QUALIFICATIONS
- BE Mech (Argentina) – 2017
SOFTWARE
Mechanical CAD Software
- AutoCAD
- SolidWorks (Dassault)
PDM/PLM Software
- SolidWorks PDM (Dassault)
ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES
- Spanish
Nico Allende
MECHANICAL ENGINEER
Skills Overview
Nico brings a unique blend of hands-on engineering, methodical design, and project leadership to every challenge. With a decade of experience as both a maintenance engineer and a mechanical designer, he excels at bridging the gap between theoretical design and practical application. This combination of technical knowledge, manufacturing experience, and strong collaboration skills enables him to deliver robust, innovative solutions across diverse industries.
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PROJECT ENGINEERING – Experienced in managing projects from initial measurements through to completion, including compressor room installations, production line layouts, and plant renovations. Skilled at coordinating contractors, gathering quotes, and keeping stakeholders informed—even when working remotely.
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MECHANICAL & STRUCTURAL DESIGN – Designs heavy-duty structures and specialist equipment, from man cages for crane hoisting to forestry machinery modifications and steel mezzanines with integrated access. Applies safety standards and load requirements to ensure compliance and exceed user expectations.
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ADVANCED SHEET METAL & FABRICATION – Extensive sheet metal expertise for tanks, ducting, and industrial equipment. Optimises designs to reduce material waste and simplify fabrication, producing complete fabrication packages with detailed drawings and cut files for smooth production handover.
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PRACTICAL MANUFACTURING INSIGHT – A passionate machinist with his own workshop, Nico draws on a decade of troubleshooting and machine building to design parts and assemblies that are functional, manufacturable, and easy to maintain.
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SOFTWARE & SYSTEMS – Proficient in SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, and SolidWorks PDM, with additional experience in AutoCAD and TEKLA. Skilled in integrating digital workflows to streamline delivery, manage complex assemblies, and maintain data integrity.
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COLLABORATION & COMMUNICATION – Proactive communicator with a track record of successful outcomes. Liaises effectively with design teams, suppliers, production staff, and certifying engineers to balance technical requirements with practical needs and ensure safety compliance.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
I knew I was an engineer since I was 7. Technology and machines always fascinated me. Like many engineers I’ve pulled things apart at home to fix them or just to understand how they functioned.
I’ve worked with machines for the past 10 years and gathered a good amount of practical experience that reinforces my passion for machine design. My practical troubleshooting skills are a great tool I like to apply to machine design in order to make them as reliable and easy to maintain as possible. My approach to design mostly comes from the user/maintenance point of view.
On my spare time I run a small garage workshop (lathe, mill, and welder) This provides me with good insight on how things are to be manufactured and assembled. I also incorporate this knowledge to my designs. I’ve taken part in designs of agricultural machinery, general use trailers, torque transmissions, and hoisting equipment.
Project Experience
Custom Machinery Design for Dairy Processing
Worked as a design engineer at Vertex Engineering in Hamilton, solving site-specific design challenges for custom machinery used by a local butter and cheese manufacturer. His role focused on developing fit-for-purpose mechanical systems for dairy processing environments, with careful consideration of safety, maintainability, and environmental impact. The work involved detailed 2D and 3D modelling to produce clear fabrication packages, alongside close collaboration with the workshop team to support drawing interpretation and assembly, ensuring a smooth transition from design through to manufacture on high-stakes food production lines.
WESTERN ADDITIONS
Layout Concepts
Developed layout concepts for installing a plastic bottle blower to supply the line. Liaised with machine suppliers to procure accurate CAD to aid in the design stage. Concept included blower machine, compressor room, water chiller, conveyors, and services.
Forestry Equipment Design
Worked as a designer modifying diggers to be deployed as forestry equipment. This involved converting 3D scans into usable models. Redesigning skin components to be stronger and more durable. Incorporating safety components like fire extinguishers and designing an enclosure with sufficient ventilation for an additional oil/air cooler.
Also worked as a designer for a plant upgrade with various steel work projects including ducting, platforms, access ways, support frames, simple mechanisms and machine guarding. This required periodic effective communications with stakeholders to keep the project running smoothly. Extensive use of SolidWorks PDM.
3D Models & NC Files
Worked with TEKLA software preparing 3D models and NC files for structural steel fabrication.
Mechanical Design Support for Dairy Facilities
Worked on stainless steel designs and drafting for tank, ladders, walkways, railings, DSI, transport cradles, manways, ducting, and dairy processing equipment.
Pipe Stacking & Handling Automation
Developed concepts for automating plastic pipe stacking and handling systems. Incorporate concepts for coiled pipe handling to work in parallel with stacking devices. The job was managed from client premises with full access to plant and equipment to check and take measurements.
Access Stairs & Handrails
Design and detail steel mezzanine complete with access stairs and handrails to support factory equipment. Liaise with CpEng to provide PS1 certification. The majority of this job was handled remotely as the client had their new offices under construction. Effective communications played a key role in delivering this project on time and schedule.
Fabrication Drawings
Prepared fabrication drawings for aluminum accessways and platforms in accordance with client commercially available solutions. Extensive use of Autodesk Inventor content center, libraries and Vault. This project was entirely handled remotely with daily team meetings and teams chat to procure the right information to keep the momentum going forward.
Project Engineering Support for Plant Upgrades
Worked as a project engineer overseeing a variety of projects including the installation of new compressor, build a compressor room, preparing and revising production line layouts, gathering quotes, liaising with contractors and suppliers to arrange work and goods deliveries. Site measurements, modelling, and drawings for services piping and electrical installations. Assess and compare alternatives for packaging room layouts. Investigated boiler optimization issues and liaised with contractor.
Design of Piping and Ancillary Systems
Help in the design of piping, covers, brackets for various systems including fuel delivery, glycol cooling, and pneumatic circuits. Produce manufacturing packages, liaise with a larger team of engineers to ensure nothing is missed.
Forestry Processing Equipment
Design and detail forestry processing equipment for fabrication. Equipment consisted of a new timber stacker line for a big wood milling client in the South Island. The secondment had an initial “in office” stage and was later managed remotely.
Fabrication Packages & Frame Design
Prepared fabrication packages. Including PDF, DXFs and STEP files for laser cutting for a variety of stainless steel projects, mainly around access platforms, stairs, ladders, gates. I’ve also had to design frames to be installed in line with minimal disturbance to production. This was all done remotely therefore managing communications and expectations was a key factor in the success of the project.
Supplier Coordination and Design Support
I started procuring quotes and managing suppliers to finalize a project. My second task was to improve on the quality of the final product by assessing the root cause of the deviations. Finally, the client requested the design of a man cage to use in conjunction with their gantry to take on some building repairs/maintenance.
Fabrication Drawing & Modelling
Transform designer drawings into shop/fabrication drawings. Prepare 3D models, PDFs, and DXFs for fabrication.
Redesign of general purpose trailer
Modify design to adapt to new supplier of materials. Small modifications to increase bearing capacity of trailers.
PRIVATE FARMER
Sugar Cane Planting Machine
Determined the maximum bearing capacity of the previously design machine. Improve design to increase capacity. Modify design to reduce turning radius. Modify design to increase machine productivity per pass.
