Mechanical Engineer

The Position (Summary):

Perform mechanical machine design engineering duties, product design, product customizations, resolving design and documentation issues, with primary focus on capital equipment associated with the production of pneumatic tire components

Primary Responsibilities: 

• Candidates must be highly proficient in the following (Target a minimum of 5 years’ experience):  

• Given product requirements in parts per minute or meters/minute, calculate the required machine element velocities/rpms 

• Sizing, application, and sourcing of industrial machine components, including power transmission (belts, chains, gearboxes, bearings, motors), pneumatics (actuators, valves, piping) 

• Design of steel and aluminum frameworks, brackets, shafts, rolls, pulleys etc. 

• SolidWorks assembly, part, and drawing generation, as well as liner static and dynamic analysis (FEA) 

• Engineering documentation (clean, clear, and accurate): bill of materials, assembly drawings, sequence diagrams, pneumatic schematics, control device lists, detail drawings, calculation sheets, functional specifications, purchase specifications, installation/operation instructions 

• Written and oral communication with internal and external office and production personnel Design & Development 

• Critique/validate, improve/redesign existing, legacy machine designs and processes to be more durable, simpler, and cost effective

• Interpret, trouble-shoot, diagnose & adapt existing, legacy designs based on customers' requests & order amendments

• Originate new concepts in products and processes based on customer or market demands

• Bill of Materials and Drawings 

• Generate, issue, revise, BOMs, assembly, and detail drawings            

• Document revisions using existing Engineering Change Notice (ECN) procedure 

• Follow internal and external engineering standards and practices

• Proficient in properly applying constraints to manufacturing drawings (calculation of dimensional stack-ups, form tolerances, surface finishes etc.)  

• Knowledgeable in metal cutting and fabricating manufacturing processes and order of operations, as well as additive manufacturing technology

• Ensure safety

• Assure designs, components, and guarding comply with or exceed current global and individual customer standards

• Successfully operate in accordance with internal and external EHS guidelines as dictated by your working environment on any given day

• Provide the Operations department, including Production, support

• Clarify specifications with and aid in problem resolution for purchasing and manufacturing

• Complete assigned projects and tasks within allotted time and cost constraints 

• Provide customer support

• Assist customers directly and indirectly when machine operation problems or questions arise

• As necessary, attend bid review meetings and department meetings

• Estimate mechanical engineering hours given a project scope of work

• Complete required Safety and Legal Training as assigned 

• Other duties as assigned

Essential Functions of the Role: 

• Excellent written and graphical communication skills 

• Strong “eye for detail” and ability to fully document industrial machine manufacturing and operations using industry standard methodology

• Proficient in mechanical machine design for heavy industrial machinery 

• High level of personal computer literacy  

Design and technology Skills: 

• Estimate reasonably accurate completion dates for given assignments anticipate/communicate bottlenecks and delays 

• Provide and accept constructive design feedback 

• Delegate work assignments to one or more individuals 

• Complete work independently from guidance afforded during bi-weekly design reviews with the team 

• Debug/Troubleshooting: Collaborate with production and programming personnel to the end of bringing the system into compliance with specifications 

• Understand machining and welding sufficiently to estimate/optimize the costs of associated componentry 

• Understand machine controls sufficiently to collaborate with electrical and software engineers (sequence diagrams, control device lists, requirement for/mounting of sensors, accommodate wiring) 

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Software: Word, Excel, Sharepoint, Teams etc.  

• Tire industry capital equipment experience is a bonus 

• Ability to, independently or collaboratively, generate new or critique/validate existing/preliminary designs prior to release to production. Including but not limited to the following areas: 

• Power transmission design: rolls, shafts, pulleys, screws, bearings, couplings, gear trains, lubrication and sealing systems, etc. 

• Weldment design and detailing: structural section/plate steel, machine bases/frame works, joints, and associated pre-heat and stress relieving specifications

• Surface treatment specifications as they relate to: 

• Anti-tack (spray, plasma, thermal etc.) 

• Anti-wear (Hard chrome, hardface, and other engineering coatings) 

• Able to generate/critique detailed calculations and analysis, such as, time study, assembly stack-ups, stress/ flow/ heat transfer analysis, power transmission, material selection, related component selection

• Ability to generate and critique pneumatic system component selection and schematics, including sequence

• Ability to perform, standardized, risk assessment of industrial machinery and follow-up with proper and efficient mitigation schemes and designs

• Understands industrial machinery sequences and logic and can clearly document them for use by mechanical, electrical and software engineers and technicians

Applications Engineering: 

• Demonstrated proficiency with the design, configuration, and application of one or more of the Steelastic major product lines

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate within the team to convert customer requirements into complete (mechanical and electrical), organized, and accurate estimates for materials, engineering, and shop labor associated with the design and manufacture of industrial capital equipment

Project Support: 

• Provide machine troubleshooting support to production floor and field service technicians for new and legacy equipment

• Throughout the design process, effectively communicate and collaborate with Electrical Engineering, as well as other departments to ensure design integrity and seamless hand-off to Purchasing and Production

• Confers with Management, Production, and Sales to determine engineering feasibility, cost effectiveness, and customer demand for new and existing products