Metal Casting and Extrusion Processing & Development Consultant

Expertise

• New material and process development for aviation, power, oil and gas industries.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing issues in forging, extrusion, casting, additive (3D) manufacturing for critical applications.
• Failure analysis and corrective actions for manufacturing.
• Process qualifications and approvals from customers for manufacturing of components for high performance material applications.
• Fixed process development and documentation to customer requirements for microstructure, mechanical properties and defect tolerance (NDT).
• Quality control and six sigma techniques for process improvements, cost reductions and yield improvements.
• Computational materials modeling to develop and control new processes.

Products-Processes

Materials

• Steels : Carbon steels, low alloyed steels, tool-die steels, stainless steels, and heat resistant steels.
• Nickel base alloys.
• Titanium alloys.
• Aluminum alloys.
• Cobalt alloys.

Forging Extrusion

• Hammer and screw presses.
• Open die hydraulic forging presses.
• Closed die hydraulic forging.
• Extrusion of bars, seamless tubes and powder metallurgy billets.
• Process modeling using DEFORM, FORGE3D and other software.

Melting Processes

• Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM/VIDP). Small and large VIM/VIDP.
• Electro-slag remelting - steels and super alloys.
• Vacuum arc re-melting - Steels and nickel base super alloys.
• Double and triple melting.
• Electron Beam melting for special alloys.
• Casting processes.
• Casting facility for investment castings.
• Large sand castings for large iron, steel and nickel alloy castings.

Experience

Undisclosed Company, Manager-Structural Materials Processing and Development, 2006 - 2017

• Team Lead of engineers and scientists for new metallic alloy and process development for GE businesses (aviation, power, locomotives, appliances, healthcare).
• Alloys included titanium, aluminum, nickel, and cobalt base alloys. Processes were additive manufacturing, closed die and open die forgings, melting (VIM, ESR and VAR), powder manufacturing and consolidation and machining processes.
• Developed process and materials to meet design requirements for high temperature, high strength components.
• Set up manufacturing processes for additive manufacturing and investment casting processes.
• Consultant to multiple GE businesses on Six Sigma process development, manufacturing cost reductions, failure analysis.
• Developed novel materials and processes to improve performance or reduce cost for GE businesses.
• Worked with government agencies (DOE, DOD, NASA, NIST and others) to develop projects.
• Submitted proposals and won multiple proposals of over $10 million per year.
• Led team to develop novel magnetic materials on government funded projects.
• Led team to develop computational modeling techniques to predict microstructure and properties of advanced nickel base alloys for high performance applications.
• Led team to develop digital process controls for manufacturing to predict behavior in serviced parts.
• Recruited and mentored new engineers and scientists to become world class performers.

GE Power, Schenectady, NY, Technical Leader, Materials-Processes Engineering, 1991 - 2006

• Led team of engineers to develop novel nickel, titanium, aluminum and iron base alloy forgings for critical rotating parts for medium and large gas turbines.
• Responsible for development of material and specifications, quality control, Testing (NDT and mechanical).
• Worked with worldwide vendor base to develop and qualify production processes.
• Extensive knowledge of world-wide vendor base to manufacture components for turbine applications.
• Introduced cost reductions of $1 million through process improvements and better control. Implemented six sigma techniques to achieve goals.
• Developed new vacuum melting processes for advanced alloys to produce defect free nickel base alloys.
• Failure analysis of fielded components and repair development of parts.
• Introduction of alternative materials and/or manufacturing techniques to reduce cost.
• Set up facility for a development foundry for investment casting of complex components.

Wyman Gordon (PCC Forged Products), Houston, TX, Senior Metallurgist,1984 - 1991

• Developed forging and extrusion process for customer specified materials and specifications.
• Reduced costs of manufacturing through process changes and innovations in manufacturing techniques.

Honors & Publications

Credentials

Quality and Computational

• Six sigma leader
• Defined quality requirements
• Modeling and simulation of forging, extrusion, casting and heat treat processes.
• Integration of modeling and quality processes to improve yield and reduce cost.

Technologies

• Special processes to improve component performance including shot peening, laser peening, and coatings.
• Knowledge of NDT test methods.
• Expertise in repair process like welding, brazing, surface finishing and others.
• Ring rolling of aviation and turbine components.

Languages

• Hindi
• Tamil

Academic and Professional Affiliations

• American Society of Materials (ASM)
• The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS)
• Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing- America Makes

Awards

• New alloy introduction for Aero engines. ASM International
• Multiple other company internal awards for six sigma applications in processing, new materials introduction and innovations.

Publications and Patents

• Author and Co-Author of numerous publications in scientific magazines and presentations.
• Inventor of a dozen U.S. Patents.

Education

• Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
• B.S. Metallurgical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India