The capabilities and success of any company hinge on one important component- the people who work there. In a series of podcasts called “Meet Sandvik”, this industry-leading engineering company introduces some of the experts that make its products possible.
In one episode, we meet Dilip Chandrasekaran, head of research and development at Kanthal. Kanthal is a division of Sandvik that specialises in industrial heating technology and resistance materials, and its components have been used to manufacture many of the products that we take for granted.
“As a material scientist, Sandvik is a company you want to work for. I actually applied more than 25 years ago but didn´t succeed then, so I had to take the long way,” Chandrasekaran explains.
After returning to reapply decades later, now with years of experience and a PhD, Chandrasekaran began his journey at Kanthal as an engineer, and has since had several roles within R&D. Sandvik has a profound reputation within material science and engineering, something that has only strengthened since he originally applied, so Chandrasekaran was motivated to return.
According to Chandrasekaran: “I was impressed by the diversity and working with people around the world, and the different areas that people work in. Before I worked here, I had no idea of the breadth that this company covers.”
Kanthal has been involved in numerous exciting projects that have put this company on the map. One example is the recent involvement in building the world´s fastest pizza oven and receiving a prestigious sustainability prize for their electric heating solutions. Looking forward, the company continues to strive for innovation, something that the R&D department is integral to, as it drives the focus on what areas the company should focus on.
“I’m normally involved in developing projects and steering them, determining where we put resources to make sure that they go at the right speed and we get projects out,” explains Chandrasekaran. “I’m also involved in research, because we do a lot of external and internal research working with different partners.”
Capabilities such as 3D printing is one exciting area that Sandvik is working to pioneer, and it is engineering teams like Chandrasekaran’s that make these innovations possible.
For more information about Sandvik’s products and capabilities, download the whitepaper below. To listen to the full podcast, visit Sandvik’s website.
