R&D Engineer - Materials & POC Development

Abhishek Gairola

San Ramon, CA +1-857-***-**** **************@*****.*** linkedin.com/in/gairolabhi Portfolio: gairolabhishek.wixsite.com/abhishek-gairola

P R O F E S S I ONAL S UMMARY

Research and Development (R&D) Engineer with 3+ years of experience in experimental design, material characterization, simulation-driven research, and proof-of-concept (POC) hardware development across advanced materials and electrophoretic display technologies. Skilled in DOE, hypothesis testing, FEA, CFD, data acquisition (DAQ), spectroscopy, adhesion characterization, and cleanroom / pilot plant workflows. Proficient in ANSYS Fluent, ANSYS Mechanical, COMSOL Multiphysics, Python, and MATLAB for simulation model correlation and experimental validation. Six Sigma Green Belt

(SSGB).

T E C H N I C A L S K I L L S

R&D & Experimental: Experimental Design, DOE (Design of Experiments), Hypothesis Testing, Proof of Concept (POC), Test Plan Development, Technology Readiness Level (TRL), Literature Review, Data Acquisition (DAQ), Lab Automation Simulation & Modeling: ANSYS Fluent (CFD), ANSYS Mechanical (FEA), ANSYS Additive, COMSOL Multiphysics, Structural Analysis, Thermal Analysis, Compressible Flow Modeling (Mach 1-5), Turbulence Modeling, Model Correlation & Validation Characterization: Material Characterization, Impedance Spectroscopy, Moisture & Humidity Analysis, Adhesion Testing, Surface Energy Analysis, Tribology, Optical Microscopy, Spectroscopy, Pressure & Flow Testing Hardware & Fabrication: Rapid Prototyping, 3D Printing (FDM/SLA), Laser Cutting, CNC Machining, Cleanroom Operations, Pilot Plant Operations, Precision Assembly, Fixture Design CAD & Design: SolidWorks, CATIA, GD&T, Tolerance Analysis, Parametric Modeling, Technical Drawing Data & Programming: Python, MATLAB, C++, JMP, Minitab, Statistical Analysis, Automation Scripting, Regression Analysis Methods & Standards: DFMEA, Root Cause Analysis, Six Sigma Green Belt (SSGB), DFM, Technical Report Writing, Cross- functional Research Collaboration

P R O F E S S I ONAL E X P E R I E N C E

Mechanical Systems R&D / Validation Engineer - Alo Yoga, San Ramon, CA Sep 2025 - Present

• Designed and executed experimental validation protocols for mechanical production systems, applying structured test plan development and hypothesis-driven failure analysis to reduce system risk by 15%.

• Applied DOE and root cause analysis to characterize production system failure modes, generating data-driven CAPA actions that improved operational uptime by 8%.

• Developed Python lab automation and data acquisition (DAQ) scripts for experimental data collection and ERP integration, reducing manual data collection effort by 10+ hours/week.

• Produced experimental validation documentation, technical reports, and release readiness assessments supporting cross-functional R&D-to-production technology transfer. Product Development Engineer - E Ink Corporation, Billerica, MA Jan 2024 - Dec 2024

• Conducted research and development of advanced electrophoretic display hardware; designed proof-of-concept

(POC) test apparatus using machining, 3D printing, and laser cutting to support experimental characterization.

• Designed and executed a 42-point DOE adhesion and surface energy experimental study; identified critical process variables and applied findings to improve interface durability and reliability by 18%.

• Performed CFD simulation (ANSYS Fluent) of capsule fluid transport and flow dynamics; correlated simulation model against experimental data, achieving 41.7% outlet pressure reduction and 11% turbulence reduction.

• Conducted material characterization using impedance spectroscopy, moisture analysis, and optical spectroscopy to evaluate material degradation mechanisms and support material selection decisions.

• Executed cleanroom and pilot plant experimental fabrication, maintaining laboratory notebooks and generating technical reports for each experimental program.

• Collaborated with cross-functional R&D, design, and manufacturing teams to translate experimental findings into hardware improvements, contributing to a 9% performance improvement in next-generation technology. Design Engineer (CAE / Simulation R&D) - Internship - Simulation Lab Pvt. Ltd, Remote (Delhi, India)Jun 2021 - Oct 2021

• Conducted FEA and thermal simulation research on combustion chamber designs; applied simulation-driven experimental iteration to reduce thermal strain by 8%.

• Performed materials characterization and simulation-based materials selection study, reducing structural deformation risk by 36-37% in high-temperature components.

• Developed and validated CFD models for gas exchange and heat transfer, correlating simulation outputs against analytical benchmarks.

R&D Engineer - Internship - DRDO - Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, India Jun 2019 - Nov 2019

• Modeled compressible aerodynamic flow (Mach 1-5) using CFD simulation; performed model correlation and mesh refinement studies, improving aerodynamic prediction accuracy by 13%.

• Designed and FEM-optimized structural mechanical components, conducting parametric studies to achieve 11% performance improvement vs. baseline design.

Manufacturing R&D Engineer - Internship - DRDO - Solid State Physics Laboratory, Delhi, IndiaJun 2018 - Jul 2018

• Supported experimental fabrication and precision assembly of electro-mechanical research components; evaluated machining process parameters and developed improvement recommendations based on production quality data. R E S E A R C H P R O J E C T S

Powder Bed Fusion AM Distortion Simulation (2023) (ANSYS Additive, SS316L) - Simulated thermal distortion and residual stress in AM parts; correlated against benchmark data to validate simulation methodology (TRL 3-4). Heat Exchanger CFD Validation (2022) (ANSYS Fluent) - Developed and validated CFD thermal model using LMTD analytical method; achieved 10.6% error margin confirming model fidelity. Honeycomb Structure FEA Research (2023) (ANSYS Mechanical, SolidWorks) - Investigated stiffness and load-bearing behavior of honeycomb geometries through parametric FEA; performed mesh convergence analysis. Formula Student Vehicle - Performance Optimization (2020) (SolidWorks, FEA, DOE) - Applied experimental design and iterative structural analysis; achieved 10% weight reduction and 6% lap time improvement. EUV Lithography Mask Contamination Research (2023) (Cleanroom, Spectroscopy) - Researched contamination mechanisms on EUV photomasks; evaluated chemical cleaning methodologies for semiconductor manufacturing defect reduction. V O L U N T E E R E X P E R I E N C E

Project Manager (Volunteer) - Community Dreams Foundation, Remote (Boston, MA) Feb 2025 - Sep 2025

• Evaluated EV charging infrastructure feasibility, gathering technical and operational data to support community-scale clean energy program expansion and site selection decisions.

• Coordinated cross-functional stakeholder research and managed program execution for engineering-adjacent clean energy and sustainability initiatives.

E D U C A T I ON

Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA Dec 2024 Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi, India Dec 2020 C E R T I F I C A T I ONS & P R O F E S S I ONAL D E V E L O P MENT

• Six Sigma Green Belt (SSGB) Simulation: ANSYS Fluent, ANSYS Mechanical, COMSOL Programming: Python, MATLAB, C++, JMP, Minitab

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