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ROLE: Machinist

About role:

We are seeking engineers, technicians, and a machinist to help us complete construction of, and demonstrate, the world’s most energy efficient humanoid robot. RangerMAX was brought to Plaksha University, in Chandigarh (Mohali) by Professor Andy Ruina

(ruina.org). The project is initially for 18 months and, with funding will go for at least

5 years. Eventually, the lab plans to expand to a space robotics center, developing robots for exploration of the moon and mars. The team will only be about 9 people, each with high level skills in at least one area, and each with abilities and energy to work across job-description boundaries. Projects: Biped, quadruped, anti-gravity simulator, motor

Testing.

We need a machinist who understands precision. The actuator housings, bearing seats,

and transmission components in our robots require tolerances down to 0.02 mm and tight concentricity specifications. Most fabrication is done through external manufacturing partners, but we need someone in-house who can make jigs and fixtures, do emergency repairs, inspect incoming parts, and talk to our manufacturers in their language about what we need and why.

This role involves both making things yourself (manual lathe and mill, with CNC literacy)

and testing/managing the quality of things others make for us.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Operate manual lathe and milling machine for in-house work: jigs, fixtures, adapters, test couplings, one-off parts,

emergency repairs.

· Read and interpret engineering drawings with GD&T;: position tolerances, concentricity, runout, surface finish callouts.

· Inspect incoming parts from manufacturing partners: dimensional verification with calipers, micrometers, dial indicators, bore gauges, and surface plates.





· Communicate with external manufacturers: discuss drawings, explain tolerance requirements, negotiate manufacturing approaches, and verify first articles.

· Travel to manufacturing partner facilities as needed for first article inspection, process review, or troubleshooting.

· Maintain the machine shop: tooling inventory, machine maintenance, safety compliance.

· Advise engineers on manufacturability during the design phase (“you can’t hold that tolerance with that setup”)

EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION QUALIFICATION:

· ITI / Diploma in Machinist trade, or equivalent demonstrated experience.

· Experience working with aluminum alloys and stainless steel.

· Experience in a job shop, tool room, or prototype manufacturing environment (not just production line work)

· Experience inspecting and accepting/rejecting vendor-supplied parts

SKILLS

· Proficiency on manual lathe and manual milling machine.

· CNC literacy: ability to read and understand G-code, set up a CNC job, and verify

· CNC output. Does not need to be a CNC programmer, but must understand the process.

· Solid understanding of GD&T; (geometric dimensioning and tolerancing).

· Comfortable working to tolerances of 0.02 mm and understanding when and why such tolerances matter (bearing fits, concentricity for rotating assemblies).

· Proficiency with inspection tools: micrometers, calipers, dial indicators, bore gauges, height gauges, surface plates.

· Positive communication in English and Hindi (technical discussions with engineers and manufacturers).

· Willingness to travel to manufacturing partner sites (primarily within Punjab, Haryana, and NCR; occasionally further).

· Familiarity with EDM, grinding, or other precision finishing processes

LOCATION: Ark Foundation Robotics Lab, Plaksha University, Mohali, India.

📌 Machinist (Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar)
🏢 Plaksha
📍 Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar