Process Mechanical Engineer

Role Purpose

The Process Mechanical Engineer will bridge process engineering requirements with mechanical design solutions specific to scaling single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) production & its applications. This role focuses on translating scale-up process needs into clear mechanical requirements, ensuring that all equipment designs and modifications support the performance, safety, and application goals of the Scale-up team.

Key Responsibilities

1. Process-to-Mechanical Translation

• Work with process engineers to define mechanical requirements for SWCNT production scale-up (reactors, piping, filtration, drying, sorting, and dispersion systems).

• Convert process flow diagrams (PFDs) and P&IDs into mechanical specifications for central engineering execution.

• Ensure equipment designs meet process performance targets for yield, purity, and reproducibility.

2. Application-Specific Equipment Adaptation

• Develop equipment configurations to handle SWCNT in powder, dispersion, and membrane forms without degradation or contamination.

• Specify materials of construction and surface finishes to prevent adsorption, contamination, or loss of nano materials.

• Design features to enable quick cleaning, changeovers, and minimal downtime during trials.

3. Scale-Up Support & Validation

• Participate in pilot and scale-up trials to evaluate mechanical performance of equipment.

• Generate and maintain mechanical performance of system for smooth transfer to Operations

• Recommend mechanical adjustments based on trial results to improve reliability and repeatability.

• Work with the central engineering team to implement approved modifications.

4. Coordination with Central Engineering

• Provide technical input for vendor selection, fabrication drawings, and equipment acceptance criteria.

• Review mechanical drawings from central engineering for alignment with process needs.

• Ensure timely resolution of mechanical issues impacting scale-up timelines.

5. Reliability & Continuous Improvement

• Identify mechanical bottlenecks and propose design enhancements.

• Introduce ergonomic and safety improvements specific to SWCNT handling.

• Develop mechanical solutions to enable scale-up of purification, sorting, and application development processes.

6. Safety & Compliance

• Ensure mechanical specifications comply with ASME, IS, API, and relevant nanomaterial handling guidelines.

• Contribute to hazard identification and repeatability studies (HAZOP) for new equipment.

7. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work with Quality & Operations teams to submit data and ensure system meets specifications (R).

• Provide process-related insights to the operations team for seamless scale-up and commercial production.

• Engage with customers and applications engineers to align process outputs with end-use performance needs (R).

Skillset & Experience Requirements

Core Skills (Required)

Mechanical-Process Integration

• Ability to translate process engineering needs (PFDs, P&IDs) into mechanical specifications and equipment design requirements.

• Experience designing or specifying process equipment: high-temperature reactors, heat exchangers, gas handling manifolds, filtration units, dryers, slurry handling systems.

Mechanical Design & Analysis

SolidWorks

ANSYS

• Knowledge of ASME BPVC, IS, API, and relevant mechanical standards for pressure vessels, piping, and rotating equipment.

Process Scale-Up Support

• Design, installation and commissioning of pilot plant

• Experience in equipment sizing and material of construction selection based on process chemistry, temperature, and pressure conditions.

• Knowledge of modular equipment design to enable iterative scale-up trials.

Data & Performance Validation

• Ability to correlate mechanical equipment performance with process yield, purity, and throughput data.

• Generate and maintain mechanical performance of system for smooth transfer to Operations

diagrams

Coordination & Documentation

• Preparing detailed mechanical specifications, data sheets, and vendor requirement documents.

• Reviewing fabrication drawings and mechanical layouts to ensure process compatibility.

• Liaising with vendors, central engineering, and process engineers to resolve technical issues.

Experience Level

Education:

Execution Experience:

i. At least one complete cycle of process-to-mechanical translation from concept to pilot-scale implementation.

ii. Direct participation in installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting of process-specific mechanical systems.