Hardware & Controls Engineer – Metal Additive Manufacturing

Titan International | Pottstown, Pennsylvania

About Titan International

Titan International is a recycler and refiner of critical metals. We are developing a metal additive manufacturing platform for rhenium, tungsten, and other advanced metals and alloys.

The core hardware has already been developed, including a custom extruder, precision metering pump, and automated feedstock delivery system. Most of our development components, fixtures, and prototypes are designed and produced in-house using FDM and resin printers. Practical additive manufacturing and rapid hardware iteration are therefore central to this position.

We are seeking a hands-on engineer to integrate these systems into a reliable manufacturing platform and advance its printing accuracy, consistency, and process capability.

The Role

This is a multidisciplinary build-and-test position spanning mechanical design, rapid prototyping, mechatronics integration, controls, instrumentation, paste preparation, and process development. You will take ownership of converting existing subsystems into a coordinated, closed-loop additive manufacturing platform.

Key Responsibilities

Design, print, test, and iteratively improve mechanical components, tooling, test fixtures, and development prototypes using FDM and resin printers.

Operate, calibrate, maintain, and troubleshoot FDM and resin printing equipment.

Select appropriate printing materials and optimize slicing parameters, orientation, supports, tolerances, post-processing, and dimensional accuracy.

Develop the per-layer drying system, including its hardware, integration into the printing sequence, and control strategy coordinating drying with material deposition.

Integrate the custom extrusion and feedstock-delivery hardware with the printer’s motion platform.

Implement motion and process control using Klipper, including synchronization of material delivery with toolpath execution.

Develop fault-detection and recovery strategies for overpressure, feedstock starvation, extrusion jams, and other process interruptions.

Implement and tune closed-loop control using force, pressure, position, and encoder feedback.

Conduct calibration and process-characterization studies to establish stable operating windows.

Prepare high-solids loaded feedstocks in the laboratory, including binder systems evaluation, vacuum mixing, degassing, cartridge loading, and batch quality control.

Plan and execute structured printing campaigns through debinding and sintering, then use the results to refine hardware, control parameters, and feedstock formulations.

Develop data-acquisition and analysis tools for process monitoring, traceability, and continuous improvement.

Build the foundation for data-driven and machine-learning-based control, moving the platform from manually tuned operation toward adaptive and self-optimizing performance.

Document system designs, wiring, calibration procedures, experimental results, and operating protocols.

Required Qualifications

Demonstrated hands-on experience with both FDM and resin 3D printing, including machine setup, calibration, slicing, troubleshooting, material selection, and post-processing.

Ability to design functional, print-ready mechanical components and assemblies, with a practical understanding of tolerances, fits, print orientation, supports, and design for additive manufacturing.

Proficiency in Fusion 360 or comparable mechanical CAD software.

Hands-on experience integrating electromechanical systems, including stepper or closed-loop motors, motor drives, load cells, encoders, pressure sensors, and associated wiring.

Experience configuring Klipper and developing custom modules, macros, or related control functionality.

Proficiency in Python and C++.

Practical experience implementing and tuning closed-loop control on physical hardware.

Ability and willingness to work directly in a laboratory, including weighing and mixing materials, preparing experiments, operating equipment, and maintaining accurate records.

A practical, methodical approach to troubleshooting complex interactions among hardware, software, materials, and process conditions.

This is a hands-on design, fabrication, integration, and experimental-development role - not a simulation-only position.

Strongly Preferred Experience

Direct ink writing, robocasting, bioprinting, paste extrusion, or related additive manufacturing processes.

Rheology of high-solids suspensions, including yield stress, thixotropy, and shear-thinning behavior.

Progressive-cavity, peristaltic, or auger-based pumping of viscous or abrasive materials.

Powder metallurgy, metal injection molding, debinding, and sintering.

Applied machine learning or statistical modeling using process time-series data.

Design of experiments and structured process optimization.

Development or substantial modification of custom 3D printers, CNC systems, robotics, or laboratory automation equipment.

Who Will Succeed in This Role

We place greater value on demonstrated capability than on a specific degree or conventional career path. The strongest candidate will be someone who enjoys designing and building machines, rapidly producing and testing physical prototypes, diagnosing difficult hardware–software interactions, and using disciplined experiments to improve performance.

You may have built a machine from the ground up, redesigned a printer to perform a function it was never intended to perform, or taught yourself controls because a project demanded it. Serious 3D-printing enthusiasts are explicitly encouraged to apply. Extensive experience building and modifying FDM or resin printers, developing custom Klipper configurations, and diagnosing difficult extrusion and print-quality problems can be as relevant as formal industry experience.

This position offers the opportunity to work on real hardware in a small, technically ambitious team while benefiting from the resources and stability of an established critical-metals refiner.

Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience.

Pay: From $50,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Disability insurance

Employee assistance program

Flexible spending account

Health insurance

Health savings account

Life insurance

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Vision insurance

Work Location: In person