Technical Maintenance Engineer, Maintenance Department

Ferriot

Akron, OH

Estimated pay: Est. $36–$42/hr (market estimate, not employer-stated)

Position Purpose:

The Technical Maintenance Engineer is responsible for providing advanced technical support for manufacturing equipment, with a primary focus on industrial electronics, machine controls, PLC programming, automation, and equipment optimization. This role combines hands-on troubleshooting with technical programming and continuous improvement to maximize equipment reliability, minimize downtime, and improve manufacturing performance.

The Technical Maintenance Engineer serves as a technical resource for maintenance, production, and engineering teams, diagnosing complex electrical and control-system issues, modifying machine programs, and implementing improvements to existing equipment. The position supports the reliability, safety, and performance of injection molding machines, robotic systems, granulators, conveyors, and other automated manufacturing equipment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• **Industrial Electronics and Electrical Troubleshooting**

Diagnose and resolve complex electrical and electronic issues involving manufacturing machinery, control panels, sensors, instrumentation, and industrial control systems.

+ Troubleshoot motor controls, variable frequency drives (VFDs), servo drives, power supplies, relays, contactors, and related electronic components.

+ Interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, I/O drawings, and machine control documentation.

+ Identify root causes of recurring electrical and electronic failures and implement permanent corrective actions.

+ Support the installation, configuration, testing, and replacement of electronic control components.

• **PLC Programming and Machine Controls**

+ Develop, troubleshoot, modify, and optimize PLC programs to improve machine functionality, reliability, and production efficiency.

+ Work with industrial control platforms such as Allen-Bradley/Rockwell Automation, Siemens, Mitsubishi, or other systems used at the facility.

+ Troubleshoot PLC logic, digital and analog I/O, communication faults, interlocks, and machine sequencing.

+ Support HMI programming, operator-interface modifications, alarm development, and troubleshooting displays.

+ Maintain organized backups, revision histories, and documentation for PLC programs, HMI applications, and machine parameters.

+ Diagnose industrial communication issues involving Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus, and other applicable protocols.

+ Coordinate control-system modifications with production, maintenance, engineering, and safety personnel before implementation.

• **Machine Programming and Automation**

+ Troubleshoot and modify machine operating sequences, recipes, settings, and control parameters within approved equipment and process limits.

+ Support programming, integration, and troubleshooting of industrial robots, automated material handling systems, and peripheral equipment.

+ Diagnose communication and coordination issues between molding machines, robots, conveyors, granulators, and auxiliary equipment.

+ Optimize machine cycles, equipment sequencing, alarms, and recovery routines to reduce downtime and improve consistency.

+ Assist with equipment commissioning, control upgrades, retrofits, and integration of new automation technologies.

+ Maintain proper safeguards and safety-system functionality when making programming or control changes.

• **Manufacturing Equipment Reliability and Maintenance**

+ Provide advanced technical support for injection molding machines, robots, granulators, conveyors, and other production equipment.

+ Support preventive and predictive maintenance activities involving electrical, electronic, and control-system components.

+ Analyze equipment downtime, recurring faults, alarm histories, and failure trends to identify improvement opportunities.

+ Collaborate with maintenance technicians to resolve complex equipment issues and transfer technical knowledge.

+ Assist with equipment condition assessments, obsolescence reviews, spare-parts planning, and control-system lifecycle improvements.

+ Develop and maintain technical troubleshooting guides, maintenance standards, and equipment documentation.

• **Continuous Improvement and Technical Projects**

+ Identify and implement improvements to machine controls, automation, reliability, and production performance.

+ Support root-cause analysis and corrective-action initiatives related to downtime, scrap, cycle time, and equipment reliability.

+ Participate in capital projects, equipment upgrades, new installations, and manufacturing process improvements.

+ Evaluate opportunities to modernize legacy controls and improve equipment diagnostics and maintainability.

+ Collaborate with production, quality, process engineering, and maintenance teams to improve equipment performance and product consistency.

+ Document project scope, programming changes, validation results, and operating instructions.

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