Gohar Maqsood | Engineering Portfolio

Project leadership

Planning, supplier coordination, commissioning and workforce readiness.

Production equipment modernisation

Project type: Seven-figure CAPEX and production automation project.
My role: Proposed replacing three ageing production machines with one more capable CNC machine; engaged operators, supervisors, management, design and quality teams; led supplier selection, delivery coordination and commissioning. Developed training material, trained staff and oversaw preparation of operating procedures.
Techniques: Technical specification, supplier evaluation and negotiation, budgeting, project planning, responsibility allocation, resource levelling, stakeholder and risk management, contractor oversight and lessons-learned reporting.
End result: Commissioned and handed over the machine and automated parts collection system, completed PPAP for all three products, trained staff and shared project lessons learned. Automated parts collection removed the need for continuous operator attendance while the machine ran and reduced the labour required to operate it. Manufacturing and scrap-cost analysis forecast payback of the full project investment within six months, followed by approximately £500,000 in additional parts-manufacturing savings over the next six months. The project increased manufacturing capacity and was designed to reduce scrap costs and overtime. Contractor work was completed with zero reported accidents.

Procurement & supply chain

Engineering-led technical sourcing, quotation evaluation, supplier negotiation, purchasing controls and equipment delivery.

International CAPEX/NPI Machinery Procurement — China

UK Engineering Company, Tier 2 Automotive & Aircraft Parts Supplier | Production Engineer

Project type: International technical sourcing, investment appraisal and acquisition of specialist roll-bending machinery.
My role: Developed technical requirements and a business case, compared UK and Chinese machinery quotations, assessed supplier capability, and supported commercial negotiation and acquisition. Worked with Chinese engineers on tooling design and development of fit-for-purpose roll-bending equipment for stainless-steel profiled rings and segments, followed by delivery, commissioning and production trials. The work formed part of the employer’s capital-equipment and technology-acquisition programme.
Techniques: Business-case preparation, CAPEX evaluation, technical specifications, international supplier comparison, pricing evaluation, production trials, commissioning and cross-functional project governance.
End result: Sourced five machines from China for £125,000 in total, including shipping, installation and commissioning, compared with the lowest UK supplier quotation of £450,000 for the equivalent scope. This delivered an exact £325,000 one-time capital-equipment procurement saving, not an annual or recurring saving.

Production Consumables & Tooling Cost Optimisation

UK Engineering Company, Tier 2 Automotive & Aircraft Parts Supplier | Production Engineer

Project type: Engineering-led materials and tooling selection for manufacturing process improvement, supported by supplier coordination.
My role: Investigated recurring cracking of rotary part-marking stamps and assessed material and tooling alternatives. Developed an improved stamp-holder design and revised the material selection to reduce consumables usage and cost. Coordinated technical requirements and implementation of the revised tooling.
Techniques: Tooling specification, alternative-material assessment, engineering cost analysis, design improvement, trials and implementation.
End result: Redesigned the rotary part-marking stamp solution, achieving an 80% reduction in consumables cost after implementation. The cost reduction arose from engineering redesign and implementation; it is not presented as an 80% supplier-price discount.

CNC Composite Veil Cutting — Tooling Procurement & Monitoring

UK Composite Manufacturing Company | Process Engineer (Contract)

Project type: Tooling procurement, equipment reliability and production-monitoring improvements for a specialist CNC composite-veil cutting line.
My role: Supported tooling and supplier coordination for an automated cutting and collection process producing narrower finished veil rolls, typically seven or eight rolls from a parent coil. Negotiated a 15% reduction against a supplier’s quoted price. Worked with a contractor on embedded software to report breakdowns, machine efficiency, job name/type and operator identification.
Techniques: Technical tooling review, commercial negotiation, supplier and contractor coordination, monitoring-system requirements, OEE analysis and operational improvement.
End result: Achieved a 15% negotiated reduction from the quoted price. The overall project delivered approximately £30,000 in benefits from a combination of procurement savings, lower breakdown-related losses, higher machine efficiency and reduced non-compliance; the £30,000 is not presented as a procurement-only saving.

German CNC Fin Machine & UK Boxing Station Procurement

UK Manufacturing Company & Tier 1 Automotive Supplier | Machine Development Engineer (Advanced Specialist)

Project type: Technical acquisition and supplier negotiation for CNC fin-forming technology and an integrated automated parts-collection station.
My role: Specified and coordinated procurement of an automated CNC fin manufacturing machine from a German supplier and an integrated boxing station from a UK supplier. Assessed functional and operating requirements, negotiated equipment pricing, raised purchase orders for engineering projects, monitored supplier approvals and deliveries, and supported commissioning and supplier-payment checks.
Techniques: International and UK supplier sourcing, technical specification, negotiation, purchase orders, delivery coordination, PO/GRN/invoice three-way matching, RAMS and commissioning.
End result: Negotiated a 12% reduction on the German CNC machine and a separate 3% reduction on the UK boxing station, while supporting equipment introduction and technical commissioning. These percentages are separate supplier reductions and have not been added together.

