Saurabh Chaudhari

• Managed over $20 million worth of production machinery as a process and machine owner, ensuring optimal performance and uptime.
• Developed processes for eyepiece fabrication, achieving a consistent yield of >99%, improving production efficiency and minimizing defects.
• Led the design and qualification of optical measurement systems and integrated optical KPIs across various assembly processes to ensure precise and consistent measurements.
• Worked with front-end-of-line teams and material vendors for material and process development, ensuring robust and scalable production capabilities.
• Designed and implemented custom machine vision metrology equipment with user-friendly interfaces (UI) for real-time operator feedback, significantly enhancing quality control.
• Conducted a variety of process engineering experiments (DOEs) and utilized advanced data analysis tools like JMP to optimize processes and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Led efforts to sustain manufacturing processes by creating and maintaining documentation such as FMEAs and value stream maps (VSM), reducing downtime by 30%.
• Introduced statistical process control (SPC) techniques and predictive input-output analysis, enabling real-time process monitoring and a 15% reduction in manufacturing costs.
• Designed fixtures and rapid prototypes (3D) using SolidWorks to support process testing, accelerating development timelines and reducing material waste.
• Troubleshot complex manufacturing and engineering issues using Six Sigma tools, root cause analysis, and methodologies like Fishbone diagrams, resolving recurring issues and improving quality metrics.
• Acted as the primary liaison between vendors and customers to ensure effective communication, on-time delivery, and successful process development.
• Collaborated with multidisciplinary engineering teams, including mechanical, reliability, and design teams, to monitor and improve product performance, leading to a 10% reduction in defects.
• Communicated eyepiece and equipment statuses to the manufacturing organization (MES) in real time using SECS/GEM protocols, JSON, and custom APIs for seamless operations.
• Established training standards and mentored entry-level technicians and engineers, fostering a high-performing team that ensured adherence to quality and process protocols.

Dissertation: Process development of graphene for gas sensor applications

• Developed novel graphene synthesis using plasma based dry etching
• Optimized synthesis process for metal deposition using E-beam deposition tools
• Designed photolithography and shadow masks
• Fabricated sensor structures and wire bonded sensor packages
• Developed single-step colloid phase method for nanoparticle nucleation on graphene surfaces
• Mentored students performing unit operation experiments and trending studies