The Paint Applications Engineer optimizes automated and manual industrial painting processes, equipment, and materials. You will improve first-time quality, reduce paint waste, and troubleshoot finishing defects across metal fabrication or assembly lines.
Key Responsibilities
- Process Optimization: Develop and refine liquid paint, powder coating, or e-coat application parameters (film thickness, fluid flow, atomization air, and cure profiles).
- Equipment & Automation Support: Oversee paint application hardware, robotic spray applicators, bell cups, and plural component systems.
- Defect Troubleshooting: Investigate paint defects like runs, sags, orange peel, pinholes, or poor adhesion, using root-cause analysis.
- New Product Launch: Support new product integration, color changes, and trial runs on the production floor.
- Environmental & Cost Reduction: Implement waste-reduction initiatives, transfer-efficiency improvements, and environmental compliance tracking.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with quality, manufacturing, and chemical suppliers to test and validate new coatings.
Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience).
- Experience: 5+ years of hands-on engineering experience in an industrial paint or coatings environment.
- Technical Skills:
- Knowledge of robotic paint atomizers, fluid delivery systems, and curing ovens.
- Familiarity with pretreatment, surface preparation, and paint lab testing equipment (viscosity, gloss, adhesion tests).
- Basic understanding of PLC controls or automated finishing systems is a plus.
- Soft Skills: Strong problem-solving abilities, excellent cross-functional communication, and willingness to spend time on the manufacturing floor
