Stress Engineer – Farnborough
Who we are:
Auxitrol Weston is an Operating Unit consisting of 4 top tier manufacturing sites; Auxitrol SA (France), WestonAerospace Ltd (UK), Norwich Aero Products Inc. (USA) and Auxitrol Weston (Mexico), all with design, manufacturing and test capabilities; as well as 4 maintenance, repair and overhaul shops in France, USA, Singapore and China.
Using our combined know-how and intellectual property, we develop world‑class sensors for gas turbine and airframe applications; placing us at the forefront of the Aerospace and Defence markets.
Weston Aerospace Ltd has approximately 175 employees at Farnborough who work across multiple product lines including temperature, speed, pressure and vibration sensing.
At Farnborough, we have extensive in‑house environmental test facilities enabling us to verify the performance of our products by replicating their hostile operating conditions (Testing – Auxitrol Weston).
Role & Job Summary
Location: Farnborough
Role Type: Permanent
Scope of the Role
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Stress Engineer to join the Engineering team in Farnborough. It is an important role within the Engineering Department, analysing and designing mechanical and static components to ensure strength and integrity throughout life, supporting the development of technologies at low technology readiness levels (TRL), exploring the limits of product capability and beyond to really understand our designs and the verification of product performance against our customer’s requirements.
The products are typically highly engineered sensors and associated signal‑transmitting cables that measure the performance characteristics and local conditions whilst surviving the extreme environment of gas turbine engines used in various applications, chiefly aeronautics.
You will enjoy working in a dynamic and fast‑paced engineering team, applying your analytical mind–and practical approach to solve challenging technical problems every day. You will thrive working in an environment with a high volume of work, being able to effectively prioritise tasks and manage your time.
You will actively participate in the New Product Introduction (NPI) process, with the opportunity to influence and contribute to the design of new sensors. In this role, you will work with autonomy and be empowered to analyse test data and make fact‑based, risk‑informed decisions on a regular basis. To be successful in this role you will be highly motivated, proactive and tenacious in your pursuit of a full understanding of the component forces, stress systems leading to effective design solutions right first time.
Key Responsibilities
- Perform a range of stress analysis (and mechanical tests) to analyse the structural integrity of mechanical systems, components and materials
- Utilise CAD and FEA software to accurately model and analyse structures under complex loads and conditions to ensure structural integrity
- Perform hand calculations and use analytical methods to validate the FEA data and substantiate the design safety factors
- Performing risk assessment exercises based on experience, database information and first‑pass analysis
- Evaluate the life span and durability of structures and materials under dynamic cyclic loading and temperature
- Understanding key aerospace structural material properties and performance, especially super alloys and their applications in high temperature gas turbine environments
- Select and use material properties correctly to ensure stress analysis results are realistic and accurate
- Review designs and identify potential failure modes and recommend design improvements
- Collaboration and working closely with cross‑functional teams, products, design engineers and project managers
- Keeping abreast of latest stress analysis techniques and applying to the analysis
- Maintain and update stress modelling procedures, incorporating best practice
- Assist with test failure investigations
- Proactively contribute to continuous improvement initiatives in test methodologies, processes, and laboratory operations
- Prepare presentations to communicate results and recommendations to stakeholders
- Report writing, document analysis results, recommendations and findings in a clear and concise technical report
- To estimate the analysis activities by project and guarantee they are met
- Understanding of design tools e.g. DFMEA, DFx etc. and their application to FEA
- Assist in the execution of product development and the associated Qualification and Certification campaigns
Qualifications / Skills / Experience
Essential
- Educated to degree level (or equivalent) in a relevant subject such as Mechanical Engineering, Product Engineering or Physics
- Strong understanding of structural mechanics and numerical methods, with demonstrable previous experience in stress analysis and material testing
- Proficiency with CAD Software (e.g. Creo, SolidWorks) and FEA software (e.g. Creo Simulate)
- Experience in conducting structural analysis (linear static and linear dynamic), modal/vibration analysis, and thermal analysis (steady state conduction and convection)
- Knowledge of the relevant engineering codes and standards
- Ability to prepare designs using Computer‑Aided Design (CAD) methods
- Strong Microsoft Office skills in all applications, particularly advanced in Excel
- Ability to plan, organise and manage work within the defined area of responsibility, with a diligent approach to record keeping and a logical/analytical mindset
- Ability to apply known problem‑solving techniques in the pursuit of solutions
- Ability to develop valued relationships across all levels of the organisation, customers and suppliers
- Demonstrate strong communication skills and effectively collaborate within a larger team
- A good understanding of typical aerospace material, especially super alloys, their properties and applications with respect to the jet engines
Desirable
- Experienced in the use of CREO Simulate, Siemens NX and TeamCenter software applications
- Experienced in the use of CREO or SolidWorks
- Prior experience of working within the aerospace or similar highly regulated industry
- Knowledge of aerospace specifications, standards, regulatory requirements and quality methods
- Appraisal of the phase‑gate NPI process for designing and developing products
- Evidence of staying up to date with latest advances in analysis methods; capability and willingness to innovate and propose new/better tools to the business
- Experience in sensor design or analysis, as well as design for manufacture/assembly
Competencies
- Customer Focus: knows how and understand the needs of internal and external customers. Is result oriented and works hard to consistently provide exceptional service
- Ethics and Values: adheres to an effective set of core values and beliefs and acts in accordance
- Integrity and Trust: widely trusted and seen as direct and truthful
- Values Diversity: supports fair and equal treatment of all
- Problem Solving: Looks beyond the obvious to find effective solutions
- Functional technical skills: possesses the skills to be effective in the job and has the skills to perform the job at a high level of accomplishment
- Listening: practices active and attentive listening, able to hear others
- Action orientated: full on energy, willing to take action
- Composure: cool under pressure, not knocked off balance by the unexpected is a settling influence
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