Controls Engineer (PLC/HMI)

Acara Solutions, An Aleron Company; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Acara Solutions, An Aleron Company in Milwaukee seeks an experienced Electrical/Controls Engineer to own cradle-to-grave control system development for paper/ converting and metal processing machinery. You will program PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, design electrical schematics, and lead panel design efforts.

You will coordinate with sales, manufacturing, and the in-house panel shop to ensure designs meet certification requirements and performance goals, with light travel to client sites.

Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor's in Engineering (BSEE preferred) or an Associate's degree with 10+ years PLC and drive experience.
• Min 3 years of experience with PLCs (including strong programming), HMIs, & Drives; exposure to networking is a plus.
• Min 5 years of similar controls systems engineering experience.

Responsibilities

• Engineer custom motor control systems for Paper Converting and Metal Processing systems, including power diagrams, BOMs, and electrical schematics.
• Program PLCs, HMIs and VFDs; specify components for customer applications.
• Lead system design reviews and guide CAD designers through panel design.
• Provide expert remote and on-site support for commissioning and field issues.
• Ensure compliance with safety rules and regulations and verification of system and component conformance to customer specifications.
• Collaborate with Purchasing and Vendors to evaluate alternate components and monitor material costs to ensure cost-effective solutions.

Skills

PLC programming

HMIs

Drives

Networking

CAD

Panel design

System design reviews

Testing/commissioning

UL/CE compliance

Field support

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering

Associate's degree with 10+ years PLC/drives

Tools

AutoCAD

Job description

Location: Milwaukee, WI - Onsite (initially south of Milwaukee, then moving early next year to West Milwaukee)

Employment Type: Salaried direct with comprehensive benefits

Compensation: Open

Schedule: M-F standard

About the Opportunity:

Engineers at this organization have cradle-to-grave responsibility - from programming to testing to after install support.

C drive theory, PLC programming, pulling code, sewing it together with existing code.

Possible PLC service call that maintenance team doesn't cover.

Retrofitting the majority of time.

Light travel to client installs.

What You'll Do:

• Engineer custom motor control systems primarily for Paper Converting and Metal Processing systems which includes activities such as creation of Power Distribution Diagrams, Network Distribution Diagrams, bills of materials, and Electrical schematics.
• Investigate and employ new components and technologies for use in systems
• Continuously assess designs and investigate new/alternative components as applied to cost savings, quality improvement and certification requirements
• Assist sales engineers in their effort to provide accurate quotes
• Specify variable frequency drives, PLCs, HMIs, and networking components for customer applications
• Program PLCs, HMIs and VFD's
• Serve as technical lead for PC and MP engineered systems through the development cycle
• Guide system CAD designers through panel design
• Participate in and lead system design reviews
• Work with in-house panel shop to ensure proper panel build and provide guidance as necessary
• Confirm system design and panel build meet certification requirements (UL508A, CE, IEEE, etc.)
• Guide and assist in test floor checkout of PC/MP systems
• Provide expert remote and on-site support for commissioning and field issues
• Ensure compliance with all safety and work rules and regulations.
• Verify conformance of components and systems to customer specifications.
• Complete load, voltage, amperage and heat calculations to ensure proper design.
• Work with Purchasing and Vendors to evaluate alternate components and materials.
• Monitor material costs to ensure lowest cost solutions are implemented.
• Troubleshoot application issues or systems field for customer deployed systems.
• Assist in the capture and documentation of customer requirements and translate those requirements into design and manufacturing specifications.
• Help define design standards for the Systems Engineering team.
• Support Aftermarket/Service team on an as-needed basis and serve as on-call rotation for after-hours phone service support.

Requires:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (ideally BSEE, but will consider an Associate's degree candidate with 10+ years of PLC and drive experience).
• Min 3 years of experience with PLCs (including strong programming), HMIs, & Drives, and a plus to have exposure to networking, embedded controllers and data acquisition systems.
• Min 5 years of similar controls systems engineering experience