Electrical Engineer

Electrical Engineer

Head Office: Chloorkop, Kempton Park
Employment Type: Full-Time
Working Hours: Monday – Friday | 07:00 – 16:00

Position purpose

The company is seeking a qualified and practically orientated Electrical Engineer to assist with the electrical design, control panel manufacturing, PLC programming, testing, commissioning and technical support of its industrial machinery.

This is a hands on engineering position. The successful candidate must be willing and able to work in both an engineering design environment and on the factory floor.

The role is suited to an electrical or mechatronic engineering graduate with practical automation experience and a strong interest in industrial machinery. The successful candidate will work closely with our engineering, manufacturing and technical teams while developing toward independent responsibility for electrical control systems.

The objective of the position is to improve the standardisation, documentation, reliability, safety and technical support of all machinery.

Key responsibilities

1. Electrical design and drawings

• Assist with the development of electrical control systems for new and existing machinery.
• Translate machine operating requirements into electrical control sequences.
• Prepare and maintain electrical drawings using EPLAN, AutoCAD Electrical, SolidWorks Electrical or equivalent software.
• Produce and update:
• Power and control circuit diagrams
• Control panel layouts
• Terminal plans
• Cable schedules
• Input/output lists
• Component schedules
• Interconnection diagrams
• As-built drawings
• Convert existing manually built panels into accurate software based electrical drawings.
• Ensure that drawings reflect the actual components and wiring installed on each machine.
• Assist with electrical load, cable-sizing, power-supply and protection calculations.
• Maintain drawing numbers, revision histories and engineering change records.

2. Control panel manufacturing

• Participate directly in the manufacture, assembly and wiring of electrical control panels.
• Mount components, install trunking and terminals, complete panel cut-outs and label equipment.
• Wire power circuits, control circuits, PLC inputs and outputs, sensors, switches and solenoids.
• Ensure correct wire sizing, identification, segregation, termination and earthing.
• Read and interpret electrical schematics during panel construction.
• Inspect panels for workmanship, correctness and serviceability.
• Test completed panels before installation on machinery.
• Assist with developing standard panel layouts and wiring practices for machines.

The successful candidate must be willing to manufacture and wire control panels personally and may not treat panel building as an artisan-only responsibility.

3. PLC and HMI programming

• Develop and modify PLC programs.
• Develop HMI screens, alarms, operating parameters and diagnostic information.
• Configure PLC inputs and outputs.
• Program automatic, manual and maintenance operating modes.
• Incorporate sensors, limit switches, pressure switches, solenoid valves and motor controls into the PLC sequence.
• Assist with integrating emergency stops, guards and machine interlocks.
• Configure variable-speed drives, soft starters and other electronic control devices.
• Test PLC and HMI programs on machinery.
• Diagnose basic PLC, HMI and communication faults.
• Maintain organised backups of all PLC and HMI programs.
• Record software changes and ensure that the correct program version is installed on each machine.
• Assist with developing standard PLC and HMI templates for different machine ranges.

4. New machine development

• Work closely with the mechanical, hydraulic and manufacturing teams during new machine development.
• Participate in electrical and mechanical design reviews.
• Assist with developing the machine operating sequence and control philosophy.
• Identify the motors, sensors, switches, actuators and control devices required.
• Assist with component selection and preparation of bills of materials.
• Participate in prototype control-panel manufacturing.
• Assist with machine trials, testing and design improvements.
• Document changes identified during prototype development.
• Ensure that approved changes are incorporated into the drawings, programs and final machine.

5. Testing and commissioning

• Conduct input/output checks.
• Test motors, contactors, overloads, drives, sensors, switches, actuators and solenoids.
• Test automatic and manual machine sequences.
• Verify alarms, emergency stops, safety switches and interlocks.
• Assist with continuity, insulation resistance and earth continuity testing.
• Identify and correct wiring, programming and component faults.
• Assist with factory acceptance testing.
• Commission standard machinery at the factory.
• Assist with commissioning at customer sites when required.
• Prepare testing and commissioning records.
• Obtain appropriate technical approval before machinery is released.

6. Electrical safety and standards

• Apply approved electrical design and panel building standards.
• Develop practical knowledge of applicable South African and international standards, including:
• SANS/IEC 60204-1 for electrical equipment of machines
• SANS/IEC 61439, where applicable
• SANS 10142-1, where relevant
• IEC 61131-3 PLC programming principles
• Applicable Occupational Health and Safety requirements
• Applicable Electrical Machinery and Driven Machinery Regulations
• Assist with machine risk assessments.
• Ensure suitable isolation, protection, earthing, emergency stopping and interlocking.
• Escalate safety, compliance or design matters that fall outside the employee’s level of competence.
• Identify work requiring review or sign-off by an appropriately experienced or registered person.
• Maintain the documentation needed to support future technical and compliance reviews.

The incumbent will not initially carry sole professional responsibility for complex designs but must develop the knowledge and experience required to assume greater responsibility over time.

7. Technical support and fault-finding

• Provide technical assistance to production and service teams.
• Assist with electrical, PLC, hydraulic and mechanical machine fault-finding.
• Provide telephonic and remote technical support for machinery operating throughout South Africa.
• Obtain clear information from customers and technicians, including:
• Fault descriptions
• Photographs and videos
• Electrical measurements
• PLC and HMI status information
• Alarm messages
• Guide technicians through safe and structured diagnostic procedures.
• Help determine whether faults are electrical, electronic, PLC-related, hydraulic, mechanical or operational.
• Escalate complex faults to the appropriate senior technical person.
• Ensure that unqualified persons are not instructed to perform unsafe electrical work.
• Record reported faults, root causes and corrective actions.
• Identify recurring faults and recommend design or programming improvements.
• Develop the ability to independently support standard machines nationally.

8. Technical documentation

• Assist with creating and maintaining electrical technical files for machines.
• Ensure that each machine has:
• Current electrical drawings
• An approved PLC and HMI program
• An input/output list
• A component list
• Testing records
• Commissioning information
• A record of design changes
• Assist with developing:
• Standard electrical drawings
• Standard panel layouts
• Approved component lists
• PLC programming standards
• Testing checklists
• Commissioning procedures
• Fault-finding guides
• Technical and service manuals
• Maintain accurate and orderly electronic records.

9. Teamwork and development

• Work closely with engineers, designers, millwrights, electricians, panel builders, welders, assemblers and technicians.
• Learn th