Job Description

We are searching for a Precision Grinder of non-metals to join our Freeport, PA facility for the Undersea Materials Technology Prototyping Department at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. We are seeking a skilled ceramic machinist who will play a crucial role in the research and development of advanced ceramic materials. The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in precision CNC grinding and a passion for solving complex machining challenges. If you like doing something different every day and if you enjoying tackling new challenges in machine set up, tool pathing, tool selection, and fixturing we want to talk to you.

ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.

You Will:

• Set up and Operate CNC grinding machines to achieve high-precision finishes on small quantities of ceramic prototype components
• Design and fabricate custom fixtures to support complex machining tasks, ensuring optimal stability and accuracy during the grinding process
• Ability to locate sources of supply for advanced tooling and work with tooling vendors to procure
• Tackle challenging ceramic and hard material grinding tasks by developing and implementing innovative machining strategies and solutions
• Work collaboratively with research teams to understand project requirements and provide machining expertise
• Conduct inspections and tests to ensure that machined components meet specified tolerances and quality standards
• Maintain accurate records of machining processes, materials used, and outcomes to support research documentation and compliance

Additional responsibilities for higher level position includes

• Develop and de-bug tool pathing using MasterCAM or similar software
• Provide tooling vendors with suggested modifications of tool design and configuration to achieve advanced machining outcomes
• Interact closely with machine vendors to troubleshoot malfunctions and to overcome machine limitations
• Use advanced characterization tools to evaluate surface roughness and dimensional discrepancies on machined parts
• Provide written reports for inclusion in higher level project reports

Required skills/experience areas include:

• 4+ years of experience in precision CNC of ceramics
• Fabricate solutions for complex machining tasks, including custom fixturing and tooling
• CNC-related topics such as CNC programming, GD&T, work holding, tool selection, inspection, unit conversion, and CNC machine maintenance, safety & best practices
• Strong work ethic, communication skills, and creative, can-do attitude

Preferred skills/experience areas include:

• Advanced CNC techniques: five-axis machining, additive/subtractive hybrid CNC, strong CAD/CAM proficiency
• Piezoelectric, optical, electronic, carbide and/or refractory materials
• Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher and may be subject to a government background investigation to upgrade clearance eligibility, if required

Your working location will be fully on-site located in Freeport, PA. Questions related to flexible work should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process. This position will require periodic travel to remote locations in support of testing as part of a small team of researchers, engineers, and technologists.

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