Advance Controls Engineer – PLC / Robot / Virtual Commissioning

Experience: 2–6 Years
Qualification: Engineering degree/diploma – Electrical / Electronics / Automation / Mechatronics or related
Location: Chennai
Open Positions: 02

Role Overview

We are looking for Controls Engineers to support advanced controls engineering for FORD manufacturing cells, including PLC programming, collaborative robot programming, virtual commissioning, functional safety, HMI development and virtual validation before physical deployment.

Key Responsibilities

• Program, configure and troubleshoot Siemens S7-1500 / S7-1500F PLCs covering standard and safety logic; support Rockwell PLC programming where applicable.
• Develop motion paths, safety zones, tool control and interface logic for FANUC, ABB and Kawasaki robots/cobots.
• Develop modular, reusable and well-commented PLC logic compliant with Ford / Plant Controls Standards.
• Integrate PLC, robot, HMI and peripheral-device controls in Virtual Commissioning environments using digital models.
• Build kinematic behaviours, sensors, actuators and physics into 3D models and establish SiL / HiL connectivity.
• Conduct virtual factory acceptance testing including automatic/manual/dry-run cycles, safety interlocks, E-stops, collaborative speed/zone changes and fault-injection scenarios.
• Configure and verify PROFINET, PROFIsafe, OPC UA and TCP/IP interfaces between PLCs, robots, HMIs and peripheral devices.
• Develop HMI/operator interfaces using Siemens WinCC and/or FactoryTalk View; perform code reviews and static checks.
• Prepare vFAT reports, issue lists, burn-down updates, architecture/interface documentation, code backups and operator/maintenance troubleshooting guides.

Mandatory Technical Skills

• Strong hands-on experience with Siemens S7-1500 / S7-1500F and TIA Portal / STEP 7; Rockwell PLC experience for applicable roles.
• Experience with FANUC, ABB and/or Kawasaki robot/cobot programming and safety functions.
• Hands-on experience in Virtual Commissioning / simulation using Siemens Process Simulate, MCD, SIMIT or PLCSIM Advanced.
• Knowledge of functional safety, interlocks, E-stops, PROFIsafe and collaborative robot safety requirements.
• Experience with industrial communication protocols including PROFINET, OPC UA and TCP/IP.
• Ability to develop, troubleshoot, validate and document controls software in a manufacturing environment.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with FANUC DCS/TP, ABB SafeMove/RAPID and Kawasaki Cubic-S.
• Experience with Siemens WinCC Unified / WinCC Comfort / FactoryTalk View.
• Knowledge of ISO/TS 15066 and Ford FAST / GVOSS standards.
• Experience in virtual FAT, SiL/HiL and digital manufacturing / virtual commissioning.

Candidate Profile

Controls / Automation Engineer with hands-on PLC, robot and virtual commissioning experience, strong troubleshooting capability and the ability to work across controls, robotics, simulation and manufacturing teams.

Key Skills: PLC Programming | Siemens S7-1500 | TIA Portal | Rockwell PLC | FANUC | ABB | Kawasaki | Cobot | Robot Programming | Process Simulate | MCD | SIMIT | PLCSIM Advanced | Virtual Commissioning | Functional Safety | PROFIsafe | PROFINET | HMI | WinCC | OPC UA

Project: Controls engineering support | Work Model: Engineering support / project-based

Send your CVs to [email protected]