Azhar Vellore Email & Phone Number

Everett, Washington, United States

Pasadena, California, United States

• Characterized tribological performance of a host of dry film lubricants including sputtered, bonded, and nano-composite coatings on different substrates including stainless steels, titanium alloy, and aluminum.
• Developed a knowledge and test database of various dry and wet lubricants' performance including insights into relationship between wear-life, contact stress, temperature (cryogenic and ambient), failure stress.
• Utilized metrology and surface characterization tools including a 2D profilometer (Mitutoyo Avant Form Tracer), white light interferometer, and roundness/cylindricity tester (Mitutoyo Roundtest Extreme) to inspect.
• Anvil wear estimation using rotary pin-on-disk tribometer tests on self-mated custom 465 stainless steel in air and dry nitrogen environments for Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover.
• Measuring static, transient, and steady-state friction behavior using linear reciprocating pin-on-disk tribometer tests with Al-7075 interfacing with graphite filled elastomer and a fiber-glass laminate for Europa.
• Determining galling behavior between Nitronic-60 stainless steel and Ti-6Al-4V alloy in air, nitrogen, and cryogenic environments.

Merced

• Investigated the origins of improved wear life in Ni-doped MoS2 using experimental methods to develop dry film lubricants (DFLs) for extended space missions (NASA-JPL).
• Developed a tribological data repository for various materials (steel, titanium alloys), dry film lubricants/coatings (MoS2, i-Kote, Microseal) and surface treatments (anodizing, nitriding) for NASA Mars 2020.
• Studied tribology of 60NiTi (Nitinol) alloy as a new bearing material and characterized its performance under various greases including terrestrial, aerospace and vacuum grease lubrication.
• Investigated performance of low molecular weight polyalkylmethacrylates (PAMAs) as anti-wear additives in PAO base oil using tribometry and interferometry (Pacific Northwest National Lab).
• Measured and analyzed mechanical properties (indentation and scratch hardness, wear resistance) of novel materials including compressed natural wood, graphite-nanofibrillated composites, nano-grained copper and.

San Jose

Designed and fabricated a sealed enclosure capable of tribotesting in inert gas environment with humidity and oxygen tracking on Rtec’s Multi-function Tribometer. Also investigated the effect of different surface roughness slopes on friction behavior in a ball on flat contact.

Buffalo/Niagara, New York Area

Conceptualized and developed a new method of Additive Manufacturing process from the ground up. Current AM technologies suffer from weaknesses most importantly in production throughput. With this new technique, manufacturing time can be dramatically increased still maintaining all other advantages like high surface finish and mechanical strength. Developed.

Worked in materials management, for procurement of power plant machinery. Underwent induction level training in power plant functioning.

Vehicle Service Division Performed trouble shooting and root cause analysis of failures in commercial vehicles like buses, tippers (dump trucks), long haul trucks. Significantly reduced engine failures in air conditioned buses at a State Transport Undertaking by successfully investigating the failures modes and detecting the root causes (overheating) and.

Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Studied the effects of process parameters and heat treatment on the physical and mechanical properties of copper and silver coatings, developed using Cold Spray Technology. Discovered a correlation between inlet parameters and post heat treatment on these properties throughmicrostructural & mechanical characterization.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Mechanical Engineering

Activities and Societies: Student Member of Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE), since 2016 Served as Student Poster.

Master Of Science (Ms), Mechanical Engineering

Activities and Societies: GE Additive Manufacturing Design Competition

Bachelor'S Degree, Mechanical Engineering

Activities and Societies: Model Bridge Building Competition, Balsa wood glider design competition, CAD modeling competition.