3673) Paint Shop Jig Design Engineer

Role Purpose
To design, validate, and continuously improve paint shop jigs for plastic automotive parts by correctly identifying holding points, ensuring paintability, surface quality (Class-A / Piano Black), ergonomics, and high productivity in conveyorized and manual paint operations.

Key Responsibilities

1. Jig Design & Holding Point Identification (Core Skill)
   • Study plastic part geometry, Class-A surfaces, ribs, bosses, clips, snap features, and non-appearance areas.
   • Identify exact holding / clamping points that:
   o Do not disturb Class-A or visible surfaces
   o Avoid paint shadowing, thin film, edge build-up
   o Prevent part distortion during hanging, curing, and cooling
   • Decide number of holding points based on:
   o Part weight and CG
   o Conveyor pitch and acceleration
   o Oven temperature & sag risk
   • Finalize primary & secondary supports (hard stop, floating supports, spring-loaded pins where required).

2. Paint Process Compatibility
   • Design jigs compatible with:
   o Primer, Basecoat, Clearcoat / 2-coat / 3-coat systems
   o conventional spray guns
   • Ensure:
   o Maximum paint exposure
   o Minimal shadow areas
   o Easy gun access at 45°–90° spray angles
   • Consider DFT uniformity, orange peel sensitivity, and gloss critical zones.

3. Jig Design & Detailing
   • Prepare:
   o 2D manufacturing drawings
   o 3D CAD models
   o BOM for jig assemblies
   • Select appropriate:
   o Jig materials (MS, SS, Aluminum)
   o Insulation bushes / ceramic sleeves (for heat zones)
   • Design for:
   o Quick loading/unloading
   o Operator ergonomics
   o Fool-proof part location (Poka-Yoke)

4. Trial, Validation & Shop Floor Support
   • Participate in:
   o Paint trials
   o First-off approval
   o Jig buy-off
   • Analyze defects related to jig design:
   o Paint skips
   o Edge thinning
   o Hook marks
   o Sag due to wrong holding
   • Implement on-line jig corrections quickly.

5. Continuous Improvement
   • Improve:
   o Jig life
   o Cycle time
   o Part handling ease
   • Reduce:
   o Rework
   o Touch-ups
   o Operator dependency
   • Standardize best holding practices for similar parts.

Required Technical Skills (Must-Have)
Plastic Part Understanding
• Injection molding features:
o Ribs, bosses, snap-fits
o Draft angles
o Sink-prone areas
• Understanding of:
o Heat distortion temperature (HDT)
o Warpage behavior in oven

Jig & Fixture Knowledge
• Hanging jigs, pin jigs, clamp jigs
• Spring-loaded supports
• Floating locators
• Conveyor-mounted and trolley jigs

Paint Shop Knowledge (Preferred)
• Paint defect root causes related to jig design
• Masking vs jig holding trade-offs CAD & Tools
• AutoCAD / SolidWorks / NX / Creo (any one)
• Ability to read GD&T and plastic part drawings
• Jig trial checklists & validation sheets

Experience Requirement
• 5–10 years in automotive plastic paint shop jig design
• Preferred Hands-on exposure to:
o Conveyorized paint shops
• Direct involvement in part trials and shop floor problem-solving

Behavioral & Practical Skills
• Strong shop-floor mindset
• Ability to visualize paint flow and gun movement
• Fast decision-making during trials
• Good communication with:
o Production
o Quality
o Paint engineers

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• First-time-right jig approval
• Reduction in paint defects due to jig
• Jig loading time
• Jig durability & maintenance frequency
• Line rejection reduction

Preferred (Added Advantage)
• Experience in:
o Class-A / Piano Black parts
o Chrome-look or high-gloss finishes
• Knowledge of:
o Oven airflow & temperature impact on jigs
o Static charge behavior in plastic parts