Weld Engineer

Weld Engineer – Direct Hire

Location: Warsaw, Indiana
Employment Type: Direct Hire / Full-Time
Industry: Industrial Automation / Manufacturing

Position Overview

We are seeking a hands‑on Weld Engineer to support automated welding operations in Warsaw, Indiana. This position requires someone who understands the complete welding process—not just how to identify a good or bad weld, but why the weld is performing the way it is and what adjustments are needed to correct it .

The ideal candidate will be comfortable working directly on the manufacturing floor, evaluating weld quality, performing coupon testing, cut‑and‑etch analysis , troubleshooting weld defects, and making process changes to achieve consistent, production‑quality welds.

Key Responsibilities

• Evaluate automated weld quality and determine whether welds meet required specifications and quality standards.
• Perform and evaluate weld coupon samples to verify weld penetration, fusion, size, profile, and overall integrity.
• Perform cut‑and‑etch / macro‑etch testing of weld samples to evaluate penetration and fusion.
• Identify good vs. bad weld characteristics and clearly determine the cause of unacceptable welds.
• Diagnose common weld defects, including:
  • Lack of penetration
  • Lack of fusion
  • Porosity
  • Undercut
  • Burn‑through
  • Excessive or insufficient weld size
  • Spatter
  • Poor bead profile
  • Inconsistent weld appearance
• Make appropriate adjustments to welding parameters based on coupon and cut/etch results.
• Understand the relationship between welding variables and final weld quality.
• Adjust parameters such as:
  • Voltage
  • Amperage / wire feed speed
  • Travel speed
  • Torch angle and position
  • Contact‑tip‑to‑work distance
  • Gas flow
  • Weld sequence
  • Robot speed and weld path
• Understand what happens when individual weld parameters are changed and how those changes affect penetration, heat input, bead profile, spatter, fusion, and overall weld quality.
• Troubleshoot weld issues and determine whether the root cause is related to weld parameters, tooling/part fit‑up, material condition, consumables, equipment, or robot positioning .
• Work closely with robot programmers, controls engineers, manufacturing engineers, quality personnel, and production teams to optimize welding processes.
• Support weld process development, validation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.
• Document weld settings, test results, process changes, and corrective actions.
• Assist with establishing and maintaining repeatable welding processes for production.

Qualifications

• Strong hands‑on background in welding engineering, weld process development, or automated/robotic welding .
• Strong understanding of GMAW/MIG welding processes .
• Experience performing and interpreting weld coupon and cut‑and‑etch testing .
• Ability to visually inspect welds and recognize acceptable and unacceptable weld conditions.
• Strong understanding of cause and effect when changing welding parameters .
• Ability to troubleshoot weld quality issues and make effective process adjustments.
• Experience supporting robotic welding systems strongly preferred.Automotive, structural, fabrication, or high‑volume automated manufacturing experience preferred.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and willingness to work hands‑on with production equipment.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is someone who can look at a weld or cut‑and‑etched coupon, identify what is wrong with it, explain why it happened, and know exactly what process changes should be made to correct it . This is a hands‑on position for someone who understands the science behind welding while also being comfortable making practical adjustments on the manufacturing floor.