Technical Lead

Job Summary

We are seeking a Motion Control Engineer to own the design, configuration, and optimization of multi-axis motion systems built on ACS Motion Control platforms. You will select the right motor, encoder, drive, and controller architecture for each application, then bring those systems to life — wiring, commissioning, programming, and tuning them to meet demanding accuracy, throughput, and reliability targets.

This role sits at the intersection of electrical design and controls software. You should be equally comfortable reading a schematic, pulling a scope trace on a servo loop, and writing ACSPL+ code.

Key Responsibilities

Motion system architecture and selection

• Size and select servo/stepper motors, linear and rotary, based on load, duty cycle, inertia ratio, and thermal budget
• Specify feedback devices — incremental and absolute encoders, resolvers, linear scales — matching resolution, interface (EnDat, BiSS, Sin/Cos, A/B), and accuracy to the application
• Define the controller and drive architecture: ACS controller family, EtherCAT network topology, drive sizing, power supply and regen requirements
• Perform trade studies on cost, performance, and lead time; produce bills of material and vendor comparisons

Configuration, programming, and tuning

• Configure ACS controllers and drives using MotionBoot, SPiiPlus MMI Application Studio, and related toolchains
• Develop motion applications in ACSPL+ — multi-axis coordinated motion, gantry and master/slave configurations, gearing, camming, PVT and spline trajectories, registration and triggered motion
• Tune servo loops — current, velocity, and position — using frequency response analysis, notch and low-pass filters, feedforward terms, and disturbance rejection techniques
• Characterize and correct settling time, following error, resonance, backlash, and cogging; validate against spec with data
• Implement safety and fault handling: limits, E-stop chains, STO, homing strategies, error recovery

Electrical integration

• Produce and review motion control schematics, panel layouts, cable and harness drawings, and I/O maps
• Debug wiring, grounding, shielding, and EMI issues on the bench and on the machine floor
• Support panel build, wiring checkout, and power-on of new systems

PLC and machine integration

• Program and integrate PLCs (Siemens TIA Portal, Rockwell Studio 5000, Beckhoff TwinCAT, or equivalent) that supervise or coordinate with the motion controller
• Implement fieldbus communication — EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP — between PLC, motion controller, HMI, and upper-level software
• Work with mechanical, software, and manufacturing engineering through design reviews, integration, and production ramp
• Document designs, tuning parameters, and commissioning procedures; support transfer to manufacturing and field service

Skill Requirements

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related discipline
• 7–8 years of hands-on experience in industrial motion control and automation
• Demonstrated experience with ACS Motion Control hardware and software — SPiiPlus controllers/drives, ACSPL+ programming, MMI Application Studio
• Strong working knowledge of servo control theory: control loop structure, gain tuning, frequency response, stability margins, feedforward
• Proven ability to size and select motors, drives, and feedback devices from first principles rather than by catalog matching
• Solid electrical fundamentals: ability to create and interpret schematics and wiring diagrams, and to troubleshoot with a multimeter, oscilloscope, and controller trace tools
• PLC programming experience in at least one major platform, including ladder and structured text
• Familiarity with industrial networks, especially EtherCAT, and with machine safety concepts and standards
• Comfortable working hands-on in a lab or machine floor environment, including bring-up and debug of prototype hardware

Preferred

• Experience with multi-axis gantry systems, dual-loop feedback, or direct-drive linear and torque motors
• Experience with other motion platforms (Beckhoff, Aerotech, Delta Tau/Power PMAC, Siemens, Rockwell) for comparison and migration work
• Knowledge of vibration analysis, mechanical resonance, and structural dynamics as they affect closed-loop performance
• Exposure to machine vision or sensor-triggered motion
• Experience supporting equipment through design-to-production transition

Other Requirements