Mechanical Design Engineer & Industrial Designer

Meet
Lakhani

Six years of experience taking physical products from concept to production, across nuclear energy, precision manufacturing, commercial refrigeration, and cleantech manufacturing. Trained in both mechanical engineering and human-centred design.

5+
Years experience
1
Granted patent
3
Degrees earned
SolidWorksFEA / ANSYSGD&TDFM / DFATolerance AnalysisFigmaNPISiemens NXCATIACNC ProgrammingPrototypingEngineering Change ControlUX DesignMaterial Selection SolidWorksFEA / ANSYSGD&TDFM / DFATolerance AnalysisFigmaNPISiemens NXCATIACNC ProgrammingPrototypingEngineering Change ControlUX DesignMaterial Selection
REF · 001
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Engineering Rigour

FEA-validated structural redesigns, formal tolerance stack-up analysis, and GD&T applied to production drawings. Designed for regulated, high-consequence environments where precision is not optional.

REF · 002
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Design Process

From hand sketching and concept generation through to production-ready documentation. Trained in human-centred interaction design alongside mechanical engineering — comfortable across the full design spectrum.

REF · 003
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Production Knowledge

Hands-on time on production floors across multiple industries. CNC programming, fixture design, build trials, and supplier development. DFM is a design input, not a downstream check.

I am a mechanical design engineer with a background spanning nuclear fuel storage, precision CNC manufacturing, and commercial refrigeration NPI. Across all three the through-line has been taking specific engineering decisions that matter: a structural redesign validated through FEA that saved $150,000 and improved strength by 8%; tolerance stack-up studies that eliminated recurring production defects before tooling release.

Alongside my engineering career I hold a Master's in Human-Centred Interaction Design, which means I think about how products are used and understood, not just whether they function in isolation. I also hold a granted patent for an original wind turbine concept I designed, fabricated, and validated from scratch.

MS Human-Centred Interaction Design
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology  ·  Figma, WCAG, UX Research, Prototyping
2024
MS Mechanical Engineering
Clemson University, SC  ·  FEA, Materials, Advanced CAD
May 2020
BE Mechanical Engineering
University of Mumbai  ·  Mechanical Design, Thermodynamics, Manufacturing
June 2018

