Manufacturing Engineer - Paint

Summit Polymers•Portage, MI

About The Position

This is hands-on technical work involving the robotic painting and manufacture of injection molded plastic parts for automotive interior trim. Provide technical support and leadership to manufacturing production teams with a focus on operational excellence each and every day.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or similar technical discipline OR 5 years of experience in an automotive manufacturing or paint coatings environment may be considered in lieu of a degree.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office software suite – Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
Independent thinking with strong analytical and problem solving skills.
Possesses the ability to gather and analyze information and make decisions from a limited number of choices.
A minimum score of 50 on the Wonderlic Select Assessment (Traditional Score of 26 on the cognitive portion).

Nice To Haves

Previous automotive class A painting experience
Programming using 6 axis ABB or Fanuc paint robots
Knowledge of various 1K and 2K paint systems (basecoat/clearcoat experience a plus)
Experience with paint spray processing
Knowledge of 2K mixing equipment (ABB integrated fluid delivery & IPS systems a plus)
Knowledge of lean manufacturing principles
Design and layout of paint spray booths and systems
PLC programming knowledge a plus (Allen Bradley preferred)
Knowledge of various thermal curing methods including IR and convection (UV cure a plus)
Surface preparation techniques including flame treatment and CO2 cleaning
Knowledge of paint chemistry and the ability to work with paint suppliers on usage optimization, formulation compatibility, paint performance, and quality problems.

Responsibilities

Responsible for all paint-related activities associated with new product launches including: Developing efficient and robust programs using 6 axis paint robots (ABB or Fanuc) to meet customer specs, maximize paint transfer efficiency, and maximize production throughput.
Developing paint processes for 1K and 2K waterborne and solvent borne paint systems using automatic spray gun applicators.
Working with external suppliers to develop paint racks that present parts to the robots in a manner that allows for optimum paint coverage while minimizing cycle time and paint waste.
Evaluating paint rack designs to ensure parts can be loaded and unloaded efficiently while ensuring operators are able to work safely and ergonomically.
Working with paint suppliers to ensure their products allow us to meet our customer’s requirements for dry film thickness, color, and gloss.
Working with packaging suppliers to develop internal WIP packaging that ensures safe, defect-free transportation to subsequent operations.
Writing standardized work instructions that are used to ensure that all operators perform tasks utilizing best practices each and every time the task is performed.
Analyze paint usage and cycle times to ensure that we will be able to meet customer demands while maintaining regulatory emissions compliance.
Continue to monitor and improve the above tasks throughout the production life of the program.
Support production teams with the daily operation of paint spray booths, robot programs, and paint processes.
Troubleshoot process or equipment-related problems and provide solutions in a timely manner.
Lead cross-functional teams in scrap reduction and continuous improvement activities focused on root-cause problem solving using 5-Why methodology.
Document lessons learned and share results of activities with peers company-wide.
Conduct daily process audits to ensure standardized work compliance.
Work with maintenance personnel to develop appropriate PM schedules for paint spray equipment to improve operational reliability.
Put together proposals to procure new equipment for capital investment or cost saving opportunities.
Investigate new opportunities to automate existing operations via PLC programming to improve consistency of results while reducing labor burden.
Other duties as assigned.