Controls Engineer

* Controls Systems Engineer / Electrical Automation Engineer
* Position Summary

Apel Extrusions is seeking a highly motivated and hands‑on Controls Systems Engineer to support, maintain, and improve the automation, electrical controls, industrial networking, and manufacturing information systems throughout our aluminum extrusion operations. This position plays a critical role in maximizing equipment reliability, minimizing downtime, and implementing continuous improvement initiatives across the facility.

The Controls Systems Engineer will work closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, IT, contractors, and OEMs to troubleshoot complex manufacturing equipment issues, develop engineering solutions, and lead automation projects from concept through commissioning. This role requires strong technical expertise in PLCs, HMIs, drives, SCADA systems, industrial networking, and manufacturing systems integration, as well as a willingness to actively engage on the production floor diagnosing and resolving equipment issues.

This is a plant‑based position requiring frequent presence in a non‑temperature‑controlled manufacturing environment, active participation in troubleshooting activities, and direct interaction with operating and maintenance personnel.

• Design, program, troubleshoot, modify, and maintain:
  • Allen‑Bradley Control Logix and Compact Logix PLCs
  • Allen‑Bradley Power Flex Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
  • Allen‑Bradley Panel View HMIs
  • Servo systems, motion controls, and associated automation equipment
  • Industrial Ethernet communication networks
• Modify PLC and HMI programs to improve equipment reliability and functionality.
• Implement machine safety logic, interlocks, and control strategies.
• Diagnose and resolve electrical, controls, instrumentation, communications, and automation faults.
• Support installation, startup, commissioning, and validation of new equipment and control systems.
• Develop and maintain standardized programming practices, electrical documentation, and control narratives.
• Maintain backups and revision control of PLC, HMI, SCADA, and drive programs.

• Develop, maintain, and improve Ignition applications.
• Configure user security and role‑based access controls.
• Develop scripting and automation within Ignition.
• Support manufacturing data acquisition and visualization initiatives.
• Troubleshoot data collection, historian performance, and system integration issues.

• Maintain SQL databases supporting manufacturing operations.
• Develop SQL queries, stored procedures, reports, and data analytics tools.
• Interface production equipment with SQL‑based ERP and business systems.
• Support manufacturing KPI reporting, production analytics, and operational decision‑making.
• Troubleshoot data integrity and communication issues between manufacturing equipment and enterprise systems.
• Support industrial automation networks integrated with the corporate IT infrastructure utilizing dedicated VLANs.
• Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot:
  • Managed Ethernet switches
  • Ethernet/IP communications
  • Industrial network devices
  • VLAN communications
  • Network reliability and performance
• Coordinate with Corporate IT regarding cybersecurity, firewall configurations, network architecture, and system updates.

• Actively participate in troubleshooting and resolving equipment failures alongside maintenance technicians, engineers, and operations personnel.
• Lead root cause investigations for recurring equipment and process issues.
• Develop corrective actions and long‑term solutions to eliminate repetitive failures.
• Create preventive and predictive maintenance strategies for automation and controls systems.
• Track equipment downtime, failure frequencies, and reliability metrics.
• Provide technical training and mentorship to maintenance personnel and electrical trades.

• Lead controls modernization, automation upgrades, and continuous improvement projects.
• Evaluate obsolete hardware and develop replacement and migration strategies.
• Support capital projects from concept development through commissioning and startup.
• Review and…