What are the responsibilities and job description for the Composite Materials & Process Engineer position at General Plastics & Composites LP?
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Materials Engineering
Qualifications & Experience:
Materials Knowledge
Materials Engineering
- Evaluate and support the selection of composite materials, including carbon fiber, fiberglass, aramid fibers, core materials, adhesives, and resin systems.
- Develop, maintain, and update material specifications, standards, and qualification requirements.
- Perform material testing and characterization to verify mechanical, thermal, and environmental performance.
- Review supplier-provided material data and support material qualification and approval processes.
- Assess material alternatives by comparing performance, manufacturability, availability, and cost to recommend the most suitable solution for each application.
- Support the evaluation, qualification, and implementation of new materials and advanced composite technologies to improve product performance and manufacturability.
- Develop, document, and improve composite manufacturing processes.
- Establish process specifications, manufacturing instructions, and quality requirements.
- Support manufacturing methods including:
- Hand layup
- Vacuum bagging
- Resin infusion (VARTM)
- Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)
- Compression molding
- Injection molding
- Prepreg layup
- Autoclave curing
- Oven curing
- Composite assembly and bonding
- Define critical process parameters and process control methods.
- Support process validation and qualification activities.
- Provide day-to-day technical support to production operations.
- Investigate manufacturing issues involving defects, yield loss, porosity, delamination, dimensional variation, or cure-related concerns.
- Lead root cause investigations and corrective action implementation.
- Collaborate with operators and supervisors to improve process consistency and productivity.
- Support manufacturing readiness activities for new product introduction (NPI).
- Coordinate and perform material and process validation testing.
- Analyze failures related to composite structures, bonding, environmental exposure, and manufacturing defects.
- Prepare technical reports summarizing findings and recommendations.
- Support qualification testing for customer and regulatory requirements.
- Identify opportunities to reduce scrap, rework, cycle time, and manufacturing costs.
- Apply Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies to process improvement projects.
- Analyze manufacturing and quality data to improve process capability and repeatability.
- Support automation and advanced manufacturing initiatives.
- Support customer technical reviews and audits when required.
Qualifications & Experience:
- Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 2 years of experience in composites engineering, manufacturing engineering, materials engineering, or a related role.
- Experience with composite manufacturing processes and materials.
- Knowledge of polymer matrix composites and composite fabrication methods.
- Experience interpreting engineering drawings and technical specifications.
- Familiarity with manufacturing documentation, process controls, and quality systems.
- Experience in aerospace, defense, energy, industrial equipment, marine, automotive, or sporting goods industries.
- Familiarity with composite material testing standards (ASTM, ISO, SAE, or equivalent)
- Understanding of composite inspection methods including ultrasonic and non-destructive testing (NDT)
- Experience performing failure analysis and root cause investigations.
- Exposure to Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Hands-on engineering approach
- Technical curiosity and continuous learning
- Structured problem solving
- Strong attention to detail
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Project management
- Initiative and accountability
- Customer-focused mindset
Materials Knowledge
- Carbon fiber composites.
- Fiberglass composites.
- Thermoset resin systems
- Epoxy systems
- Vinyl ester resins
- Core materials and adhesives
- Composite bonding technologies
- Vacuum infusion
- Autoclave processing
- Prepreg manufacturing
- Cure cycle development
- Process validation
- Tooling and fixture development
- Manufacturing process controls
- Root Cause Analysis (5 Why, Fishbone, 8D)
- Statistical Process Control (SPC)
- PFMEA
- Design of Experiments (DOE)
- Data analysis and reporting
- Lab and office-based role with visits to manufacturing sites as needed.
- Stand or walk for extended periods.
- Occasionally lift items weighing up to 20 pounds.
- Adherence to all safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements is mandatory.