Process Development Engineer Placement

Are you currently a gap-year student wishing to obtain real-life engineering experience in a market leading manufacturing company to support your knowledge, dissertation, or future career path? Our 12-month Process Development Engineer placement allows you to do just that!  

At Radius Systems, we design and develop specialist safety critical plastic pipe and fittings for the gas, water, wastewater, and renewable energy markets. Our success within these markets has come from innovative products, high quality levels and the supply of robust solutions to meet customer requirements. The unique pipe systems that we manufacture have made us an established market leader. 

Our aim is to help you to reach your full potential in a manufacturing process role by providing you with the tools and experience necessary. 

What to expect: 

The top-level requirements from this project will be to understand variability, process capability and define best practices for extruding minimal weight, advanced quality products in PE material.  

As part of the development and operations team, the primary responsibility of the Process Development Engineer is to assess the PE extrusion process currently used within manufacturing and investigate all variables and influences of the line(s) that impact product quality, integrity, and process efficiency. Assessments of these variables will be required to understand capability of the process/process lines, with documented/detailed understanding of the process working towards defining a capable, optimised extrusion process. The scope of the project will be required to extend into the following three areas, however, will not be limited to these areas in defining best practice process: 

Objective 1: Detailed technical knowledge and construction of training materials for optimising manufacturing process i.e., the variability in the process, product size variation, setting up of the process and what this means for product quality. The scope will include development of “best practice process” for extruding advanced quality products in PE material. The process assessment is defined within the following boundaries:

• Start of the process assessment - materials entering the extrusion tool 
• In- process: Inclusive of tool design, annealing cells, cooling capability, guidance supports, timing, calibrators, measurement
• End of process assessment – coiling operation

Objective 2: Detailed recommendations for SMART capability and process autonomy. Assessment of in-process measurement technology for dimensional and material compliance, product defects and asset health monitoring. The section shall be broad to encompass a “factory of the future” philosophy. 

Objective 3: Identification of process “Key characteristics” will be required to be validated for reproducibility, robustness and manufactured efficiently.

What we’re looking for: 

• Students pursuing a master’s level degree in mechanical based engineering currently in a ‘gap year’ wishing to gain experience within industry to support his/her knowledge, dissertation, or career path in manufacturing process.
• The successful candidate will have: a willingness to learn alternative manufacturing processes; the drive to achieve scope of project; strong problem-solving skills; effective communication skills.
• The successful candidate will: be unafraid to push technical boundaries; embrace a ‘blank canvas’ approach to advancing and futurising an established process. 

What we offer you: 

• An autonomous role applying current skills in a fast-paced industrial environment. 
• The chance to deep dive into process characteristics using modern technologies to develop process. 
• Support and continuous mentoring that will come from an experienced development and manufacturing team. 
• Exposure throughout all levels of the business demonstrating technical know-how, lessons learnt and opportunities to change engineering process. 

Compensation and Benefits

• A competitive internship salary 
• 25 days’ holiday (plus 8 days holiday)
• Access to our EAP

Job Specifics

• Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm 
• 1-hour lunch
• Based at our Head Office at Radius House, Berristow Lane, Hilcote, Derby, DE55 2JJ

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