Associate Manufacturing Controls Dev Engineer, Die Shop

What to Expect

The Die Shop is part of the Materials Engineering group responsible for the build, launch and handover of Tesla’s high pressure die casting dies, used for vehicle programs. This team is focused on achieving the highest efficiency, manufacturing volume and safety.

A successful candidate for this role will have technical understanding of PLC controls such as Siemens-TIA, Fanuc, Heidenhain etc. This position will also support virtual commissioning and development of high-volume automated systems, as well as connecting current and new equipment to data servers enabling OPC-UA on each machine to collect and control critical process parameters and machine states.

What You’ll Do

• Connect the Die Shop equipment — CNC, EDM, heat treat, additive and metrology — to the shop network and data server, coordinating with IT/OT on drops, switches, addressing and segmentation, and enabling the OPC UA server on each machine control
• Troubleshoot and restore machine data connections when equipment drops offline, working with maintenance, machine operators and IT to isolate network, control or sensor issues
• Support the Die Shop expansion and automation plan by applying a first-principles approach to develop efficient, high-capacity layouts that optimize factory space; support installation and commissioning of new Die Shop equipment, including I/O checkout, wiring verification, sensor setup and vendor FAT/SAT support
• Maintain controls documentation — tag lists, network diagrams, electrical schematics and IP/asset records — and keep backups of PLC, HMI and machine control programs current
• Validate collected machine data against actual shop floor activity, identifying missing, stale or mis-scaled tags and correcting them before the data reaches dashboards
• Make supported changes to PLC logic, HMI screens and dashboard reports in response to requests from Manufacturing and Process Engineering, and train operators on new screens
• Create equipment concept designs and lead vendor design reviews while overseeing fabrication, acceptance testing, and equipment installation
• Create and manage large, detailed 3D CAD layouts used to locate equipment, support utilities, create utility routings, and support virtual commissioning
• Oversee technical and schedule performance of equipment suppliers following Tesla standards and project roadmap
• Create documentation needed to sustain operation of the equipment (start up and shut down procedures, operation instructions, KPI’s, troubleshooting manuals, maintenance schedules, assembly drawings with BOM, fabrication drawings)

What You’ll Bring

• Degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, or a closely related field, or equivalent experience
• Experience exeucting on tight deadlines within a high-volume manufacturing environment
• Competence in ISO 12100 Safety Standards for risk assessment and safety of machinery, and experience in machine safety: ANSI B11, RIA R15.06, ISO 13849
• Experience introducing new high pressure die casting equipment and new processes into a production environment from conceptual design throughout start up preferred
• Experience with industrial automation using robotic material handling and casting conveyance
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with ability to support technical reviews of new equipment