Position Summary
This position is responsible for the research, design, development, testing, and continuous improvement of hydraulic products, components, and systems. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in hydraulic engineering, including hydraulic circuit design, system sizing, component selection, performance analysis, and troubleshooting. The position requires an experienced, hands-on engineer capable of applying advanced hydraulic and mechanical engineering principles to develop reliable, efficient, and cost-effective products. This individual will work closely with manufacturing, sourcing, product support, and other engineering personnel to bring new products to market, improve existing designs, and resolve complex hydraulic and mechanical challenges.
Essential Functions
- Design, develop, and optimize hydraulic systems, circuits, and components to meet product performance, pressure, flow, load, speed, and operational requirements.
- Develop and interpret hydraulic schematics, circuit diagrams, and system layouts.
- Perform hydraulic system calculations, including pressure drop, flow rates, fluid velocity, force, torque, power requirements, and hydraulic oil displacement.
- Size and select hydraulic components, including pumps, motors, cylinders, valves, manifolds, accumulators, filters, hoses, fittings, and other hydraulic accessories.
- Analyze hydraulic system performance, efficiency, heat generation, pressure losses, and fluid requirements to ensure proper operation and reliability.
- Evaluate hydraulic system designs for potential failure modes, pressure spikes, cavitation, aeration, contamination, and other performance-related issues.
- Identify opportunities to improve hydraulic system efficiency, reliability, functionality, and overall product performance.
- Troubleshoot complex hydraulic system issues and develop corrective actions for product performance, reliability, and field-related concerns.
- Evaluate hydraulic fluid requirements, viscosity, temperature ranges, filtration, and compatibility with system components and operating conditions.
- Review and approve hydraulic component specifications, supplier recommendations, and technical documentation.
- Develop and implement test procedures to evaluate hydraulic system performance, pressure ratings, flow characteristics, operating temperatures, and overall product functionality.
- Plan and conduct hydraulic system testing, including pressure testing, flow testing, endurance testing, and performance validation.
- Analyze test data and recommend design modifications to improve system performance, safety, and reliability.
- Participate in prototype testing, production troubleshooting, and field evaluations.
- Provide technical support and troubleshooting assistance to manufacturing, product support, and customers regarding hydraulic and mechanical system issues.
- Investigate product failures and customer complaints, identify root causes, and implement corrective and preventative design improvements.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
- 5-10 years of engineering experience, with significant hands-on experience in hydraulic system design and development.
- Strong working knowledge of hydraulic systems, including hydraulic circuit design, component selection, system sizing, and performance calculations.
- Demonstrated experience designing and analyzing hydraulic circuits and systems involving pumps, motors, cylinders, control valves, manifolds, and associated components.
- Ability to perform hydraulic calculations involving pressure, flow, force, torque, horsepower, displacement, pressure losses, and system efficiency.
- Experience troubleshooting hydraulic systems and identifying root causes of performance issues, component failures, and system inefficiencies.
- Strong understanding of hydraulic fluid properties, filtration requirements, contamination control, heat management, and hydraulic system cleanliness.
- Experience designing hydraulic systems for demanding operating environments and varying load conditions.
- Advanced understanding of mechanical engineering principles, including stress analysis, structural calculations, loading, and material selection.
- Experience with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and mechanical design validation.
- 5-10 years of experience using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software and engineering design tools.
- Ability to read, interpret, and develop mechanical drawings, hydraulic schematics, engineering specifications, and technical documentation.
- Exceptional mechanical aptitude, analytical skills, and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to lead engineering projects and work independently while collaborating with cross-functional teams.
- Some travel may be required for customer meetings, trade shows, and field testing or troubleshooting. Expected travel less than 10%.
Preferred Qualities
- Experience with Solidworks CAD software.
- Experience working in a manufacturing facility.
- Experience designing to SAE and CE standards.
- Background in DFMEA, Problem solving, ISO requirements.
- Experience/certification in Lean and Six Sigma.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to sit for extended periods of time, particularly when working on the computer
- Ability to stand for extended periods of time, particularly when in the manufacturing facility
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds occasionally unassisted
- Ability to bend, kneel and stoop occasionally
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
- Ability to follow all safety requirements
- Ability to use standard office equipment (copier, fax, telephone, computer, etc.)
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position.
This job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions. It does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Critical features of this job are described under the headings above. They are subject to change at any time in the course of normal business operations.