D2 Raw Material, Chemical & Paint Procurement Optimisation

UK Engineering Company | Process Engineer

Project type: Raw-material and process-chemical purchasing optimisation, together with a separate paint-material improvement initiative.
My role: Reviewed procurement costs and purchasing arrangements for D2 steel billets and chemicals associated with the seven-stage chemical blackening process. Negotiated price reductions and price-stability terms with the principal supplier and established automated stock-level alerts to support timely replenishment. Also investigated paint requirements and improved paint selection and process controls as a separate initiative.
Techniques: Supplier negotiation, purchasing-cost analysis, material and chemical specifications, price-stability arrangements, inventory thresholds, replenishment alerts, supplier consultation and process controls.
End result: Reduced combined D2 raw-material billet and blackening-chemical costs by approximately £27,000 per year. Separately, the paint improvement delivered approximately £7,500 annual savings, and the process-quality blackening case study records £18,000 annual scrapped-part replacement savings. These different cost bases are not combined into a single total.

Engineering projects

Selected examples of project scope, individual contribution, methods and measurable results.

Technology acquisition governance — TEC212

Project type: Technology acquisition, capital-equipment governance and production-readiness framework.
My role: Developed and implemented the TEC212 procedure to provide a structured, mandatory approval framework for introducing new machinery and technology into a UK manufacturing plant. Defined cross-functional responsibilities and the evidence required before equipment could be purchased, introduced and released to production.
Techniques: Technology and supplier sourcing, technical specifications, procurement controls, international shipping and import requirements, commissioning planning, process flow, Control Plans, PFMEA, CE requirements and marking, risk assessment, documentation control and cross-functional approval.
End result: Established a formal governance route requiring approval from relevant Quality, Production Engineering, Manufacturing, Design Engineering, Maintenance, Production and Logistics stakeholders. The framework helped ensure that new technology was technically defined, documented, compliant, risk-assessed, commissioned and production-ready before release into the manufacturing environment.

International technology research, evaluation and implementation

Project type: Research, evaluation, sourcing and implementation of manufacturing equipment, tooling and production technologies.
My role: Conducted technical research and feasibility assessment for equipment and tooling acquisitions, prepared technical requirements, compared alternative technologies and suppliers, and supported investment decisions. Worked directly with international suppliers, including multiple engineering visits to China and machinery sourcing involving Germany, then supported selected solutions through procurement, delivery, commissioning, validation and production implementation.
Techniques: Technology research, feasibility assessment, technical specification, supplier evaluation, cost-benefit and payback analysis, capability and risk assessment, stakeholder coordination, international sourcing, commissioning, validation, training and production-readiness review.
End result: Introduced capital equipment and tooling selected against technical, production, quality, safety, cost and operational requirements. Projects included German CNC production technology and Chinese capital equipment, with implementation focused on manufacturing capability, workforce readiness, controlled risk and measurable operational and economic benefit.

NPI and manufacturing readiness

Project type: Introduction of new production equipment.
My role: Led engineering work from equipment introduction through production readiness.
Techniques: Process planning, risk identification, mitigation and transfer, cross-functional coordination and KPI tracking.
End result: Met 100% of project KPIs and eliminated or transferred 70% of identified open risks.

Automotive NPI and process capability

Project type: High-volume automotive component introduction for a Tier 1 supplier.
My role: Worked from feasibility and manufacturing cost assessment through tooling design, manufacture and development; recommended a material specification change based on engineering calculations, then led process validation and production handover.
Techniques: Manufacturing and tooling cost analysis, engineering calculations, tooling development, PPAP, statistical process capability analysis in Minitab, FMEA, control planning, work instructions and staff training.
End result: Centred the process and secured approval after capability studies across selected profile and dimensional characteristics; the lowest achieved Cpk was 1.73, with most results around 2.0. Prepared production staff with documented controls and training.

Versatile metal-forming capability

Project type: NPI manufacturing capability and capital cost reduction.
My role: Conceived and developed versatile tooling, adapted an existing machine and commissioned the resulting manufacturing process.
Techniques: Tooling design, machine modification, process trials, PPAP approval and operator training.
End result: Enabled production of several product shapes to the required quality and avoided purchase of four dedicated machines. Achieved £350,000 in net NPI savings after tooling and machine modification costs.

Rebuild Machine Authorisation workflow

Full process lead time per RMA project

Before299 h

After79 h

Rounded values shown; underlying analysis: 298.58 → 79.45 hours.

Project type: RMA document processing improvement
My role: Led the project through the DMAIC stages, from analysing delays to implementing and controlling the revised process.
Techniques: SIPOC, Pareto analysis, value stream mapping, measurement and capability analysis, root-cause and hypothesis testing, FMEA, cost analysis and a revised standard operating procedure.
End result: After implementation, measured a reduction in full process lead time of approximately 219 hours (73.4%) per completed RMA project, with approximately £12,000 saved per project based on a full cost analysis.

