KEELARA VINAYAKA CM

Zircast ltd, taken over by Mactech Engineering in the year 2021 and was promoted as Operations Manager.

• Apart from Production and HR activities, managed purchase, sales, marketing and customer account operations efficiently
• Identified and resolved unauthorized, unsafe, or ineffective practices.
• Increased profit by streamlining operations. During the financial year 2023-2024, plant specific - a jump of approximately 61% in sales when compared to previous financial year.
• Negotiated contracts with vendors and suppliers to obtain best pricing and terms.
• Monitored daily cash discrepancies, inventory shrinkage and drive-off.
• Observed each employee's individual strengths and initiated mentoring program to improve areas of weakness.
• Implemented business strategies, increasing revenue, and effectively targeting new markets.
• Reinforced the operational policies and implemented process improvements, helped us sustain growth and also did ensure superior quality parts were produced.
• Negotiated the wind up of the Employees union and streamlined man power count.
• Working on a Smart Factory concept, this is to create a workplace that fosters a stellar safety work record, reduce idle time, minimize process quality defects and encourage constant improvements.
• Apart from ISO 9001:2015, the plant is IRIS and PED certified.
• As an OEM, data security and policies pertaining to handling customer data were defined and due infrastructure were installed.

In charge of Engineering, Production and Purchase at Zircast Ltd.

• Just in time production methodology was implemented - better cash flow and 20% improvement in efficiency. Automation was emphasized - efficiency increase by 23%
• Monitored team budgets to keep projects on task and avoid waste.
• Enforced health and safety protocols to promote safe working environment.
• Evaluated employee performance and provided feedback and training as needed.
• Infrastructure available was timeworn, maintenance program to cut down on down time were kick started and Machineries were redesigned to ensure spare availability.
• Unlawful Union activities were curbed and ensured employees fall in line per the rules laid out and Safety was given priority
• Vendor development - program to train our vendors on our requirements was initiated to ensure all incoming RM meet specification, helped cut down on lead time and also reduce man power in incoming inspection.
• Tool management software was implemented to capture the usage and status of dies.
• NPD Activities - ensured 30+ new items were on-boarded.
• Rejections were limited to less than 1.5% and to achieve the same - tree designs, pouring style, drying time parameters were all revisited.
• Statistical process control charts, flow diagrams and process documents were implemented, helped the team record data pertaining to every part being run in house.
• 3D print from PLA material to casting was introduced, this helped us with NPD activities and also be of service to our customers who had minimal orders.
• Heat Treatment and Magnetic particle testing facility was established in house.
• Determined suitable crew requirements, scheduled employees, and worked with human resources to meet changing production schedules.
• Reviewed work for quality and compliance with company standards and design specifications.
• Created streamlined production schedules and collaborated with production employees to communicate objectives and goals.

• Interfaced between the Claremore ALS team and TCS off shore team in Chennai.
• Key Objective was to have the slips designed and manufactured through investment casting (IVC) process, previously machined from a bar stock.
• Trained at the Baker Hughes, Claremore facility with an intention to lead a 80 member TCS team to help convert 750 + parts into Investment cast parts which were previously machined from bar stock.
• The same was proven within a span of 6 months and tools were developed for close to 91 parts.
• Worked on an initiative to have the TCS folks work at the Baker Hughes Claremore facility and vice versa for a scheduled period to ensure the culture of cross functionality and individual responsibility kicks in.
• Trained and coordinated the setup of the impeller and diffuser casting development team.
• Setup and trained the design and cost estimation team at the TCS facility to take up work on product costing specific to the casting development plus a simulation team was setup and trained on the requirements to take up work for the BH Houston Facility.
• Work on material development was initiated with the help of metallurgists in finalization of IVC related parts.
• Worked along with vendors on NPD and pushed them for improvisation which eventually led to production of investment castings using 'soluble cores', helping us cut down on the lead time and also emphasized castings are produced with no dimensional deviations per CT6 of ISO 8062.

• Part timed as a consultant for investment casting development and design.
• Worked for the UCA group as a consultant at their 'Accu-cast' foundry in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
• Educated the folks about the requirement Baker Hughes investment castings as Accu-cast bought over the Baker Hughes tools and machinery.
• Supervised the development of castings and ensured 106 tools were approved for production.
• Assisted folks at Bhoruka Fabcons and VR Brothers in their new product development.
• Also part timed as a sales executive to help secure orders.

• Was responsible in the design, build, and installation of a wide range of Hydro treating reactors for use in refineries.
• Designed the first ever swaged type reactor bed design and ensured the same was fabricated with no end issues.
• Coordinated with vendors to oversee equipment fabrication and casting development to ensure our end product meets a reliably high level of quality.
• Worked on Product development pertaining to bed designs.
• Was trained to design and develop Investment castings of valves used in hydroprocessing reactors.