Manufacturing Engineer - Fabrication & Automation

Allegiant Manufacturing, a one stop source for metal working solutions including stamping, fabrication, value-added assembly, tooling & machining, located in Maryville, Tennessee has an opportunity for a Manufacturing Engineer working with fabrication and automation. This is a hand-on engineering role supporting and improving Allegiant's robotic welding and fabrication operations. The engineer will have direct ownership of robot programming, weld-process optimization, automation troubleshooting, and implementation of productivity improvements on the manufacturing floor. 

We are committed to providing our employees with strong benefits and a healthy work-life balance.

Allegiant Manufacturing values its team members and strives to create a safe, rewarding, stable, and employee-focused workplace.

Tour our website at www.allegiantmfg.com to discover more about us.

Primary Responsibilities

• Create, modify, troubleshoot, and maintain robotic welding programs for FANUC, Panasonic, and similar industrial robot systems.
• Develop and optimize robot positions, travel paths, sequencing, weld schedules, torch angles, speeds, and process parameters.
• Improve robotic weld-cell performance, including safety, weld quality, cycle time, arc-on time, throughput, uptime, and overall equipment effectiveness.
• Troubleshoot robotic welding cells and associated automation systems, including robot controllers, weld power supplies, PLCs, HMIs, industrial I/O, sensors, safety devices, communications, fixtures, and peripheral equipment.
• Use PLC and HMI software to monitor ladder logic, trace inputs and outputs, identify control-system faults, and support minor programming changes within demonstrated competency.
• Develop, optimize, and validate weld fixtures, tooling, error-proofing devices, and manufacturing processes.
• Review weld defects, downtime events, production losses, and equipment data to identify root causes and implement effective corrective actions.
• Support new-product launches, manufacturing feasibility reviews, APQP activities, process validation, and production readiness.
• Work with production and quality personnel to establish manufacturing standards, standardized work, inspection requirements, and process-control methods.
• Coordinate with maintenance personnel, equipment manufacturers, robot integrators, controls integrators, tooling suppliers, and welding-equipment suppliers.
• Provide technical training to operators and technicians on robot operation, program selection, fault recovery, basic programming adjustments, and standardized troubleshooting practices.
• Support preventive and predictive maintenance activities involving robotic welding equipment, tooling, fixtures, and automation systems.
• Develop project plans, schedules, cost estimates, and implementation requirements for assigned equipment and process-improvement projects.
• Lead or participate in Lean manufacturing, value analysis/value engineering, cost reduction, scrap reduction, and continuous-improvement activities.
• Maintain robot-program backups, process documentation, equipment settings, technical records, layouts, and work instructions.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Two or more years of manufacturing, process, automation, robotics, or welding-engineering experience in a metal-fabrication or production environment.
• Hands-on experience programming or modifying industrial robotic welding systems.
• Working knowledge of GMAW processes, welding parameters, weld sequencing, joint design, torch positioning, and common robotic-weld defects.
• Experience troubleshooting automated production equipment, sensors, electrical and mechanical systems, pneumatic components, fixtures, and tooling.
• Ability to evaluate production problems, identify root causes, and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Ability to manage multiple technical priorities and work effectively in an active manufacturing environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with operators, technicians, engineers, quality personnel, supervisors, and outside suppliers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience programming FANUC and/or Panasonic robotic welding systems.
• Experience with teach pendants, point touch-up, frame adjustment, path optimization, weld-schedule development, and robot-program recovery.
• Working knowledge of PLC ladder logic, HMIs, industrial I/O, sensors, safety circuits, variable-frequency drives, industrial networks, and machine communications.
• Experience with weld fixtures, tooling design, automated work cells, and manufacturing-cell layout.
• Experience supporting APQP, new-product launches, process capability, PFMEA, control plans, and standardized work.
• Experience with Lean manufacturing, root-cause analysis, OEE improvement, cycle-time reduction, and mistake-proofing.
• Formal robot-programming, welding, automation, mechatronics, or controls training.

Education

 A bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, welding engineering, automation, mechatronics, engineering technology, or a related technical field is preferred.

An associate degree, technical certification, or equivalent combination of education and directly relevant robotic-welding and automation experience will also be considered.

Desired Characteristics

• Hands-on and comfortable working directly with production equipment.
• Self-motivated and able to independently investigate technical issues.
• Organized and capable of managing several priorities simultaneously.
• Calm and effective during equipment downtime and production interruptions.
• Results-oriented, collaborative, and committed to workplace safety.
• Willing to lead by example and support employees at all levels of the organization.

   There will be no relocations or company sponsorships provided for this position.