Frames Welding Engineer at Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa

Responsibilities / Accountabilities

• Establish and maintain welding process and quality parameters according to customer specifications for MIG (GMAW) and resistance welding operations
• Create reaction plans to correct in process welds that are out of specification
• Establish procedures, processes and testing equipment for destructive and non-destructive testing on resistance & MIG welding applications. Including cut & etch (macro etch), Peel and tensile tests with the assistance from the Quality Department
• Work with Design and Manufacturing Engineering and Prototype Departments to fine-tune designs, material selection, documentation, fixtures, gages, and process control to optimize product manufacturability
• Work with Design and Manufacturing Engineering to develop welding systems and fixtures and participate in FMEA’s
• Study current welding processes for cost reduction and process improvement
• Maintain performance on weld cells (touch-up, troubleshooting, improvements)
• Train and aid in the skills development of the welding and local quality team
• Assist in qualification of weld cells and processes
• Leads or participates in Kaizen activities to drive and ensure continuous improvement in processes, products, components, raw materials, and equipment 
• Undertake root because analysis complete with ICA and PCA should defects be experienced.

Performance Measure/ Success Criteria 

• Improve Framing Line equipment uptime using monitoring tools and weld verification (destructive/non-destructive testing).
• Develop and implement short, medium and long-term improvement plans for implementation within the welding process.
• Undertake root cause analysis and ensure Permanent Corrective Actions (PCA’s) are implemented while ensuring weld quality and integrity.
• Optimization of weld processes to meet objectives of lowering cost and/or improving productivity.
• Providing assistance in the welding assembly and maintenance of welding equipment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) 

• Experience with designing and programming manual, robotic and automated welding systems.
• Proficient in ISO GD&T standards
• GMAW experience on walled tubing (Chassis)
• Experience with Kawasaki robots / Lincoln welding equipment
• Experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment
• Applied knowledge of carbon equivalency formula

Qualifications and Experiences 

• National Diploma or degree: Mechanical / Welding Engineering 
• 3-4 Years Part / Product Assembly Experience.
• Weld parameter setup.
• Destructive testing and weld quality verification