P / 01● DOCUMENTED
Hybrid Metal Matrix Composite
Aircraft Wing Surface Modification
+2.3%
Fuel efficiency gain
ANSYS FluentSolidWorksAl2024 · Si₃N₄ · Mg5 load cases
OPEN 3D VIEW→
N.R.K · FLIGHT 001CABIN WINDOW · SEAT 12A
ALT — 35,000 FTMACH 0.84 · HDG 087°
SCROLL TO DIVE IN
42.8864° N — 78.8784° WBUFFALO · NY
APPROACH · INBOUND
From CAD to cruise altitude.
CONTINUE TO PORTFOLIO ↓FILE — 24.0.7REV — 03.2026
BUFFALO · NY42.8864° N — 78.8784° W
Nihal ReddyKatakam.
Mechanical design engineer building hardware where CAD and FEA meet. MS Aerospace, University at Buffalo. Currently looking for full-time roles in aerospace and robotics hardware.
STATUSAVAILABLE FOR HIRE
FOCUSCAD · FEA · DfM
STACKSOLIDWORKS · CATIA · ANSYS
SCROLL
PORTFOLIO — REV 1.0SYSTEM ONLINE
01—— About
The work I'm proudest of sits where geometry has to change because the stress concentrations told you to — not because the spec changed.
I'm a mechanical design engineer finishing an MS in Aerospace at the University at Buffalo. Day-to-day, I live in SolidWorks, CATIA V5, Fusion 360, AutoCAD, and Autodesk Inventor — turning concepts into production-ready parts through tight CAD–FEA loops in ANSYS Workbench for structural, thermal, and modal validation.
I'm comfortable owning a part from sketch to validated assembly: parametric modeling, multi-body assemblies, surface and sheet-metal workflows, drawings with full GD&T, and DfM-driven material and tolerance trade-offs. My background spans UAV airframes, CubeSat structures, metal-matrix composite wings, miniaturized strain sensors, and pneumatic radial engines — different scales, same engineering loop.
I work best inside cross-functional teams — partnering with simulation engineers on FEA handoffs, with manufacturing on tolerance reviews, and with electronics teams on avionics integration. Reliable in iteration, direct in design reviews, and focused on shipping hardware that has to survive a real load case.
DEGREES
2
MS · BT Aerospace
INTERNSHIPS
6
CAD · FEA · Propulsion
TOOLS
08+
SOLIDWORKS, CATIA, ANSYS…
FOCUS
Hardware
Aerospace · Robotics
SOLIDWORKSCATIA V5FUSION 360AUTOCADAUTODESK INVENTORANSYS WORKBENCHANSYS FLUENTMATLAB★FEACFDMODAL ANALYSISDFMGD&TPROTOTYPING
SOLIDWORKSCATIA V5FUSION 360AUTOCADAUTODESK INVENTORANSYS WORKBENCHANSYS FLUENTMATLAB★FEACFDMODAL ANALYSISDFMGD&TPROTOTYPING
02—— Trajectory
Education & experience — the path to making things that have to work.
An MS in Aerospace at the University at Buffalo, a B.Tech from Karunya, and six internships spanning UAV airframes, CubeSat structures, propulsion research, composite wings, and engine assemblies.
DEGREES
MS · B.Tech
INTERNSHIPS
06
EDUCATION
- Jan 2024 — May 2025EDUCATION· Buffalo, NY
University at Buffalo
MS · Aerospace Engineering
- Graduate coursework in structural mechanics, propulsion, and aerodynamics
- Focus on CAD-driven design validation through FEA
- Jul 2019 — Jul 2023EDUCATION· India
Karunya Institute of Technology
B.Tech · Aerospace Engineering
- Undergraduate degree in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
- Jul — Aug 2021INTERNSHIP· India
Brahmastra Aerospace Systems
Project Intern
- Developed quadcopter UAV for area surveillance
- Simulated component feasibility in Autodesk Inventor
- Ensured aerospace standards compliance for project integrity
- Apr — Aug 2021INTERNSHIP· Remote · India
Indian Space Society
Propulsion System Intern
- Researched electric propulsion technologies
- Studied instability-induced electron transport in magnetic nozzles
- Explored efficiency and control concepts for future thrusters
- Apr — Aug 2021INTERNSHIP· India
1Stop.ai
Mechanical Project Simulation Intern
- Designed three production-ready parts in SOLIDWORKS and CATIA V5
- Simulated stress, modal, and thermal performance in ANSYS Workbench across three structural designs
- Led Friction Drilling study — bush formation and von Mises stress — informing 0.7% process improvement
- Optimised sandwich panel by benchmarking two core materials; strength-to-weight ratio one-third of steel
- May — Jun 2021INTERNSHIP· India
Verzeo
AutoCAD / Mechanical Design Intern
- Built 2D/3D mechanical assemblies in AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor
- Designed and assembled a Six-Cylinder Radial Engine — 20+ mating parts in CATIA V5 with zero interference checks
- Resolved design and assembly conflicts during project execution
- Oct 2020 — Mar 2021INTERNSHIP· Gujarat, India
OmSpace Rocket & Exploration
Campus Ambassador
- Primary liaison between company and university
- Reached 500+ students through social media campaigns
- Contributed to 30% increase in event participation
- Apr — May 2020INTERNSHIP· Vijayawada, India
NPSHAT Systems PVT. LTD
Satellite Design Intern
- Designed CubeSat structural frame in SolidWorks and Fusion 360, satisfying launch load requirements and passing material testing
- Simulated microstrip patch antenna parameters, impedance, and phase variation in MATLAB
- Characterized signal response across 6 dB gain for satellite communication systems
03—— Portfolio
Selected work, interactive.
Click any card to open the 3D model viewer — drag to rotate, scroll to zoom. CAD files exported from SolidWorks, CATIA, and Fusion 360.
P / 02● DOCUMENTED
Miniaturized Wearable Strain Sensor
Infant Respiratory Monitoring
+200%
Strain sensitivity vs flat
CATIA V5Sensor DesignBiomechanics
OPEN 3D VIEW→
P / 03● DOCUMENTED
Modular High-Precision 3D Printer
Aluminum-Extrusion Frame & FEA Validation
0.2 mm
Positional accuracy
SolidWorksAutoCADFEA
OPEN 3D VIEW→
P / 04● DOCUMENTED
Six-Cylinder Radial Engine
Pneumatic Assembly · 20+ Mating Parts
0
Interference checks
CATIA V5InventorAssembly
OPEN 3D VIEW→
P / 05● DOCUMENTED
CubeSat Structural Platform
Frame Design & Launch-Load Validation
SolidWorksFusion 360Structural
OPEN 3D VIEW→
P / 06● QUEUED
Quadcopter UAV — Surveillance Platform
Avionics Integration & Airframe Design
SolidWorksInventorUAV
OPEN 3D VIEW→
04—— Contact
Let's build something.
LOCATED
Buffalo, New York
42.8864° N — 78.8784° W
LOOKING FOR
Full-time mechanical / hardware engineering roles in aerospace, automotive, robotics, and consumer hardware. Open to relocation.
PROFICIENT IN
SOLIDWORKSCATIA V5ANSYS FEAFUSION 360AUTODESK INVENTORGD&TDFMMATLAB
NIHAL REDDY KATAKAM · REV 1.0 · 2026