Mechanical Design Engineer

Responsibilities

• Design a wide range of welding equipment, fixtures, tooling, and functional quality inspection gages to support production and assembly operations.
• Develop mechanical designs for automotive assembly equipment, including automated test and assembly machines of varying complexity.
• Create detailed 3D models and drawings using SolidWorks for custom automated systems, from simple dollies and carts to complex weld cells with thousands of individual components.
• Incorporate robotics into mechanical designs, including robot end-of-arm tooling and other structural elements used in automated cells.
• Perform structural design and, when needed, finite element analysis (FEA) to ensure the integrity and performance of critical components.
• Modify and retrofit existing robot weld cells that are currently in production, updating designs to improve performance, reliability, or manufacturability.
• Collaborate with the machine shop and fabrication teams to ensure designs are manufacturable and align with available machining, sheet metal, and fabrication capabilities.
• Prepare clear and accurate engineering drawings, models, and documentation to support machining, fabrication, and assembly processes.
• Participate in new product development activities, contributing mechanical design expertise to cross-functional engineering projects.
• Interact and interface with customers to review design plans, gather requirements, and provide design updates, typically with minimal travel or external meetings.
• Utilize computer programming skills, where applicable, to write or support APIs for SolidWorks and improve design workflows or automation.
• Work closely with other engineering disciplines within the department, contributing beyond core mechanical design responsibilities as needed.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives by identifying opportunities to enhance design quality, reduce cost, and streamline engineering processes.

Requirements

• Proven experience as a Mechanical Engineer or Mechanical Design Engineer with a focus on machine and equipment design.
• Hands-on experience with SolidWorks or other 3D parametric design software for mechanical and machine design.
• Strong mechanical aptitude with the ability to conceptualize and develop practical mechanical solutions.
• Prior experience designing machines, equipment, or automated systems, including tooling and fixtures.
• Proficiency in machine design, tool design, fixture design, and understanding of machining and fabrication processes.
• Experience creating detailed 3D models and engineering drawings suitable for machining, sheet metal, and fabrication.
• Experience with robotics, including integrating robotic components into mechanical systems and designing related structures.
• Familiarity with drafting practices and standards for mechanical and machine design.
• Strong engineering fundamentals in mechanical design, including understanding of materials, tolerances, and manufacturing methods.

Essential Skills

• Experience using SolidWorks as the primary design platform, including advanced features and parametric modeling.
• Exposure to AutoCAD or similar 2D drafting tools for supplemental documentation and layout work.
• Knowledge of sheet metal design and fabrication techniques for mechanical components and assemblies.
• Experience with machining and fabrication environments, including practical understanding of how designs translate to shop-floor operations.
• Experience involving in new product development projects, contributing mechanical design and engineering input from concept through implementation.
• Computer programming skills, particularly the ability to write or support APIs for SolidWorks to enhance design automation and efficiency.
• Experience performing or supporting finite element analysis (FEA) for structural components is beneficial.
• Comfort working across multiple engineering disciplines within an engineering department, taking on varied technical responsibilities.
• Strong communication skills for collaborating with internal teams and providing clear design updates to customers.