into keeping the environment clean. There’s a lot of forethought to the environment before a project is geared up, and we work to minimize byproduct and scrap.
7. What advice would you share with others considering a career in drafting?
Don’t hesitate and have fun with it. Learn as much as you can. Work on your visualizing abilities because if you visualize how something is put together, you can draw it. If you can draw it, you can draft it. This type of work would be perfect for someone who likes art but prefers to have rules with drawings.
Learn more about Woven Metal Products at https://wovenmetal.com. Follow WMP on LinkedIn and Facebook for the latest news.