Research Assistant Custom Additive Manufacturing Hardware; Medical Applications

Job Title: Research Assistant Custom Additive Manufacturing Hardware (Medical Applications)

Final date to receive applications: Monday, 03 August 2026

Wolfson School of Mechanical Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering Full Time, Fixed Term until 31 January 2027, based on campus We’re looking to recruit a driven Research Assistant in Custom Additive Manufacturing Hardware to join our multidisciplinary team at Loughborough University’s Wolfson School. Our PERAMEDIC project brings together experts in material formulation, deposition methods, hardware development, inspection workflows and clinical translation from across Europe.

At Loughborough, you’ll be supporting the development and modification of additive manufacturing hardware that helps make patient-specific, multi-material tablets and related medical structures a reality. As a key player within our team, you’ll support our project to transform pharmaceutical healthcare by:
Developing, modifying and testing custom additive manufacturing hardware for medical and pharmaceutical manufacturing applications
Integrating different extrusion and deposition toolheads, such as filament extruders, pellet extruders and other tools, onto existing or modified 3D printer platforms
Designing, prototyping and manufacturing fixtures, brackets, adapters and other hardware required to mount toolheads, sensors or auxiliary devices onto additive manufacturing systems
Supporting the configuration, modification and troubleshooting of 3D printer control boards, machine electronics and related hardware-control systems
Characterising the precision and performance of additive manufacturing and multi-axis systems, including positional accuracy, repeatability, velocity limits, acceleration limits and related motion or deposition metrics
Working with colleagues developing direct toolpaths to ensure that hardware capabilities, limitations and test results are understood and incorporated into the manufacturing workflow

You will take a role in:
Modifying and testing existing 3D printer platforms and related motion/deposition hardware
Supporting the assembly, setup, calibration and troubleshooting of custom or modified additive manufacturing systems
Producing practical fixture designs using CAD and manufacturing or sourcing parts through appropriate methods, including 3D printing, workshop fabrication and machined components
Supporting direct toolpath-based experimental trials, including tests involving intricate paths for medical/pharmaceutical structures and, where relevant, multi-axis systems
Collecting, analysing and documenting hardware performance, fixture performance, calibration procedures, toolpath execution and manufacturing accuracy
Liaising with colleagues working on toolpath design, inspection, materials and medical/pharmaceutical manufacturing requirements

Experience of additive manufacturing hardware, mechatronics, machine control, robotics, automation or a closely related engineering area Experience of modifying, configuring, building or testing 3D printer hardware or comparable motion/deposition systems Experience of integrating, modifying or testing additive manufacturing toolheads, such as filament extruders, pellet extruders or other deposition tools Experience of designing, prototyping and manufacturing fixtures, brackets, adapters or other hardware modifications using CAD and practical manufacturing methods Experience of configuring, modifying or troubleshooting hardware-control systems, such as 3D printer control boards, microcontrollers, motion controllers or equivalent systems Ability to assemble, calibrate, troubleshoot and characterise additive manufacturing or motion-control hardware, including precision, repeatability, velocity limits, acceleration limits or related performance metrics Ability to understand how toolpath requirements affect hardware design, setup, calibration and experimental testing Good communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to document methods and results clearly Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Control Engineering,…