Bushing Design Engineer

About Us

Original Composites and Fibers is a global leader in glass reinforcement solutions for the composites industry. Recently separated from Owens Corning, we now operate independently under the Praana ownership model, continuing a strong legacy of innovation, manufacturing excellence, and customer partnership.

With more than 4,000 employees worldwide, we are committed to redefining what’s possible through a performance-driven culture centered on safety, quality, sustainability, inclusiveness, and employee development. Guided by our values of passion, ownership, and team spirit, we work together to deliver innovative solutions and exceptional service across the globe.

PURPOSE OF THE JOB
 
At the heart of a continuous-strand fiberglass manufacturing operation is the fiberizing bushing, a precious metal alloy component similar to an extrusion die.  The design, manufacture and operation of the bushing and supporting components are critical to the financial success of the OCF Glass Reinforcements (GR) business.  The primary responsibility of the Bushing Design Engineer is to design fiber forming bushings, supporting components, the fiberizing process and provide operational support to our global glass manufacturing facilities.   
 
This position requires a deep understanding of the physics and engineering challenges involved in fiberizing at such high temperatures, as well as proficiency in mechanical engineering, heat transfer and fluid flow.  The engineer will utilize advanced Computer Aided Engineering (CAE), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and structural Fine Element Analysis (FEA) tools for designing and analyzing bushing components, glass delivery systems, and their operation including the overall fiberizing environment. The goal is to enhance fiberizing performance and reduce waste. The engineer is also responsible for translating physical understanding into practical designs for fiberizing components, developing manufacturing documentation, and then installing and evaluating them in a laboratory environment or glass manufacturing plants.
 
A significant part of the role involves developing design solutions to optimize the use of platinum/rhodium alloys to provide the most effective and capital efficient fiberizing operations.  The fiberizing process spans a very broad spectrum of engineering physics subjects and allows the opportunity to grow the corporate knowledge base.  Ultimately, the engineer's innovations and research contribute to a deeper understanding of fiberizing physics and more efficient production processes through directly applied industrial research and development. 
 
Reports to:     Alloy Engineering Leader
 
Span of Control:  No direct reports
 
 
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
 
Environment, Health & Safety

• Live the OC Safety stand and adhere to the safety responsibilities
• Demonstrate a commitment to employee health and safety, particularly through a commitment to zero injuries, awareness of hazards, and a strong understanding of legislative requirements in all aspects of the operation

• Develop and design fiberizing bushing and ancillary hardware for the glass reinforcement plants
  • Use computational and analytical tools to deliver bushing solutions that:
    • Meet product quality/performance standards, operational performance targets, and life standards
    • Minimize the use of Pt/Rh alloys
  • Develop and specify the mechanical drawing packages for all components with appropriate standards and tolerancing
• Maintain standard work documents for design and operations
• Maintain standards and qualify new sources for materials
• <