Meet Matthews, Lokeshwar Deenadayalan

February 10, 2023

Matthews Automation Solutions is a leading provider of material handling systems and software, servicing customers from two North American locations. Our Pyramid | Compass team in Cincinnati, OH provides advanced warehouse execution software (WES) and warehouse control systems that integrate islands of automation and balance work for optimum throughput. Matthews’ Lightning Pick team delivers pick-to-light, put walls, picking carts, and other light-directed systems from Waukesha, WI.

Matthews Automation offers exciting career opportunities to help global brands enhance their manufacturing, distribution and fulfillment processes with innovative warehouse automation including robotics, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and other state-of-the-art technology.

Meet Lokeshwar Deenadayalan, a Controls Engineer for the Cincinnati office.

Where did you go to school before working at Matthews?

I earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering majoring in Control & Automation after graduating from North Carolina State University, Raleigh.

When did you join Matthews and how long have you been working for Matthews ?

I joined Matthews Automation Solutions in Feb 2021, and I have been working for 3 years now.

Why did you come to work for Matthews Automation?

Graduating out of school, I was looking for an opportunity to be exposed to challenging and complicated systems. Matthews Automation was a great opportunity as they have been involved in many significant projects that have had a great impact in the warehouse automation industry.

What is the most exciting aspect of your career with Matthews?

Every day, there’s something new to learn and upgrade. Every project is unique and challenges the technical knowledge attained. Overcoming such challenges makes it the most exciting aspect of my career with Matthews as it helps me grow professionally.

What is the most interesting project you are working on right now?

Currently, I am working on a major project that involves interfacing with new equipment and programming a unique system layout. Also, I am working with the team to standardize our process to better optimize it resulting in increased productivity.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

Getting to work with multiple teams at different levels of the project. As I travel to different project sites, I get to work with various levels of personnel. This great exposure serves as an experiential learning in handling teams on-site in accordance with multiple disciplines of our company.

What is your favorite part about being onsite during a project?

The contentment attained at the end of commissioning an entire project, watching our customers delighted with the usage of the system that was delivered to them is immeasurable. It is a positive addictive feeling that serves as a strong motivator to work and successfully complete many more projects.

When we connect equipment to our software do we have a specific vendor we prefer?

The controls team is provided with different equipment based on the system design. The underlying expectation for our team is to be able to get a system work as intended by interfacing with various equipment. We take pride in meeting that expectation perpetually thus expanding our knowledgebase.

In your words what does a controls engineer do?

A controls engineer breathes a new life into the envisioned design of a system. Acts as a synergy between company, integrator/customer and delivers the result as expected.

How many types of sortation, conveyor, and sorter systems have you retrofitted/recontrolled?

I have worked on different types of sorter systems: Narrow Belt Sorters, Shoe Sorters, Wave Commander Sorters and other systems like Print and Apply Systems, Right Angle Transfer Systems, Slug Build Merges and have exposure to Loop Sortation Systems.

What do you think are some advantages of working with Matthews for controls?

I hold an unwavering view on the strength and depth of our team’s capabilities. There are experienced personnel in the company who have been in this industry for a long time whose counsel has conditioned and aided controls engineers like me to elevate to a better level. Needless to say, customers look forward to working with us for the quality of work and service being delivered to them consistently for years together.

Some advice for people interested in becoming a control engineer for Matthews?

There’s a huge potential for growth working as Controls engineer in Matthews. This opportunity provides a great exposure to different material handling systems, imparts an expertise knowledgebase, and supports you to be a better engineer overall. This role is often about problem solving, hence having an optimistic attitude can do wonders.

What interesting industry trends have you noticed in distribution and fulfillment techniques and automation?

There’s been a steady increase towards the shift of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) to help meet the demands in facilities with high productions as it reduces the time spent by operators on repetitive and manual tasks, thus increasing the throughput of the system.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

I am passionate about photography. I spend most of my time exploring places – hiking, trails all over the country and improving my photography skills. Admiring and capturing the beauty around us helps me build an emotional connection to nature. Read books / listen to podcasts on psychology.