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Role
Composite Design Engineer
Location
Hyderabad
Job Type
Full-time
Category
Mechanical Engineering
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Role overview
Dhruva Space is seeking an experienced Composite Design Engineer to lead the design, analysis, and development of advanced composite structures for spacecraft applications. This role requires a deep understanding of composite materials, structural behavior, and aerospace manufacturing processes. You will be responsible for delivering lightweight, high-performance solutions that meet stringent space environment requirements and mission-specific constraints. This position offers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge spacecraft structures in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.
Key responsibilities
- Design and develop composite structures, including honeycomb sandwich panels, for space systems with a focus on weight efficiency, mechanical performance, and manufacturability.
- Define laminate schedules, ply orientations, stacking sequences, and layup strategies to meet structural and environmental performance goals.
- Perform detailed structural analysis using FEA tools to assess stress, buckling, vibration, thermal behavior, and damage tolerance.
- Conduct trade studies for material selection and structural optimization based on mission requirements and environmental loads.
- Create detailed engineering documentation, including design reports, manufacturing drawings, and material specifications.
- Collaborate with thermal, mechanical, structural, and manufacturing teams to ensure design compatibility across disciplines.
- Coordinate tooling design, assembly procedures, and quality control measures to ensure repeatable and high-quality manufacturing.
- Support testing and validation at multiple levels: coupon, subcomponent, and full-scale structural testing.
- Evaluate structural integrity post-damage and implement composite repair and refurbishment techniques as required.
- Interface with suppliers and material vendors for qualification and procurement of composite materials, adhesives, and cores.
- Stay updated with advancements in composite materials, fabrication technologies, and industry standards.
Candidate requirements
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
- Minimum 3 years of experience in the design, analysis, and manufacturing of composite structures for aerospace, defense, or space applications.
- Proficiency in 3D CAD tools such as CATIA, SolidWorks, or Siemens NX for composite component design and ply modeling.
- Expertise in FEA tools such as ANSYS, Abaqus, or HyperWorks for evaluating structural performance, including stress, thermal, and modal analysis.
- Strong knowledge of honeycomb sandwich panel design, core and face sheet selection, bonding techniques, and structural optimization.
- Understanding of composite failure mechanisms including delamination, fiber fracture, matrix cracking, and impact damage.
- Familiarity with composite repair strategies, damage tolerance criteria, and post-damage evaluation techniques.
- Experience with bonding and joining methods for composite structures, including co-cured joints, mechanical fasteners, and adhesives.
- Working knowledge of Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles and composite fabrication constraints.
- Hands-on experience in composite fabrication, tooling, and quality assurance using techniques like ultrasonic inspection and thermography.
- Awareness of industry standards such as ECSS, NASA-STD-5009, ASTM, and MIL-HDBK-17 for composite design and testing.
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