Nikhil Kakanavaram
About
Nikhil Kakanavaram is from San Francisco Bay Area. Nikhil works in the following industries: "Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing". Nikhil is currently Technical Program Manager at Tesla, located in San Francisco Bay Area. In Nikhil's previous role as a Product Manager at TE Connectivity, Nikhil worked in Detroit Metropolitan Area until Aug 2020. Prior to joining TE Connectivity, Nikhil was a Field Application Engineer II at TE Connectivity and held the position of Field Application Engineer II at Detroit Metropolitan Area. Prior to that, Nikhil was a Graduate Research Assistant at University of Wisconsin-Madison, based in Madison, Wisconsin Area from Aug 2016 to May 2018. Nikhil started working as Supplier Development Engineer at Tesla in San Francisco Bay Area in May 2017. From Jun 2016 to Dec 2016, Nikhil was Technical Program Manager at Cummins Inc., based in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. Prior to that, Nikhil was a Quality Consultant at Rockwell Automation, based in Madison, Wisconsin Area from Jan 2016 to May 2016. Nikhil started working as Product Design Engineer at Caterpillar Inc. in Hyderabad Area, India in Jul 2011.
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Nikhil Kakanavaram's current jobs
Nikhil Kakanavaram's past jobs
• Supporting the Americas region with automotive data connectivity products. • Serving as an opportunity champion for new business launches and growth. Responsible for promoting product information and TE strengths to tier 1s to convert engineering pipeline into business wins.
•Collaborated with Oakridge National Laboratories (ORNL) on the APRA-E ARID program for research thesis. Developed heat exchanger concept using 3D printed parts made with FFF and evaluated water tightness parameters. Employed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) & vapor smoothing to achieve results using Design of Experiments (DOE). •Minor in Manufacturing Systems & Product Design, with specialization in user centered design and low fidelity prototyping. Working knowledge in CNC machining, metal casting and injection molding.
•Part of the Model 3 global launch team. Evaluated supplier readiness for design stability and production ramp to support Release Candidate (RC) builds. •Supported tier-1 wire harness supply chain team in planning and executing new product ramps. Ensured component readiness by expediting PPAP process while staying within quality and cost expectations. •Audited manufacturing plants in US & Mexico to validate production processes. Managed harness movement within warehouses and worked with suppliers to contain, quarantine and rework defective parts.
•Worked as an interface engineer between design, production and quality control to maintain consistent product reliability. •Implemented statistical tolerance techniques using Dimensional Variation Analysis (DVA) tools and conducted capability studies with Minitab to monitor process consistency of manufacturing methods. •Managed product launches through ECOs, MCRs and VPCRs and was responsible to provide and track engineering deviations to start the assembly process. •Built new subassemblies from legacy components and developed processes in response to warranty claims for increased traceability. Engaged senior management in cost reduction projects for service and warranty parts and reduced production surge by 5%.
•Refocused manufacturing strategy towards quality improvement. Utilized DMADV framework to achieve optimum process and material flow. •Designed work cells using Kaizen, Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) and 5S principles. Applied theoretical concepts in daily practice and increased monthly throughput by 25%.
Product Engineering – •Worked on all phases of a product from concept to high volume manufacturing. •Provided technical support to engineering and was responsible for development of design concepts and manufacturing proposals for low voltage harnesses, engine castings and sheet metal housings. •Communicated design requirements to facilitate engineering launch readiness within supply chain teams. Documented CPI issues for current production parts and developed alternate designs to achieve cost reduction. Process Engineering – •Performed GD&T stack analysis for various NPI, CPI components and provided test reports on die improvements for high volume products. •Facilitated Design for Excellence (DFx) across Caterpillar Engineering Design Groups and created safety instructions, testbed procedures and design validation specifications. •Awarded Outstanding Performance Grade for 4 years in a row