Materials and Process Engineer

ThinkMetal; Chennai; On-site; INR 450,000 - 750,000; Full time

Job summary

ThinkMetal seeks an experienced extrusion engineer to run and optimize the polymer extrusion line, ensuring consistent product quality and production efficiency. You will analyze process data, adjust temperatures and screw speed, and drive improvements across batches in a hands-on role based in Chennai.

The ideal candidate has 3–4 years in polymer processing or extrusion, with strong fundamentals in temperature profiles and die pressure. Familiarity with SOPs and documentation is required.

Qualifications

• Strong fundamentals in polymer processing and extrusion operations.
• Knowledge of material characterization & testing for extrusion.
• Experience with process documentation and SOPs is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Set up, monitor, and optimize extrusion lines for development and production batches.
• Understand polymer properties and melt behavior to improve extrusion quality.
• Standardize process parameters (temperature, screw speed, die pressure) for materials.
• Analyze machine data to identify improvements in throughput and yield.
• Track KPIs like scrap rate and downtime; implement corrective actions.
• Coordinate maintenance, die/tooling setup, and start-up procedures.
• Maintain inventory, record logs, and ensure traceability across batches.

Skills

Polymer Processing

Extrusion

Materials

Process Optimization

Education

BE/B.Tech in Polymer Engineering

Job description

About Company

ThinkMetal focuses on advanced materials innovation for manufacturing,with a strong emphasis on metal and alloy systems for additive manufacturing. We operate at the intersection of materials science, hardware, and process engineering, building integrated solutions that translate material capabilities into scalable, production-ready systems.

Our work spans metal and alloy development, feedstock engineering, and manufacturing setup design, enabling high performance, reliable, and repeatable industrial processes. We focus on taking materials from lab scale understanding to real world manufacturing deployment, particularly for metal based applications.

As part of the team, you will work in a highly hands‑on environment with direct exposure to end‑to‑end product and process development, from concept and experimentation to production implementation.

Role Overview

To run, standardize, and optimize the extrusion process using machine and process data, manage raw material inventory, and maintain documentation that converts trials into practical, repeatable production processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Set up, and monitor the extrusion line for development trials and production batches.
• Understand polymer properties, melt behaviour, and material‑process interactions to optimize extrusion performance and product quality.
• Establish and standardize extrusion process parameters such as temperature profiles, screw speed, die pressure for each material.
• Optimize extrusion parameters for dimensional consistency, surface quality, yield, and throughput through structured trials.
• Collect, log, and analyze extrusion machine data (temperatures, pressures, torque/load, speeds, output, downtime, scrap) to identify and implement process improvements.
• Track process KPIs such as scrap rate, downtime, output, and diameter consistency; apply statistical comparison to evaluate improvements.
• Troubleshoot processing issues such as diameter variation, surface defects, surging, unstable flow, and material feeding problems.
• Oversee die/tooling setup, changeovers, machine alignment, and start‑up/shutdown procedures.
• Coordinate preventive maintenance to reduce unplanned machine downtime.
• Manage material inventory for the extrusion line: stock levels, reorder points, storage conditions, shelf life, and batch‑wise traceability.
• Track material consumption, yield, and scrap; reconcile physical stock with records and coordinate with procurement for timely material availability.
• Maintain experiment logs, SOPs, process sheets, batch records, troubleshooting manuals, and knowledge‑transfer documentation for internal teams.

Qualifications

B.E./B.Tech in Polymer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, or a related discipline.

• 3–4 years of experience in polymer processing, extrusion, compounding, filament, or related R&D work. Hands‑on academic project experience will also be considered.
• Strong fundamentals in polymer processing, including understanding of extrusion processing (temperature profile, screw speed, die pressure).
• Knowledge of material characterization and testing methods required for the extrusion process.

Preferred Skills

• Knowledge of extrusion process optimization and parameter development.
• Experience with die setup, tooling alignment, and machine commissioning.
• Basic CAD and mechanical understanding of extrusion equipment.
• Familiarity with AI/ML concepts for process monitoring and optimization.
• Experience in developing SOPs, process documentation, and technical reports.

Skills

polymer,processing,materials,extrusion,optimization

Technical Skills & Competencies

• Polymer Processing & Extrusion
• Polymer Compounding & Blend Development
• Preventive Maintenance
• Thermal Analysis & Polymer Degradation
• Quality Control
• Process Optimization
• Root Cause Analysis
• Statistical Process Control & Data Analysis
• Troubleshooting & Problem Solving
• Analytical Thinking & Critical Thinking

Soft Skills

• Team Collaboration
• Documentation & Knowledge Transfer
• Presentation Skills
• Time & Task Prioritization
• Communication (Written & Verbal)