Where I've
worked

Jun 2026 – Sep 2026
Manchester, UK
DeKiln Ltd
Production Engineer
DeKiln tiles in various colours DeKiln tiles installation at client site
  • Led the initiation of a pilot production line scale-up for ceramic tiles from 20 m² to 200 m² per day, across DeKiln's Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent sites.
  • Developed the manufacturing process for curing ceramic tiles at 35°C rather than traditional kiln firing, supporting a lower-energy, non-fired ceramic product.
  • Set up, operated, maintained, and optimised a 200-tonne tile press as core pilot plant equipment.
  • Designed and set up a 3m x 3m x 2m drying room for curing non-fired ceramic tiles, and designed jigs for production and testing equipment to improve throughput and repeatability.
  • Worked with vendors, consultants, and business partners to set up the pilot plant, including sourcing and vetting vendors and manufacturers to procure equipment.
Process Scale-UpPilot Plant SetupManufacturing Process DevelopmentVendor ManagementPlant Layout5S
Sep 2024 – Dec 2025
Pennsylvania, USA
Howard McCray
Mechanical Engineer
Howard McCray open-air produce merchandiser Howard McCray refrigeration unit — new product design
  • Led DFM, DFA, and Design for Serviceability reviews across the NPI programme, redesigning bracket geometry and rationalising fastener specifications to reduce average assembly time by 22% across three product lines.
  • Conducted tolerance analysis and stack-up studies on critical subassemblies before tooling release, resolving interference risks that had caused 2 recurring defects — both eliminated before production sign-off.
  • Managed engineering change requests from initiation through design iteration, drawing update, and formal release, maintaining BOMs across a catalogue of over 60 active components.
  • Led supplier development reviews, contributing to approximately 12% reduction in bought-in component costs over the programme.
  • Implemented 5S workplace organisation across two production areas, reducing tooling retrieval time by around 15%.
NPIDFM / DFATolerance AnalysisSolidWorksEngineering Change ControlBOM Management
Mar 2021 – Jun 2024
New Jersey, USA
Holtec International
Mechanical Design Engineer
Holtec HI-TRAN cask transporter — designed and value engineered Holtec nuclear spent fuel dry storage containers in service
  • Designed storage and transport containers for spent nuclear fuel using SolidWorks, producing concept designs, detailed assemblies, and production-ready drawings to regulatory standards across multiple projects.
  • Redesigned the cask transporter chassis through value engineering — replaced vertical support members with ribbed sections — improving structural strength by 8% and reducing manufacturing costs by $150,000, validated through FEA.
  • Designed ancillary lifting equipment including lift yokes, rigging arrangements, and transport cradles; performed structural analysis to confirm safety factors under various load cases before drawing release.
  • Developed a flushing loop system for large-scale heat exchangers (17,000-litre capacity), from initial brief through to final release in coordination with manufacturing and analysis teams.
  • Managed engineering change control within the PDM system across multi-engineer assemblies of 200+ components.
SolidWorksFEAGD&TValue EngineeringPDMNuclear / Regulated
Aug – Nov 2020
New Jersey, USA
Colinear Machine & Design
Mechanical Engineer
CNC machining centre on factory floor — Colinear Machine & Design
  • Developed CNC programmes for 3 and 4-axis milling machines to manufacture complex aluminium and steel components, consistently achieving tolerances of ±0.127mm across production runs.
  • Designed machining fixtures using AutoCAD, applying GD&T principles to ensure repeatability and part orientation across multi-operation sequences.
  • Performed tolerance analysis on incoming material and machined features to support root cause analysis on non-conforming parts, maintaining first-pass yield above 94%.
  • Conducted dimensional inspection using a CMM, precision gauges, and dial indicators to verify drawing conformance.
CNC ProgrammingAutoCADGD&TCMM InspectionFixture Design
Earlier
India
Veracity International
Process Engineer
Stainless steel automatic bottle filling line — Veracity International
  • Maintained and operated an automatic bottle filling line; improved process cycle time by 15% by optimising alignment and process flow.
  • Identified and resolved sources of production error, reducing fault rates and improving overall throughput across the line.
Process OptimisationProduction Engineering
Earlier
India
Central Railway Loco Workshop
Engineering Intern
Diesel-electric locomotive cutaway diagram — Central Railway Loco Workshop
  • Investigated the pneumatic actuation circuit for heavy-duty locomotive braking systems, identifying leakages and design errors.
  • Redesigned bends of the pneumatic system in SolidWorks, reducing joint count by 25% and fuel wastage by 3%.
  • Applied GD&T concepts to improve the braking system geometry of the diesel locomotive engine.
SolidWorksGD&TPneumatic Systems
Earlier
India
Air India Engineering Services
Engineering Intern
Air India Boeing 747 outside MRO hangar
  • Involved in repair and overhaul of small-body aircraft; developed FMEA reports for turbofan engine blades.
  • Applied repairs and quality checks to turbofan blades to maintain shaft balance and aircraft HVAC systems.
  • Maintained BOM of repaired parts and assisted in assembly, reducing cycle time by 7.5%.
FMEAQuality InspectionBOM ManagementAerospace MRO
Earlier
India
MAHAGENCO GTPS
Engineering Intern
Gas turbine cutaway illustration — MAHAGENCO GTPS
  • Interpreted process flow diagrams of gas and steam turbines to identify usage of natural gas based on the state of the national grid.
  • Performed maintenance of gas turbines and all associated systems generating electricity.
  • Maintained control parameters required for economical and safe turbine operation.
Gas TurbinesP&IDPower Generation

Work that
matters

PROJECT · 002
SolidWorks exploded view of soccer robot — all components separated