Rudran Pillay

About Rudran Pillay

I’m Rudran Pillay, a Mechanical Engineer currently working as a Divisional Projects Engineer at Kingspan’s All Weather Insulated Panels facility in Vacaville, California. I specialize in industrial systems design, sustainability-driven upgrades, and mechanical optimization—contributing to large-scale improvements that reduce emissions, increase efficiency, and enhance equipment performance.Before joining Kingspan, I completed my Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Davis, where I focused on advanced simulation, autonomous robotics, and zero-net energy systems. My academic journey was preceded by a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Nagpur University, where I graduated as valedictorian.Professionally, I’ve held engineering roles across industries—from simulation engineering at FormFactor, where I validated thermal designs for semiconductor components, to EV design at Lithos Motors in India, where I led structural analysis and frame optimization. I’ve also led cross-functional teams, including as Vice President of my college’s SAE EBAJA team, where we built and competed with an all-terrain electric vehicle.With a toolkit that includes SolidWorks, ANSYS, MATLAB, Python, and MSC Suite tools, I bring both technical rigor and a systems-thinking approach to every project. I’m passionate about applying engineering to solve real-world problems—and always eager to push the boundaries of design, data, and sustainability.

Experience

1. Divisional Projects Engineer

   All Weather Insulated Panels

   Aug 2023 — Present · Vacaville, CA, US

   Led mechanical characterization and FEA-informed redesign of industrial cleaning systems, reducing component failures by 25% and improving fatigue life by 18%• Collaborated with operations and vendor teams to define manufacturing tolerances and GD & T standards, accelerating production ramp-up by 20% and cutting rework by 15%• Applied root-cause analysis and FEA-backed corrective actions, improving module reliability by 31% and yield by 12%• Developed cross-site FEA validation protocols and design standards, reducing model iteration cycles by 18% and ensuring consistency across facilities

Education

• Hislop College, Temple Road, Civil Lines, Nagpur

  High Secondary Education Certificate

  2015 — 2017

• University of California, Davis

  Master of Science - MS, Mechanical Engineering

• Shri Ramdeobaba College of Engineering and Management

  Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

  2017 — 2021