Projects
A portfolio of engineering and software projects spanning capital programme delivery, industrial automation, and full-stack development - reflecting experience across safety-critical manufacturing environments, independent consultancy, and personal projects.
Featured Projects
OTA Programming Platform
A platform that allows users to program their devices over the air. It is intended for hobby IoT devices.
This Website - Full-Stack Portfolio Platform
A full-stack personal portfolio and project management platform developed with SvelteKit, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS. The application is hosted in a Docker-containerised environment backed by a self-managed PostgreSQL database, providing full control over the data layer and deployment pipeline without reliance on third-party managed services. Security is implemented through a custom RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) system built with Drizzle ORM, structuring permissions at the role level and enforcing access server-side via SvelteKit hooks and server load functions - for example, gating admin pages and unpublished content behind authentication guards. Session management is handled server-side using signed cookies, with validation and renewal occurring in the request hook chain on every request. The frontend uses Flowbite-Svelte for accessible, consistent UI components, with full dark/light mode support and responsive layouts throughout. Internationalisation is powered by Paraglide JS, supporting five languages: English, German, Spanish, French, and Mandarin. Per-route SEO meta tags are applied across all public pages. Project content is structured to support progressive expansion into full engineering case studies, with fields for problem definition, approach, outcomes, and reflections.
BS 7671 Cable Retention System
Led a cross-functional engineering project developing a BS 7671-compliant cable retention solution for a high-volume manufacturing environment, forecasting a reduction in safety-critical cable failures of over 70%. The methodology was structured across three stages: a targeted awareness campaign to surface the failure mode across the production and quality teams; a formal training programme embedding correct cable handling and retention standards; and a Poka-Yoke-informed designed-out solution using Autodesk Inventor to eliminate the failure mode by design. Managed CAPEX planning, design documentation, and stakeholder engagement across production, procurement, and quality. Methodology fully developed and implementation initiated before project was placed on hold.
Industry 4.0 Automated Machinery Programme - PLC & HMI Engineering
Undertook the Engineering Project Manager role in the design and delivery of a custom suite of six automated industrial machines built to a client's specification. Responsible for system architecture, Siemens S7-1200 PLC programming in TIA Portal, HMI design, electrical panel design, IO-Link and PROFINET wiring, and field commissioning of the first machine at the client's site. Supported the remote commissioning of the second machine in an ad-hoc capacity following role transition. The remaining machines were successfully completed and delivered by the continuing project team. Part of a £750k+ capital programme that introduced Industry 4.0 digital process control into a legacy manufacturing environment.
All Projects
Python & C++ Industrial Automation & Data Acquisition
Designed and built custom Python and C++ automation tools for industrial manufacturing environments, including end-of-line test rigs, a real-time heat monitoring application, and a data acquisition system. The test rigs automated product validation by cycling heater units under load and logging time-series data: surface temperatures (°C) at multiple sensor points, heater cycle counts, power consumption (W and cumulative kWh), and thermal efficiency ratios - comparing measured output against nominal specifications to produce an automatic pass/fail result stored to CSV and a live dashboard. The heat monitoring application polled temperature sensors at configurable intervals, flagged exceedances against defined thresholds, and generated trend logs used for predictive maintenance scheduling. Delivered measurable reductions in manual test time and equipment downtime across the production line.
ECO / PDM / PLM System Implementation
Led the scoping, justification, and phased delivery of an Engineering Change Order (ECO) process within the PDM/PLM infrastructure of a high-volume manufacturing organisation's R&D department. The project was initiated following a business case identifying poor engineering change traceability as a material risk to documentation control and regulatory compliance. Stakeholder engagement was conducted across engineering, quality, and management to define requirements and secure sponsorship. The project was structured in defined stages: requirements capture and process mapping, ECO workflow design, a controlled departmental trial, and a structured review against the original business case. The trial demonstrated that the core benefit - end-to-end traceability of engineering changes - was achievable and valuable. A subsequent capability assessment identified that the incumbent tooling could not satisfy the full scope of requirements; an options appraisal evaluated the cost, risk, and resource implications of transitioning to an alternative platform and concluded the investment was not justified against current business capacity. At that stage, a formal review of continued justification determined the project should be closed in a controlled manner, with outputs, findings, and lessons captured and documented to inform any future change control initiative. The closure preserved available resource and left the organisation with a clearer understanding of requirements for any subsequent programme.
Nicholas Consultancy
Independent consultancy operating across two service lines: business and operational consulting primarily within the Utilities and Energy sector, and engineering consulting providing ad-hoc and end-to-end technical support to industrial clients. On the business side, engagements have included compliance framework development, supplier onboarding, complex complaint case management, and strategic operational planning - drawing on project management principles aligned with APM and PRINCE2 methodologies. On the engineering side, services have spanned PLC and HMI design support, through to full end-to-end machine development covering electrical design, mechanical CAD, control system specification, component selection, and cost optimisation.
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