Fractional R&D leadership for friction & gasket teams
Build dependable friction materials programs with a scientist who can walk the plant.
Dr. Shivaglal (“Lal”) Cheruvalath is the President of SLC Friction Materials & Plastic Laminates LLC. He has spent 34+ years directing formula development, DOE troubleshooting, and supplier qualification for OEM, aftermarket, and defense manufacturers across the US, India, and the Middle East.
Why teams call
Turn R&D bottlenecks into a repeatable playbook.
- Launch Euro7-compliant copper-free or asbestos-free formulas with a DOE plan tied to plant capability.
- Diagnose scrap, swell, and NVH issues with a scientist who stays on the plant floor until it is solved.
- Connect with qualified resin, fiber, and manufacturing partners across my US, India, and Middle East network.
- Translate executive goals into actionable dashboards, process sheets, and training for in-house teams.
- Provide board-ready documentation that proves the program is ready for audits and customer approvals.
Core engagements
Hands-on consulting shaped by decades inside OEM supply chains.
Formula & process development
- Custom DOE roadmap with mixture designs and response tracking.
- Bench, Chase, dynamometer, and vehicle-level validation plans.
- Release packages: BoMs, work instructions, QC limits, PPAP artifacts.
- Supplier scorecards and dual-source recommendations.
DOE troubleshooting sprints
- Rapid audits of materials, tooling, and process windows.
- Embedded DOE loops with SPC dashboards and coached engineers.
- Supplier coordination and lab correlation so fixes stick.
- Weekly executive readouts covering cost, risk, and next actions.
Fractional head of R&D
- Strategy that balances sustaining work with new growth programs.
- Mentorship for chemists and engineers on DOE, SPC, and failure analysis.
- Bridge between labs, OEM customers, manufacturing partners, and investors.
- Talent, capability, and CAPEX recommendations you can take to the board.
Industries served
Experience across friction, sealing and advanced FRP materials programs and conventional and direct heating sintering process.
- Light duty, heavy duty, EV, small aircraft braking and clutch systems.
- Industrial cutches, FRP wear pads, and gear-tooth facings.
- Gasket and sealing lines using compression molding, calendaring, or extrusion.
- Investors and conglomerates auditing technology readiness and unit economics.
- Startups needing DOE coaching, supplier scouting, and go-to-market documentation.
Highlighted publications
Research that still informs real-world manufacturing decisions.
Experimental characterization of mechanical and tribological properties of composite materials for friction-based force-limiting structural components
Quantified the mechanical and tribological envelopes of next-generation friction composites that need to act as predictable force limiters in safety-critical assemblies.
Overcoming an Inadequate Brake Lining Formulation: a Tutorial Case Study
Step-by-step playbook for diagnosing brake lining variability, mapping friction spectra, and launching a stable formulation for commercial vehicles.
Explore the publications archive for SAE papers, peer-reviewed research, and quantum chemistry work that underpins my approach.
Testimonials
Trusted by OEMs, conglomerates, and fast-moving startups.
“He speaks both the lab language and the plant language. Lal connected us with the right material partners, qualified suppliers on two continents, and delivered a friction wear pad that passed every field test.”
Dr. Chervualath was integral in the proper recommendation, selection and development of many friction materials. His knowledge helped solve many customer problems through innovation with new formulas. He was able to develop friction formulations to meet specific application requirements with his knowledge of friction systems. Dr. Cheruvalath was very helpful in sharing his knowledge to support better outcomes at all levels. His methods saved on costs while delivering superior results to customers. I’d recommend Dr. Cheruvalath anywhere his expertise applies.
How engagements run
Define the business goal, constraints, and success metrics. Leave with a scoped DOE or troubleshooting plan.
I lead the DOE loops, supplier coordination, and analytics while training your team on every step.
Deliver documentation, dashboards, and supplier handoffs so your team can scale without a bottleneck.
Next step
Bring your toughest R&D challenge.
Whether you need a single troubleshooting sprint or full fractional leadership, we will define the fastest path to data-backed decisions.