Sandipta Kumar Rana | OEE, Predictive Maintenance & Automation Expert

About

Most manufacturing plants still run maintenance on gut feel — I've spent 12+ years building the systems that replace guesswork with data.

Across CEAT Limited, Apollo Tyres, and Kokusai, I've worked hands-on with OEE improvement, preventive and predictive maintenance program design, PLC/SCADA systems, servo and VFD systems, industrial networking, TPM execution, and MES/OT integration for real-time plant visibility.

Based in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Open to consulting conversations and collaboration globally.

Where I Can Help

OEE Improvement

Identifying and closing the real gaps between rated and actual equipment output.

Predictive & Preventive Maintenance

Designing maintenance programs built on RCA and reliability data, not fixed schedules.

PLC/SCADA & Automation Troubleshooting

Hands-on diagnosis of automation and control issues, from servo/VFD systems to industrial networking.

MES / OT Integration

Connecting plant-floor equipment to real-time visibility systems for better decisions.

Track Record

CEAT Limited

Manager – EEI & Automation

SEP 2023 — PRESENT · NAGPUR, INDIA

Leading a team of 20 across a 210+ machine fleet, driving preventive maintenance and electrical engineering operations to maximize plant reliability
Led an RCA and Reliability Engineering initiative that reduced average monthly breakdowns in the Final Finish area from 2,400 to 530 (~78%) over 2 years
Identified and debottlenecked critical equipment constraints in the Final Finish area, contributing to a production increase from 58,000 to 82,000 tyres (~41%)
Directed implementation of MES and targeted automation upgrades to improve production consistency and real-time visibility

Kokusai, Inc.

Electrical Engineer

APR 2018 — SEP 2023 · INDIA

Diagnosed a critical servo braking issue causing repeated ball screw failures within 3–6 months — a safety and reliability risk — and resolved it through a precise servo parameter correction, eliminating recurring failures and improving machine safety across the customer's fleet
Built deep cross-platform PLC expertise through hands-on work across multiple customers and balancing machine types

Apollo Tyres Ltd

Electrical Engineer

DEC 2014 — APR 2018 · CHENNAI, INDIA

Built foundational expertise in tyre manufacturing electrical systems, plant maintenance operations, and industrial troubleshooting — the base for a 12+ year career in reliability engineering and automation

Case Study — The Servo Brake Fix

A three-year-old problem the team hadn't solved. Fixed with one parameter change.

PROBLEM

A balancing machine's servo brake was causing repeated ball screw failures within just 3–6 months of operation — a recurring safety and reliability risk that had persisted across the customer's fleet for three years.

DIAGNOSIS

Instead of treating each failure as a standalone mechanical issue, I traced the pattern back to how the servo was commanded to stop — specifically, its behavior during emergency and standard stop commands.

FIX

A precise servo parameter change ensured the servo stopped immediately on an emergency or stop command, removing the mechanical stress that had been silently destroying the ball screw over time.

RESULT

Recurring ball screw failures stopped. Machine safety and reliability improved across the customer's fleet — solved through detail-level analysis, not a costly redesign.