Key Skills

Job Description

About Z3Dlabs Z3Dlabs is an innovative 3D printing service company in Oirschot. We turn technical ceramics and high-precision resins into parts that have to work in demanding places: semiconductor equipment, medical implants, aerospace, energy and defence. Our team is small, our experts sit next to the printers, and our customers come to us with problems that standard manufacturing cannot solve. Our technologies include: Ceramic stereolithography (SLA)** for alumina, zirconia, cordierite and hydroxyapatite parts Micro-SLA for very small, highly accurate parts such as bioreactors and photonic components Ceramic and metal filament printing** with CNC finishing Precision metrology with a Zeiss CMM, so we measure what we make The role As Additive Manufacturing Engineer you are the person who makes our technologies work for our customers. You take a customer's question, translate it into a design and a process route, print it, measure it, and fix whatever stands in the way. When a print fails, you want to know exactly why, and you will not stop until the answer is on paper and the next build is better. You will work across the whole chain: design for additive manufacturing, material behaviour, printing, cleaning, debinding, sintering and inspection. You will also help us understand our own processes and materials more deeply, so we can adjust them with confidence instead of relying on trial and error. What you will do - Assess customer requests for feasibility and propose a design and process route that meets their requirements for geometry, tolerance and material properties - Prepare and optimise designs for printing (we start in Onshape), including support strategy, orientation, shrinkage compensation and tolerances - Run and monitor print jobs on our SLA, micro-SLA and filament systems, and perform post-processing: cleaning, debinding and sintering - Investigate print and process failures systematically, using structured methods and design of experiments, and document what you learn - Measure and evaluate parts (dimensions, density, surface quality, defects) and translate the results into process improvements - Support material development and characterisation: slurry and resin behaviour, viscosity and rheology, solid loading, particle size, binder and dispersant systems, and sintering behaviour - Keep our process knowledge organised and usable, including process parameters, lessons learned and product travelers, so mistakes are made once - Talk directly with customers and partners (universities, research institutes, industry) about technical questions, and help the team make clear offers - Contribute to R&D projects and new product ideas with the team Who you are - You have a broad interest in 3D printing technologies and want to understand how each of them really works, not only how to operate them - You have an affinity for technical ceramics, precision engineering and material properties - You are a troubleshooter: curious, patient and structured when something does not work, and persistent until it does - You think from the customer's problem and enjoy finding a way to solve it with the technologies we have - You like working with your hands and with data, in the workshop and behind the screen - You work well in a small team where everyone contributes, and you take ownership of your work What you bring - A degree (MBO+/HBO/WO) in materials science, mechanical or precision engineering, chemical engineering, industrial design engineering or a related field, or equivalent experience - Hands-on experience with additive manufacturing, ideally vat photopolymerisation (SLA/DLP) or ceramic and metal powder-based processes - Working knowledge of CAD, preferably Onshape or comparable (SolidWorks, Fusion, etc.) - Understanding of material properties and how processing influences them - Experience with, or a strong wish to learn, ceramic processing: debinding, sintering, shrinkage and defect mechanisms - Familiarity with measurement and inspection (CMM, microscopy), design of experiments or statistics is a plus - Experience in semiconductor, medical, aerospace or defence environments, or with quality systems, is a plus - Good command of English; Dutch is an advantage - You are based in, or willing to relocate to, the Oirschot region, since this is a full-time on-site role What we offer - A varied, technical role in a small company where your ideas and results have direct influence - Access to advanced printing, post-processing and measurement equipment - Close contact with customers and R&D partners in high-tech sectors - Room to learn and specialise in ceramics, micro-fabrication and material development - Salary in line with experience: [salary range] - [Other conditions: holiday days, pension, travel allowance, development budget] - Location: Oirschot, full-time on site ([hours per week]) Interested? Send your CV and a short motivation, including an example of a technical problem you solved, to [email protected]. We are happy to answer questions about the role before you apply. *Z3Dlabs welcomes applications from everyone who is excited by this work.*

Core Responsibilities

Assess customer requirements and develop suitable designs and process routes, then operate additive manufacturing systems and carry out post-processing and inspection. Investigate failures, improve materials and processes, document process knowledge, and contribute to customer projects and R&D.

Requirements

A degree or equivalent experience in materials science, engineering, industrial design engineering, or a related field is required, along with hands-on additive manufacturing experience and working CAD knowledge. Candidates should understand material properties and be interested in ceramic processing; measurement, statistics, and experience in regulated or high-tech sectors are advantageous.

Benefits

• Access to Advanced Printing, Post-Processing, and Measurement Equipment
• Learning and Specialization Opportunities