Manufacturing Engineer

Company Overview

As a family-owned and operated company, we feel a special obligation to the employees who comprise our Taco family. We are committed to offering employees access to the tools necessary to live long and productive lives. We strive to instill in all of our employees:

• A positive mental attitude that helps us to be a leader in the industry
• A commitment to building strong relationships, both inside and outside the organization
• A desire to learn, grow, and contribute to moving our strategy forward
• A need to create and to innovate

Shift: 1st Shift

Work Status: Onsite

The Manufacturing Engineer develops, evaluates, and improves manufacturing methods, utilizing knowledge of product design, materials and parts, fabrication processes, tooling and production equipment capabilities, assembly methods and quality control standards. They plan and design manufacturing processes in an industrial plant and improve production methods. The Manufacturing Engineer provides support in the design, fabrication, modification, and evaluation of manufacturing operations such as machining, plastics processing, assembly, and material handling.

• Improve manufacturing throughput to meet delivery and cost targets
• Reduce manufacturing process costs
• Reduce unplanned downtime for various types of manufacturing equipment

• Supports ongoing manufacturing activities to ensure critical delivery targets and company financial targets are met.
• Analyzes and implements improvements to material and processes and cost-reduction initiatives.
• Leads and supports Lean activities such as Kaizen events, mistake-proofing, etc.
• Solves or assists in solving immediate high-priority issues related to manufacturing output, quality, tooling, process, and material.
• Provides data and analysis of manufacturing activities to management, as well as providing data, feedback, and support directly to machine operators.
• Assists supervisors with new production techniques and assists with troubleshooting rejected parts.
• Works with Supply Chain and various Engineering teams on an ongoing basis.
• Provides design teams with estimates of facilities, equipment, capital, and personnel requirements for new product designs. Evolves estimates into firm budgets as projects progress.
• Provides analysis, feedback, and possible improvements in design-for-manufacturability and/or assembly (DFM/DFA).
• Transitions new product designs into full production via purchase and installation of new equipment, tooling, fixtures. Designs or assists with design and/or build of manufacturing and/or test equipment as needed. Provides test samples and performs or oversees pilot runs and initial production runs.
• Identifies and reports to management and/or other departments which issues require elevation and action internally or externally.
• Supports and learns with/from other teams within the company and understands their interactions with manufacturing in detail within the context of the Epicor Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
• Assists in time and cost estimates.
• Purchases capital equipment by vetting qualified vendors, ensuring vendors have appropriate specifications and overseeing purchase.
• Designs jigs and fixtures for new and current products to speed manufacturing process and ensure consistent quality.
• Assigns work to designers and technicians, technical writers, engineering technicians, and machine shop personnel as required.
• Determines location of factory equipment and relocates as necessary.
• Utilizes engineering drawings to create patterns and develop a computer numerical control (CNC) program.
• Creates PD Trak Manufacturing Plans for new products that include projected assembly process, projected assembly rates, equipment anticipated, anticipated costs, anticipated personnel needed, etc.
• Designs or supports new product development, including new layouts or tools.
• Makes suggestions and design modifications to make a more cost effective and/or easily manufactured and assembled product.
• Writes Manufacturing Process Sheets (MPS), including all photos, specifications and test procedures and sends them on to industrial engineering staff for them to finalize.
• Reviews existing MPS for accuracy and/or clarity. Marks up or modifies them and passes them on to Industrial Engineers for finalization.
• Build relationships and trust amongst production personnel to ensure full support and collaboration is achieved
• Understand and follow all company safety standards and requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering
• 3+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment, utilizing engineering skills to plan, coordinate, evaluate and improve manufacturing processes
• Knowledge of manufacturing and assembly processes and general machine shop practices
• Proficient in Computer Aided Design (CAD)
• Experience in LEAN Manufacturing; proven experience leading Lean and Kaizen events
• Experience in an International Organization for…