Model Based Design Engineer – Mechatronic

Model Based Design Engineer – Mechatronic at Vanderlande

Introduction to role

Vanderlande is a global leader in material handling systems, providing innovative solutions to optimize logistic processes. Vanderlande’s Technology Department is responsible for the design and specification of material handling systems for our customers. Modelling and simulation are playing a key role in overcoming the challenge of the increasing complexity of our systems. Vanderlande is therefore using Model Based Design techniques to develop innovative material handling systems.

Model Based Design uses models throughout the development process, unlike traditional methods that rely on textual specifications and physical prototypes. Models represent systems and include components such as algorithms, logic, physical elements, and IP. These models help in understanding, simulating, and validating system behavior, and can generate outputs like reports and code for embedded controllers or PLCs.

In this role, you will become part of the Model Based Design (MBD) team. The Model Based Design team is dedicated to creating advanced simulation models that enhance the design and execution of material handling systems on site, both for the parcel, warehousing and airports domain.

Your responsibilities

As Model Based Design Engineer you will create models of material handling systems. These models can serve multiple purposes, such as optimizing (electro)mechanical design, calculating high-level key performance indicators such as capacity and footprint, supporting sales questions, and designing and testing algorithms for controlling equipment. In some cases, these models are used for code generation, which is ultimately used to control on-site customer equipment.

As the material handling systems become more sophisticated and customer demands for accuracy and capacity increase, it becomes more important to include physical effects (i.e. slip, gravity, friction, collisions) in these simulation models. Increasing the fidelity of these models will enable virtual prototyping and, when coupling these models with actual data, enable digital twins. Your responsibility is to determine and implement the required fidelity level to achieve the purpose of the model.

Role Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain simulation models for material handling systems.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather requirements and design specifications.
• Design and execution of experiments and test cases to gather actual data. Use this data to perform model verification and validation by comparing simulations with obtained test data.
• Perform simulations to support the sales department with optimization of customer layouts.
• Work on multiple test scenarios for exception handling, unit testing and integrated system tests.
• Perform validation of software design by using an emulation environment or proto equipment.
• Finalize a design and its deliverables, according to our processes, to guarantee a smooth transition to the relevant stakeholders.

Role Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor or master degree in a relevant engineering discipline
• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink
• Excellent command of fundamental programming concepts, basic principles, and related terminologies to write code, which is simple to understand, modular and efficient.
• Experience with programming techniques such as variables, basic control structures, data structures, object-oriented programming, troubleshooting, debugging, and various programming tools.
• Experience with requirements engineering, design and development processes like V-model, Scrum and Agile. Willing to work in the SAFe framework.
• Proficiency in version control systems and Atlassian tool suits (i.e. GIT, Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket, SourceTree, Bamboo).
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (MS word, MS excel, MS outlook and MS teams app).
• Knowledge of rigid and flexible body dynamics theories and principles.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written skills – English language.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail. Self-motivated.
• Proactive, self-driven and ability to work independently.
• Stay abreast of new innovations in modeling tools and methodologies and integrate them into the development process. Openness to learning and adopting new modeling tools and techniques.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing automated systems with PLC controlled systems, emulation and industrial communication and networking (i.e. ASibus, Ethernet, TCP/IP, Profinet).
• Experience with PLC programming environment (i.e. TIA Portal, RSLogix).
• Experience with physics engines (i.e. Nvidia Isaac Sim, Algoryx, Bullet, MuJoCo).
• Experience with other software languages (i.e. Python, C, C++, Rust).