Controls Engineer

Major and well established company with a good working culture as well as a very high market share within the mix of what they manufacture is looking for a Controls Engineer. Will work at their manufacturing facility in the southwest suburban Atlanta metropolitan area. There is a 410K with 100% match to 5%, bonus potential, major company benefits, and relocation assistance is also available. There is an attractive salary range associated with the position as well.

In this role will collaborate with personnel across various departments to troubleshoot, program, and integrate equipment and automation systems. Responsibilities include electrical troubleshooting, machine program modifications, and supporting or leading manufacturing projects from initiation through completion. The engineer’s primary objective is to improve equipment safety, efficiency, and uptime. It is an Allen Bradley PLC environment. Manufacturing processes there include stamping, zinc die casting, plating / finishing and assembly.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

(The following duties and responsibilities are all essential job functions, as defined by the ADA, except for those that begin with the word "May.") General and other duties as assigned.

• 1. Maintain effective working relationships with related departments, including Maintenance, Toolroom, Manufacturing Engineering, Technology Team, and Production, to support manufacturing operations and continuous improvement initiatives.
• 2. Perform electrical troubleshooting on production equipment operating at voltages ranging from 24V control circuits to 480V equipment circuits. This includes diagnosing electrical and control-system faults, identifying root causes, and implementing or recommending corrective actions to restore equipment operation.
• 3. Support manufacturing projects by providing controls engineering expertise, including technical consultation, component and equipment specification, electrical circuit and control system design, PLC/HMI programming, commissioning, and troubleshooting.
• 4. Lead manufacturing projects by providing the aforementioned technical services for a project while also coordinating project activities, timelines, and requirements with internal departments, external contractors, vendors, and other stakeholders.
• 5. Prepare and maintain technical reports and documentation related to controls engineering activities. Such activities include alterations made to a machine’s capabilities or core functions, root cause analyses, energy and process optimization, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), and other engineering activities as required.
• 6. Maintain compliance with applicable safety regulations and standards set forth by OHSA, company’s internal EHS department, and any other applicable regulatory body.

CORE SKILLS

Electrical

• 1. Have working knowledge of basic electrical circuit principles, including voltage, current (AC and DC), resistance, single-phase and three-phase power, and other related electrical concepts.
• 2. Able to use electrical testing and diagnostic equipment, including Digital Multimeters (DMMs), clamp meters, megohmmeters (Meggers/insulation testers), process meters, and three-phase power quality loggers.
• 3. Read and interpret electrical schematics and apply schematics to identify, test, and troubleshoot electrical circuitry and components on the production floor.
• 4. Demonstrate ability to troubleshoot and diagnose electrical and control system issues using equipment operation, system behavior, and hands-on diagnostic techniques including situations where electrical schematics are unavailable.
• 5. Familiar with industrial robotic systems, including platforms such as ABB, FANUC, and Universal Robots, or equivalent robotic platforms, with the ability to effectively navigate robot operator interfaces for troubleshooting, diagnostics, and basic system operation.
• 6. Understands the different signal types of discrete sensors including PNP, NPN, loop-powered, and dry-contact.
• 7. Able to wire and troubleshoot 4-20mA, 0-10V, or equivalent analog circuits.
• 8. Proficient in troubleshooting robotic and associated electrical control systems.

Programming

• 1. Understands how to utilize different communication protocols and their appropriate applications, including EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, Modbus TCP/IP, IO-Link, and serial protocols such as DF1 and DH485.
• 2. Utilize PLC programming software such as RSLogix500, Studio 5000, Connected Components Workbench (CCW), or equivalent software to modify machine control programs to support improvements in equipment safety, operational efficiency, and/or overall machine capability.
• 3. Utilize various programming or configuration software to adjust operability or functionality of control devices including HMIs, vision systems, servo systems, IO-Link devices, safety controllers, and related control hardware. Software may include FactoryTalk View Studio, GC Configurator, NQ Link Monitor, Safety Device Configurator, and other manufacturer-specific programming and configuration tools.

Pneumatic

• 1. Show a fundamental understanding of pneumatic system principles, including pressure, flow, volume. force, and the relationship between these factors within a pneumatic system.
• 2. Read and interpret pneumatic schematics and apply schematics to identify, understand, and troubleshoot pneumatic circuits and components on the production floor.
• 3. Familiar with common pneumatic components and their functions within a pneumatic circuit, including filters, regulators, lubricators, proportional pressure regulators, directional control valves, flow controls. check valves, pressure switches, and anti-tie-down devices.

Hydraulic

• 1. Show a fundamental understanding of hydraulic system principles, including pressure, flow, volume, and the interaction of hydraulic components within a system.
• 2. Understand how conditions such as cavitation, hammering, and pressure locking can contribute to hydraulic system failures.

DESIGN SKILLS

Electrical

• 1. Able to design modifications to existing electrical circuitry on manufacturing equipment to remove, upgrade, or add machine functionality while maintaining proper operation and adherence to applicable safety requirements.
• 2. Able to identify components or process adjustments that would improve efficiency, safety, reliability, or maintainability and implement those changes in projects which involve rebuilding a machine’s control infrastructure.
• 3. Utilize electrical drafting software, such as AutoCAD or EPLAN, to create, modify, and maintain electrical schematics and documentation for new and existing manufacturing equipment.

Pneumatic

• 1. Design and develop pneumatic control systems for manufacturing equipment, including circuit design, component selection, pressure and flow requirements, and integration with electrical controls.
• 2. Utilize pneumatic drafting software, such as AutoCAD or EPLAN, to create, modify, and maintain pneumatic schematics and documentation for existing and new manufacturing equipment.

Programming

• 1. Utilize programming and configuration software for various types of equipment to build new machine control systems that address issues of standardization, safety, efficiency, and machine capability.
• 2. Able to use advanced programming, configuration, and diagnostic tools for industrial control systems, including Function Block programming, Structured Text programming, OPC UA, and MQTT.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

Four years of technical education or degree, or two years of technical education in conjunction with related work experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Prefer at least 5 years as a controls engineer, but will consider at least 2 years as a controls engineer.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

(The following statements describe the physical abilities required to perform the essential job functions, although exceptions may be made to these requirements based on the principle of reasonable accommodation.)

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handles, or feel objects, tools, or controls and talk or hear. The employee is required to stand, walk, reach with hands or arms, climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands/arms and the ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to extreme heat. The employee occasionally works in high, precarious places and in outside weather conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock, and vibration.