Cropping die improvement

Project type: Continuous improvement of production tooling.
My role: Developed and implemented a cropping die improvement.
Techniques: Root-cause analysis, tooling review and production trials.
End result: Measured a 10% productivity increase and a 25% reduction in component cost after implementation.

Automated material feeding improvement

Project type: Quality improvement for an automated metal-forming process.
My role: Led the 8D investigation, redesigned the automated material feeding system, removed the existing system and installed and commissioned its replacement.
Techniques: 8D problem solving, root-cause analysis, mechanical design and commissioning.
End result: Confirmed the quality issue was resolved in production, with £76,000 in projected annual savings including reduced setup scrap. Lower downtime labour and nonconformance costs were additional, unquantified benefits.

Capital equipment sourcing and development

Project type: Continuous improvement and CAPEX.
My role: Led supplier selection, negotiation, engineering design support, commissioning and delivery to sites in the UK, Mexico and Poland.
Techniques: Supplier development, CAD design, roll-bending engineering and project management.
End result: Delivered five machines sourced from China for a total of £125,000, including shipping, installation and commissioning, compared with the lowest UK supplier quotation of £450,000 for the equivalent scope. Achieved an exact £325,000 one-time procurement saving.

Seven-stage chemical blackening process improvement

Project type: Process engineering and quality improvement.
My role: Investigated part rejections, consulted suppliers and developed material-specific procedures, work instructions and a defect catalogue.
Techniques: Process research, supplier consultation, procedure development and incoming and outgoing inspection criteria.
End result: After adopting the revised procedures, reduced part rejection and achieved £18,000 in annual scrapped-part replacement savings. Nonconformance handling and manufacturing delay costs were excluded.

Composite veil production reliability

Project type: TPM and reliability improvement for CNC composite veil manufacturing equipment.
My role: Analysed daily MES/OEE reports, prioritised causes of line stoppages and coordinated production, maintenance and suppliers through modifications, commissioning, procedures and training.
Techniques: OEE analysis, cross-functional problem solving, supplier coordination, commissioning and SOP development.
End result: Resolved recurring equipment issues and measured a 70% reduction in breakdowns in the first month after the modifications.

Mechanical design

Design and design-review work across equipment, mechanisms, tooling and assembly.

Automated window-cleaning robot: movement and actuation

CAD views of a movement and actuation system with cylinders, joints and suction feet at several proposed movement positions — Movement and actuation system independently conceived and designed as an MSc Engineering project contribution.

Project type: MSc Engineering design project for a proposed automated high-rise window-cleaning robot.
My role: Researched, conceived and independently designed the complete movement and actuation system as my contribution to a wider project. Planned and managed my work to meet the project deadline.
Techniques: Engineering research, functional design, 3D CAD modelling, calculations, simulation, DFMEA and project scheduling.
End result: Validated the proposed system through calculations and simulation, completed the design on time, and documented the work in a project report.

Bearing housing redesign

CAD view of a redesigned bearing housing with a bearing and retaining component shown separately

Project type: Mechanical design and equipment reliability improvement.
My role: Redesigned and commissioned a bearing housing for a space-constrained roll-forming machine; researched and sourced a more suitable bearing.
Techniques: 3D CAD design, component selection, supplier sourcing and commissioning.
End result: Addressed a bearing reliability issue, with £4,000 in projected annual bearing replacement savings. Downtime, maintenance labour and schedule effects were excluded from that figure.

Universal inspection fixture

Two CAD views of an earlier product-dedicated inspection fixture — Earlier dedicated fixture

Project type: Adaptable fixture for Equator and coordinate measuring machine (CMM) inspection.
My role: Designed and commissioned a universal inspection fixture for products of varying shapes.
Techniques: Inspection fixture design, adaptable workholding and commissioning.
End result: Covered a current range of 200 products without buying 200 dedicated inspection fixtures, and achieved £68,900 in observed annual fixture cost savings after implementation.

Rotary part-marking equipment

Project type: Production equipment redesign
My role: Redesigned a rotary part-marking solution.
Techniques: Mechanical design, equipment review and production trials.
End result: Reduced consumables cost by 80%, measured after the redesigned system was put into use.

CNC machine assembly planning

Project type: In-house machine manufacturing and assembly planning.
My role: Checked machine designs and planned the assembly flow for equipment built in-house by a manufacturer of machines and parts.
Techniques: NX12, design checks, assembly-flow planning and factory-layout work.
End result: Delivered an approved layout that made machine builds easier and improved the assembly workflow.

Mechanical Design Capability

Selected CAD views of mechanical design work. Further context is available in an interview.

CAD rendering of a mechanical assembly with adjustment handwheels — Mechanical assembly

CAD rendering of a perforated plate — Engineered component

CAD rendering of a base with a circular feature and several supports — Fixture design

CAD rendering of a circular housing — Circular housing

Approach

From an operational need to an implemented engineering solution.

Identify the need · assess technical and delivery risks · work across engineering, production, quality and suppliers · verify the result in operation.