Automation Control Engineer

KCM Technical; Toledo (OH); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

KCM Technical in Toledo, OH is seeking an Automation Controls Engineer to serve as the production line expert for controls. The role involves troubleshooting production issues, upgrading controls systems, and ensuring safe operation of high-volume equipment in the Bodyshop area.

You will work with engineers on changes and configurations for future production needs. Responsibilities include participating in FAT/SAT buy-offs, implementing MES logic, and training teams on equipment usage.

Qualifications

• BS/MS degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• 5–7 years of controls engineering experience or equivalent.
• Hands-on experience with high-volume manufacturing controls equipment.
• Experience with Safety standards and buy-offs (ANSI/RIA15.06, OSHA).
• Experience integrating and commissioning manufacturing equipment.

Responsibilities

• Participate in controls equipment buy-offs for FAT, SAT and safety.
• Develop controls standards and specifications using lessons learned from projects.
• Improve production lines by reducing cycle time, downtime, and quality issues.
• Maintain and version control equipment programs, configurations, and documentation.
• Add/remove network devices and update switch configurations as needed.
• Troubleshoot and enhance PLCs using Ladder Logic or Structured Text, with clean code.
• Enhance HMIs for user-friendliness and troubleshooting.
• Implement MES logic in PLCs and HMIs for production and performance.
• Ensure safety systems meet ANSI/RIA15.06/OSHA requirements for robots and conveyors.
• Train Production and Maintenance on equipment use and troubleshooting.

Skills

Controls engineering

Electrical engineering

Safety standards (ANSI/RIA15.06, OSHA)

IEC 61131-3 programming

PLC/HMI development and debugging

Robot programming

Systems integration

Troubleshooting apparatus

Education

BS/MS Electrical Engineering

Tools

EPLAN

AutoCAD Electrical

Rockwell PLCs

Siemens PLCs

Beckhoff PLCs

FactoryTalk View

Ignition

Ethernet/IP

EtherCAT

Profinet

Job description

The Automation Controls Engineer for Equipment Engineering are the production line experts for controls.

The team troubleshoots any technical issues during production, sometimes working with engineers on any changes, upgrades or configurations that are needed for future production changes. The area where you will work is Bodyshop. This role is located at Toledo OH, facility and reports directly to the Manager, Automation Controls Engineering.

Responsibilities

• Participate in various controls equipment buy-offs for FAT, SAT, and safety.
• Participate in development of controls standards and specifications by feeding back lessons-learned and gaps from each project to ensure that future projects will run smoother.
• Continuously improve the production lines by reducing cycle time, reducing downtime, production support, and improving quality.
• Maintain, modify, and properly version control equipment programs, configuration files, and documentation as changes are implemented. This includes but is not limited to hardware, electrical, safety, pneumatic, network, PLC, HMI, Robot, SCADA, and MES.
• Add or remove network devices from the equipment as needed, updating network switch configurations as needed.
• Troubleshoot, improve, and add features to PLCs using Ladder Logic and/or Structured Text with an emphasis on code that is organized, structured, documented, maintainable and reusable.
• Troubleshoot, improve, and add features to HMIs to make them more user-friendly, intuitive and suitable for operating and troubleshooting equipment.
• Implement and make modifications to MES logic for production and performance management in the PLCs and HMIs.
• Ensure proper implementation of and modifications to (ANSI/RIA15.06/OSHA compliant) control reliable safety systems for safeguarding robots, gantries, conveyors, and other high volume manufacturing equipment.
• Train Production and Maintenance teams in proper use of the equipment and troubleshooting from the HMI.

Qualifications

• 5 -7 years of Controls Engineering experience or equivalent work experience.
• BS/MS Electrical Engineering or equivalent work experience.
• Expertise with common controls hardware components used in high-volume manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience integrating and commissioning high volume manufacturing equipment.
• In-depth knowledge of Safety standards (ANSI/RIA15.06, OSHA).
• Experience participating in safety design reviews and validating equipment safeties during buy-off.
• In-depth knowledge of Electrical Standards (NFPA79, National Electric Code, UL508A).
• Experience developing electrical schematics using EPLAN, AutoCAD Electrical, or similar.
• Advanced proficiency programming industrial equipment using various IEC 61131-3 languages.
• Experience writing standard and safety PLC projects from scratch for high-volume manufacturing equipment using Rockwell, Siemens, or Beckhoff PLCs.
• Experience creating HMI projects from scratch for high-volume manufacturing equipment using FactoryTalk View, Ignition, HMI, or similar.
• Experience programming and troubleshooting industrial 6-axis robots such as Fanuc, ABB, Kawasaki, Nachi, etc. is preferred.
• Experience troubleshooting common fieldbus networks such as Ethernet/IP, EtherCAT, or Profinet.
• Knowledge of communications between machine PLCs and database systems.