Job Title: Manufacturing Engineer
Location : Bedford, MA
Division: Photonics
Department : EM4
Position Description:
As the Manufacturing Engineer – Automation & Fiber Alignment, you will be responsible for developing, sustaining, and continuously improving the automated and semi‑automated manufacturing systems that enable production of our advanced laser products. This is a hands‑on role at the heart of production, driving yield, throughput, and process stability.
You will collaborate closely with Manufacturing, Process Engineering, Quality, and R&D to transition robust processes from development into volume manufacturing and support them throughout the product lifecycle. You will play a key role in scaling precision photonics assembly processes—particularly in fiber alignment and attach—and ensuring they remain reliable, controlled, and manufacturable at scale.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Automation Ownership
- Design, develop, and sustain automated and semi‑automated equipment for laser assembly, including motion systems, machine vision, metrology, dispense/weld tools, and UV/thermal cure platforms.
- Specify and integrate precision automation components such as stages, controllers (PLC/industrial PC), sensors, interlocks, and data‑acquisition systems.
- Create and maintain equipment requirements, acceptance criteria, and run‑at‑rate plans; lead factory acceptance and production release.
- Define preventive maintenance plans, calibration strategies, spares lists, and overall equipment lifecycle management.
- Drive equipment reliability improvements using uptime metrics, structured root‑cause analysis, and corrective actions.
- Perform CAD/mechanical design for fixtures, tooling, and assembly/test stations.
Fiber Alignment & Fiber Attach Process Engineering
- Own the full fiber alignment and attach process—from active alignment through attach (epoxy or laser weld), cure, and post‑cure verification.
- Develop and control process windows for critical parameters such as alignment algorithms, coupling optimization, welding conditions, adhesive selection, cure profiles, thermal management, and mechanical fixturing.
- Define and execute DOE‑based process characterization for coupling efficiency, back‑reflection, power stability, and long‑term reliability.
- Establish in‑line controls and acceptance tests, including insertion/return loss, power stability, pull/shear strength, and visual/AI‑based inspection.
- Write and maintain work instructions, process specs, travelers, and training documents to ensure consistent execution across operators and shifts.
Yield, Quality, and Scale
- Lead structured problem solving for yield loss and defects using 8D, DMAIC, fishbone, Pareto, and statistical methods.
- Implement SPC, control plans, MSA/Gage R&R, and traceability systems for critical‑to‑quality characteristics.
- Partner with Quality on nonconformance disposition, CAPAs, and audit readiness.
- Support NPI activities: process transfer from R&D, DFM/DFS feedback, pilot builds, and ramp into stable production.
Data Systems & Documentation
- Build data pipelines from equipment into MES/SPC systems; define dashboards, alarms, and drift‑detection criteria.
- Maintain complete technical documentation, including PFMEA, process flows, control plans, equipment manuals, and validation reports.
- Required Skills and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Electrical, Mechatronics, or related engineering field (MS/PhD a plus).
- 5+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in precision assembly; photonics/laser experience strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience developing or supporting automation equipment in a production environment.
- Proven ability to improve critical processes using DOE, SPC, and root‑cause methodologies.
- Comfortable in a hands‑on manufacturing environment, including troubleshooting, fixture tuning, and rapid iteration.
- Proficiency in SolidWorks. Required Skills and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Electrical, Mechatronics, or related engineering field (MS/PhD a plus).
- 5+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in precision assembly; photonics/laser experience strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience developing or supporting automation equipment in a production environment.
- Proven ability to improve critical processes using DOE, SPC, and root‑cause methodologies.
- Comfortable in a hands‑on manufacturing environment, including troubleshooting, fixture tuning, and rapid iteration.
- Proficiency in SolidWorks. Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with active fiber alignment (power maximization, 5–6 DOF, machine‑vision‑assisted strategies).
- Familiarity with laser welding and adhesive/epoxy attach processes including UV/thermal cure and contamination control.
- Background in motion control: precision stages, encoders, PID tuning, error budgeting, vibration/thermal effects.
- Programming/scripting skills in Python, LabVIEW, C#/C++, or similar; PLC/HMI exposure a plus.
- Knowledge of optical metrology and inspection tools (power meters, photodiodes, interferometry, microscopes, vision systems).
- Experience with ESD, clean handling, and contamination control in photonics assembly.
- Familiarity with ISO 9001/AS9100 environments.