Mechanical Design Engineer – Solar Panel Cleaning Robot
We are looking for an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer to design and develop mechanical systems for our solar panel cleaning and monitoring robots for rooftop and utility-scale solar installations.
The role requires strong mechanical design ownership, hands-on prototyping experience, and the ability to convert product requirements into manufacturable, reliable, and cost-effective robotic assemblies.
Key Responsibilities
- Create 3D models, assemblies, and detailed manufacturing drawings using SolidWorks, NX, Creo, Inventor, AutoCAD, Fusion 360, or similar CAD software.
- Develop mechanical designs for components, systems, and assemblies based on product requirements, performance targets, cost limits, and manufacturability needs.
- Design robotic mechanisms including rails, sliders, bearing carriages, gearboxes, belt-pulley systems, shafts, brackets, motor mounts, brush/wiper assemblies, enclosures, and docking interfaces.
- Work closely with vendors for manufacturing parts and ensure timely development of prototypes and production-ready components.
- Apply hands-on knowledge of machining, fabrication, sheet metal, pressure die casting, injection molding, casting, assembly, and finishing processes.
- Coordinate prototype manufacturing, assembly, testing, validation, performance analysis, and design iteration.
- Support the complete manufacturing cycle to ensure design specifications, tolerances, quality standards, and reliability requirements are achieved.
- Identify issues during manufacturing, assembly, field testing, or performance validation and recommend practical design improvements.
- Prepare and maintain technical documents including BOMs, 2D drawings, GD&T details, operational procedures, design records, test observations, and vendor inputs.
- Research competitor products, patents, mechanisms, materials, and emerging technologies to generate design improvement and innovation ideas.
- Select and integrate mechanical/electromechanical components such as motors, drives, encoders, bearings, seals, fasteners, rubber parts, brushes, and airflow/vacuum components.
- Perform or support design analysis including structural checks, airflow design, static pressure calculations, load calculations, and basic thermal/mechanical validation.
- Collaborate with electronics, software, manufacturing, vendors, designers, and project managers to achieve product development milestones.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering or related field; Master’s in Mechanical/Mechatronics preferred.
- 3+ years of experience in mechanical design, robotics, automation, machinery, or product development.
- Strong CAD skills in SolidWorks, NX, Creo, Inventor, AutoCAD, Fusion 360, or similar tools.
- Hands-on experience in sheet metal, GD&T, tolerance stack-up, fabrication drawings, and manufacturing documentation.
- Experience with metals, plastics, rubber, seals, brushes, glass interfaces, and outdoor-use materials.
- Knowledge of DIN, EN, IS, ISO, ASME, DFM, DFA, and DFR principles.
- Strong fundamentals in machine design, mechanics, materials, thermodynamics, and structural analysis.
- Detail-oriented with strong documentation, communication, Microsoft Office, and BOM management skills.
Desired Technical Expertise
- Gearbox design and analysis, including gear selection, torque calculations, shaft sizing, bearing selection, lubrication considerations, and packaging constraints.
- Airflow or vacuum system design, including fan/blower selection, duct design, sealing strategy, static pressure calculations, and dust removal efficiency improvement.
- Experience in ANSYS or similar simulation tools for CFD, structural analysis, FEA, vibration checks, and design validation.
- Experience with mechanical design of drive products, rotating systems, linear motion systems, robotic cleaning mechanisms, or outdoor automated machines.
- Ability to optimize designs for weight, strength, durability, weather resistance, ease of service, and cost-effective manufacturing.
- Experience from design engineering firms, product design consultancies, robotics companies, automation companies, or machinery manufacturers is preferred.
Good to Have
- Experience in NPI, localization, vendor development, and mechanical development of drive products or automation systems.
- Knowledge of solar panel mounting systems, rooftop constraints, outdoor equipment design, IP-rated enclosures, dust protection, and field-serviceable product architecture.
- Exposure to robotics, mechatronics, industrial automation, embedded systems integration, sensor mounts, encoders, and actuator packaging.
- Experience converting prototype designs into production-ready drawings, SOPs, inspection requirements, and vendor-ready documentation.
- Ability to work with limited resources in a startup environment while maintaining engineering discipline, documentation quality, and fast execution.
Suggested Technical Assessment
Shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete a practical design task relevant to the role, such as designing a lightweight rail and slider brush mechanism, gearbox/motor mounting system, airflow/vacuum cleaning arrangement, or manufacturable enclosure with 3D CAD, 2D drawings, BOM, material selection, and basic calculations.
Application Requirements
- Updated resume with relevant mechanical design and product development experience.
- Portfolio showing CAD models, assemblies, manufacturing drawings, prototypes, or machine/product design work.
- Examples of vendor-ready drawings, GD&T use, sheet metal/plastic/metal component design, or simulation work, if available.
- Expected compensation, availability, and preferred engagement type.
For queries and resume submission, share at : [email protected].
Pay: ₹25,000.00 - ₹61,000.00 per month
Experience:
- Mechanical design: 2 years (Preferred)
Work Location: In person