Plant Automation Engineer

Overview

Vitro has an immediate opening for an Automation Engineer. The position will be located at our fabricating plant in Crestline, OH and is responsible for providing technological and electrical engineering support for a highly technical and automated automotive glass fabrication facility. The successful candidate will have exposure with and responsibility for process equipment, upgrades, new equipment installations, and other technological enhancements supporting the facility and manufacturing processes. Typical equipment supported would include unique process equipment, robotics, programmable logic controllers, vision systems and process computers. This position is a key member of the Engineer and Maintenance Department working closely with a team of Technicians, Engineers and Mechanics to design, implement, maintain and improve our state-of-the-art processes and serve our customers.

Responsibilities

• Support plant automation needs while continuing to develop new skills and expertise.
• Design automation systems with a high emphasis on safety. Improve safety of existing equipment.
• Identify recurring problems which can be solved by new ideas in automation. Devise and implement solutions. Write and modify robust PLC, robot, and vision programs to make process equipment function correctly and reliably.
• Execute small to medium automation projects, to implement systems including one or more of the following. PLC systems - processor, rack, I/O requirements. Robotic cells - robot selection, sequencing with PLC, programming and motion simulation, end of arm tooling, I/O requirements. Vision systems - required capabilities, lens selection, field of view, resolution, speed, lighting, I/O. Sensors - Evaluate and select the best sensors for temperature, pressure, flow, presence, position, or other process variables. Define and evaluate utility requirements.
• Interface with process experts, other plant engineers, technicians, mechanics, IT personnel, etc. to fully understand project requirements to develop reliable, maintainable systems which meet the requirements of the process.
• Assist with large capital projects. Provide automation input and support. Do hands-on troubleshooting and programming during debug, commissioning, start-of-production. Use sound engineering judgement on tradeoffs related to cost, capability, and timing.
• Participate in global Automation and Process Control Community
• Support Machine Learning Applications projects by providing necessary automation and interfacing with ML Apps software.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Automation Engineering
• 2 years minimum experience
• Basic understanding PLC systems -processor and i/o, wiring, PLC ladder logic, HMIs, basic troubleshooting techniques
• Understand basic automation circuit and electrical cabinet design, drawings, components, VFD motors, Servomotors, sensors, vision systems, robots, etc.
• Willingness to learn the basic automotive glass fabrication processes.
• Familiarity with computer vision systems.
• Familiarity with industrial robots.
• Exposure of automation-related safety concepts.
• Familiarity with manufacturing statistics, Lean Six-Sigma principles
• Ability to communicate effectively with operators, peers, management and vendors
• Ability to work independently and manage projects to established timelines.
• Good verbal and written communication skills for collaboration across multiple departments and levels of the organization.
• Microsoft Office