YINGJIE LU
Summary
Highly accomplished and results-driven materials engineer with progressive experience in advanced metal powder development, material design for large-scale cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM), and comprehensive materials characterization. Proven track record of leading complex R&D projects from concept to commercialization, delivering significant revenue growth, and building strategic partnerships. Adept at cross-functional collaboration, effectively communicating with managers, engineers, technicians, and operators. Expertise in metallurgy, powder metallurgy, heat treatment design, and sophisticated analytical techniques (SEM/EDS, XRF), with a strong foundation in data analysis. A responsible, reliable, and self-motivated professional committed to continuous learning and team efficiency, always aligning R&D efforts with revenue generation goals.
Overview
2
2
years of professional experience
Work History
Materials Engineer III
Solvus Global
Worcester, MA
10.2023 - Current
- Led two concurrent, high-priority R&D projects for novel metal powder development for cold spray AM applications, delivering market-ready products within a challenging 14-month timeframe by driving the entire process from concept to product.
- Driving high-stakes R&D within advanced manufacturing, including key roles on two DARPA-funded projects. Proven expert in navigating extreme technical ambiguity to bridge the gap between executive strategy and engineering execution. By partnering closely with project leadership, I specialize in translating complex requirements into actionable milestones and streamlining workflows through rigorous budget management and scope control. Leveraging a deep foundation in Materials Science and Cold Spray hardware optimization, I accelerated R&D timelines through proactive self-learning and cross-functional collaboration. A strategic coordinator focused on resource efficiency and the delivery of high-value, multidisciplinary engineering solutions.
- Drove significant revenue generation for the company, partner company, and key customers through successful product launch and adoption.
- Cultivated strong, collaborative relationships with a partner company, facilitating seamless R&D coordination and commercialization, demonstrating exceptional communication skills.
- Spearheaded the development of an XRF testing methodology project, creating multiple XRF testing standards for diverse materials including metal powder, powder blends, ceramic powder, and acidic liquid.
- Gained extensive hands-on experience with polymer binding, chemical leaching, and electroplating processes to enhance material properties and performance for AM feedstock.
- Applied in-depth knowledge of heat treatment design for various alloys for AM, optimizing material properties and performance across multiple manufacturing processes, leveraging core principles of metallurgy and powder metallurgy.
- Biweekly oral and quarterly written reporting to internal and external customers. Maintaining accurate and up-to-date documentation to address customer requirements.
Education
M.S. - Materials Science and Engineering
University of Illinois Chicago
05.2023
Skills
- Materials Development for Additive Manufacturing: metal powder and ceramic powder development, spray drying, ball milling, electroplating, chemical leaching
- Metallurgy & Processing: Powder Metallurgy, Heat Treatment Design, Process-Structure-Property Relationships, Phase Transformation, Sintering, Forging, Casting, Manufacturing Process Integration
- Materials Characterization: SEM, EDS, XRF (Development & Standardization), micro-hardness testing, Optical Microscopy, ONH analysis, nanoindentation
- Analytical & Data: Data Analysis, Root Cause Analysis, Problem Solving
- Project & Leadership: R&D Project Leadership, DARPA projects, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Strategic Partnership Management, Budget Management, Technical Communication, Team Mentorship
- Standards & Compliance: ASTM Standards (E8, Metal Powder Standards), Quality Control
- Software: Thermo-Calc, Python, Microsoft, Outlook, AirTable, Slack
Awards And Acknowledgements
- The cold spray material development project was highlighted in CSAT 2024 as part of 'High performance Cold Spray AM Materials'.
- Presented in TMS 2023 about 'Measurement of transformation stress in metastable high entropy alloys by spherical nanoindentation'.
- Final project in Statistical Thermodynamic class was selected as the best course project.
Timeline
Materials Engineer III
Solvus Global
10.2023 - Current
M.S. - Materials Science and Engineering
University of Illinois Chicago